11 things why having a library will change the way you see life

It doesn't matter whether you have a small book collection or a 25,000 book collection like I do.

1. Subject of conversation

• It is incredible when you meet people from all around the World, and one is able to have a conversation with them about all kinds of subjects. After the conversation, it is inevitable to realize that one needs to be grateful to your book collection for providing a wider awareness to knowledge on so many subject matters.

1. Variety of knowledge

• Even though you may have a subject of preference, when you have a library, you read books that overlap all subject matters. Thus, you end up expanding your horizons far more than one could ever envision.

1. Expose you to new points of view

• While your family may have provided you with a basis of opinion and viewpoints on many different issues, through further reading you may start to adapt or formulate new points of view. For example, my family is quite conservative politically, but still I find it useful to read books like the Communist Manifesto, even though you may never agree with that specific ideology.

1. Expand your vocabulary

• It's great to have a rich and diverse vocabulary, and not be limited to that used in everyday life.

1. Have a reality check

• While it is nicer inside your “bubble”, you have to know that many people do not live as comfortable and with the same opportunities as you do. Also, it is interesting to see the different cultures and lifestyles from all around the world.

1. Organization

• Organization of a library is not an easy task, but it prepares you for the future. It helps you to keep track of where all books are, where they have to be to maximize their use, and where to stack additions to the library.

1. Find out about your áreas of main interest

• Through reading, you can find out what are your areas of main interest and continue to learn more about them. Books allow you to learn not only about one subject, but with regards to a myriad of issues.

1. Recreation

• One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is to read. A library gives you so many options and different subjects to enjoy reading. Reading also helps you to think better and to be able to communicate more effectively with your peers.

1. Be better prepared for the future by knowing about the past

Reading is an excellent way to learn about the past. To know the past is to be better prepared about the future, in order to make better decisions and potentially achieve better results.

1. See how generations change

Most of the books in my library were bought by my grandparents, but my father did make important additions to the collection, as well as my sister and I in recent years. It's is incredibly fascinating to see the diaries of my great great grandmothers or to see the school books that once were used by my grandparents and parents school. That way, you can better appreciate what other generations experienced or what subject matters they enjoyed reading. In the future, my sons and daughters may find it interesting to know what I enjoyed reading when I was a teenager.

1. Continuity

• Last but not least, a library is a place where you know that knowledge is safely guarded. I hope to follow my grandparent’s example and pass on my books and collections to my descendants. I believe that no generation should be forgotten, thus in a library everyone is remembered and nothing is left unappreciated.

"Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future." -Ray Bradbury