About the Author
-Oliver Sacks was born in 1933 in London and Died in 2015 in New York.
-He was educated at the Queen’s College, Oxford University. He completed his medical training at San Francisco’s Mount Zion Hospital and at UCLA(University of California, Los Angeles) before moving to New York.
-In New York, he worked in Albert Einstein College of Medicine as a doctor and a professor.
-Sack was a neurologist and an author whose case studies of patients with unusual disorders became best sellers.
Main Idea
Oliver Sacks starts the essay from his childhood memory about his home library and talks about several libraries he encountered while growing up, which ultimately framed his career and personality. In the 1990s, Sacks noticed a shift that occurred regarding usage of libraries, that is students had been ignoring them as they could access the digital content with their computers. As the users no longer used the books themselves, the college and public libraries started disposing of the books after digitizing them. It really horrified the author because for him a physical book is irreplaceable due to its look, smell, and heft. Sacks talks about the libraries he came along from childhood to his professional life and how they helped him to pursue his intellectual freedom and interest towards the sciences.
When Oliver Sack was a child, the library room at his home was his favorite. It was his father’s special library. His parents had met in medical students’ Ibsen society and also were great supporters of Henrik Ibsen. All of Ibsen’s plays were there in the library along with the books of young poets of his father’s generation. On the lower shelves, there were the adventurous and history books belonging to his three older brothers including The Jungle Book.
Sacks’ mother had her favorite books in a separate bookcase in the lounge which had several books of Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, William Makepeace Thackeray, George Bernard Shaw, Rudyard Kiplings, Shakespeare, and John Milton. The medical books were in a special locked cabinet in the surgery room.
Sacks’ had a science lab at his home and both the library and lab were his favorite places where he would spend a lot of time. He learnt to read at the age of three or four in the library.
The first public library Sacks attended was Willesden Public Library which was a five minute walk away from his home, where he received his real education. Sacks hated school because he wanted to explore freely to learn. He was not a good student but a good learner.
When he was twelve years old he attended St. Paul’s School. It had an excellent library- the Walker Library, which was heavy in history and politics. As he was interested in science, Sacks used to visit the library of the Science Museum with the help of his teachers.
After school, Sacks went to university for further study. He got enrolled in Queen’s college of Oxford University where he had access to two great libraries- Radcliffe Science Library and the Bodleian. In Bodleian, he explored Theodore Hook and decided to write a case-history of him.
The library which Sacks loved most was the library at his college, Queen’s College. It was the library having a lot of books including old and ancient books in the underground maze of heating pipes and shelves. The catacombs of the Queen’s library introduced him to seventeenth and eighteenth-century literature-John-son, David Hume, Alexander Pope, John Dryden. All of these books were freely available.
Oliver Sacks first came to New York City in 1965, where he had a very unpleasant small apartment in which there was not enough space for reading and writing. He used to write on the top of the refrigerator. To get rid of this problem, he used to visit the library at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he worked.
Sacks talks about a form of friendship that used to begin from a library, besides reading books. Handling books, sharing them, passing them between strangers, even seeing the names of previous readers and the dates of issuing were the parts of these friendships and trusts.
A shift was occurring by the 1990s. Sacks’ love for the libraries was the same but he noticed that the students were ignoring them because they had inclined towards the digital forms of books. The libraries over the countries had been disposing of the old books because the majority of users were no longer using the books. Sacks felt that a murder or a crime had been committed although these books had been digitized. He felt that a digitized book can never replace a physical book because of the ecstasy one gets from its look, smell, or heft. He recalled how the library once protected and cared the old books and how he had bound an 1873 book Megrim written by Edward Liveing, which inspired him to write his own first book.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Where could the author be found when he was late for lunch or dinner?
Ans: The author could be found in the library room at his home, completely absorbed by a book, when he was late for lunch or dinner.
b. What are his first memories?
Ans: Since the author learned to read early at three or four, the library room in his home, the books in it, and the ways he would spend time in the library are among his first memories.
c. Why did he dislike school?
Ans: He disliked school because the traditional modes of learning- sitting in class, receiving instruction, and passive listening could not attract him.
d. What did he feel about at the library?
Ans: He felt free–free to look at the thousands of books, free to roam, and to enjoy the special atmosphere and the quiet companionship of other readers at the library who were like him.
e. Why was he so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry?
Ans: He was so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry because these were the fields of his interest. His parents’ medical background might have triggered this interest in him; however, it seems like he was born with this aptitude.
f. Why did he become so fascinated by Hook?
Ans: He became so fascinated by Hook after he came across some forgotten works of Theodore Hook and got impressed by his work. Hook was a person who was popular in the early nineteenth for his wit and his genius for theatrical and musical improvisation but was underrated in the 20th century.
g. Describe library at the Queen’s College.
Ans: The library at the Queen’s college was an old and historic library designed by the 17th century eminent English architect, Christopher Wren. In the basement of the library, there was an underground maze of bookshelves with books of several authors including the ancient books. The vaults of this library used to house varieties of books including seventeenth- and eighteenth century literature.
h. Why did the students ignore the bookshelves in the 1990s?
Ans: The students ignored the bookshelves in the 1990s because they could access what they needed with their computers. Almost all the information from the books had been digitized and the students rarely needed to go to the bookshelves.
i. Why was he horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago?
Ans: He was horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago because the shelves in the library were sparsely occupied which had been once overflowing.
Reference to the context
a. The author says, “I was not a good pupil, but I was a good learner.” Justify it with the textual evidences.
Ans: The author says that he was not a good pupil, but was a good learner. According to him, a good pupil is one who likes school and loves to learn by “sitting in class, receiving instruction”, and can “be passive” while learning in class. As he could not do these things, he asserts that he was not a good pupil rather was a good learner. It is because “in Willesden Library–and all the libraries that came later”, he pursued his will of intellectual freedom–the freedom to learn as per his interest.
b. A proverb says, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library." Does this proverb apply in the essay? Explain.
Ans: Yes, this proverb applies in the essay. It is because Oliver Sacks praises intellectual freedom in this essay, which basically means the freedom to learn freely. Intellectual freedom can be pursued with the help of libraries. Besides, sacks shares how he loved libraries more than anything else and how he could spend hours in them. He also enjoyed roaming freely in libraries exploring bookshelves. The frequent visits to libraries not only would give him a sense of knowledge but also provide him a sense of community, friendships, and ecstasy too. Hence, this proverb which says, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library," perfectly fits in this essay.
c. Are there any other services that you would like to see added to the library?
Ans: Yes, there are several other services I would like to see added to the library besides the traditional services like storing books, provisions for borrowing them, and serving them to the readers for reading. These services are:
-Libraries can offer space for the readers to learn life skills through seminars, workshops, and club activities.
-They should add computer labs where the readers can access the e-books in several online databases.
- They should make provisions where the readers can create or invent things along with their learning.
-Writing workshops; technological learnings like computer programming, robotics, engineering; and other learning platforms should be added.
Reference beyond the text
a. Write an essay on Libraries and its uses for students.
Libraries and their Uses for Students
The library has been an essential institution since ancient times, and it remains an invaluable resource in the modern world. A library is a repository of knowledge, a sanctuary for learning, and a hub for intellectual growth. It serves as a treasure trove of information, offering access to a wide range of books, journals, periodicals, and digital resources. The library's multifaceted nature makes it a dynamic and versatile space that caters to the needs of people from all walks of life.
The primary function of a library is to provide access to a vast and diverse collection of books and other materials. Libraries host an array of literary works, spanning various genres, subjects, and cultures. From classic literature and scientific publications to historical records and contemporary novels, the library offers an opportunity for individuals to explore the world and expand their horizons through literature. Books are the custodians of human knowledge and wisdom, and the library facilitates the dissemination of this knowledge to the public, promoting lifelong learning.
Libraries play a crucial role in supporting education and research. For students, scholars, and academics, the library is a sanctuary where they can access resources vital to their studies and research endeavors. Academic libraries, in particular, provide access to peer-reviewed journals, scholarly databases, and research papers, empowering individuals to delve deep into their chosen fields and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.
In the digital age, libraries have embraced technological advancements and expanded their offerings beyond physical books. Many libraries now provide access to electronic databases, e-books, audiobooks, and other digital resources. These digital libraries have made information accessible to a wider audience, breaking down barriers of distance and time.
The library is an indispensable institution that has evolved over centuries to meet the changing needs of society. Its uses extend far beyond the traditional role of book repositories, encompassing research, community engagement, cultural preservation, and personal growth. As technology continues to advance, libraries must adapt, embracing digital resources while maintaining their core values of knowledge dissemination and intellectual empowerment. The library remains a symbol of enlightenment and serves as a vital pillar of a thriving and educated society. As we move forward into an increasingly interconnected world, the library's importance will persist, fostering a love for learning and knowledge that will stand the test of time.
b. Do you have any public library in your locality? If so, do the people in your community use it? Give a couple of examples.
Ans: Yes, I have a public library in my locality. Yes, few people in my community use it. They use it for:
i) Reading books of their interest in the library.
ii) Borrowing the books to read them at home, school, or other places of convenience.
iii) Conducting seminars, workshops, training, and meetings in the library hall.
iv) Carrying out academic research or doing school/college assignments.
v) Learning ICT skills in the e-library section.
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