Willow's Library

Bonjour! C'est moi, Willow. (Translation: *Adele voice* Hello... it's me...) :-)

You've all probably already seen Citali's wonderful worldbuilding library posts, and I thought I'd just hop on her bandwagon like the unoriginal copycat I am. She's written about libraries in different alternate universes, but I'm going to write a short piece on my school's library, which, honestly, has become my home away from home in these two years. It's cozy and inviting, and the librarian is absolutely brilliant. If you're reading this right now, Ms. N-, this one's for you.

Here we go:

My library is a good-sized room, with several aisles of bookshelves, the books themselves ranging from biographies to graphic novels. I wander through the fiction section, pinpointing my favorite authors with practiced ease. Brightly lit, the library also hosts a set of tables and several computers. These are perpetually occupied by students reading, doing homework, or just chatting. There's a buzz of conversation throughout the room; never is there pin-drop silence. The TAs behind the counter work steadily, checking books in and out. The librarian herself ambles through her domain, stopping to greet students, to recommend books, and, occasionally, to shush an overly noisy group of kids. She'll direct you to books and authors you ask for with a smile and a pointed finger. Always helpful, always polite, and always friendly, Ms. N- is half the reason the library is always crowded. Enthusiastic about books and her job, Ms. N- is always willing to give you book recommendations, discuss books or movies in detail, or even just give you directions to anywhere on campus.

The last few years have been tough for my family. We've gone through a lot, and I've had to deal with it in the one way I know how: bury myself in fiction. Read book after book after book until the future seems a little less bleak. Laughing about jokes in movies, analyzing minor details in my favorite volumes, discussing character development throughout a series-- these things have kept me going. I owe a lot of that to the library. It has given me the opportunity to read, reread, and discuss the books I love. So to my library and everyone in it: thank you.

*Fin*

Okay, so maybe I'm not as good at Citali at this whole "describing libraries" thing, and this got a little more personal than I originally intended it to be. But I really do mean every word. My library means the world to me; I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't there.

Au revoir!
Willow

These Are Not the Spoilers You're Looking For (These Are, In Fact, the Spoilers You're Looking For)

Hi, it's Willow here with the start of a new Archives series!
As many of you can probably guess from the title, it's going to be a very Star Wars-centric selection of posts.

It will include:

• Spoilers for Episodes I-VII
• Spoilers for all six seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Spoilers for season 1 of Star Wars Rebels
• Spoilers for many of the new canon books and comics

It will NOT, however, include:

• The Expanded Universe (new canon calls it "Legends")
• Star Wars Rebels season 2 (I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet)

This series will be a collection of posts critiquing, analyzing, and discussing multiple aspects of this wonderful galaxy far, far away. I'll write about character analyses, plot discussions, book reviews, parallels to the real world, and more.

May the Force be with you always,

Willow

Snowy Vault: Libraries Series

Hiya from Citali. I'm not so sure how this libraries writing thing will go, but here's my second one. It's a bit longer and different, but... more libraries and writing!

Snowy vault

"Ugh." She finished the energy bar and stood up, immediately feeling the blast of cold, snowy air as she poked her head out of the small rocky crevice that had been protecting her from the cold. "Almost there." Gripping her backpack straps, she tested the slope with her boot before taking each step, struggling to dig her foot first out of the snow, then into it for a grip as she moved the next step. Dig in, lean forwards, dig out. Dig in, lean forwards, dig out. She kept her gaze downwards, focusing on her steps so she would never fall. Never, she promised herself. Suddenly instead of the hard slickness of frozen-together snow, which would give if she pushed hard enough, she felt the hard solidity of metal. Using her boot, she brushed aside more snow to find a metal grate packed with ice. But it was metal nevertheless. Continuing to brush aside snow, she followed the path and was suddenly stunned at a sight she'd never expected to see in the wildest of places: a building of concrete and metal, rising at sharp angles from the soft curves of frozen water. She trudged to the front door and found it open as she brushed fingertips over a sensor. Somehow it had been frozen shut, but by giving it some good old pounding with her boot, the ice broke, shattering into a treacherously clear mound in front of the door. The big step she took over the threshold was hindered by her many layers of clothing, but once inside the blast of warm air felt like a zephyr of life. Shoving with her shoulder, she closed the front door. Now she was safe from the cold, inside this... vault. A counterlike ledge jutting from the wall was the perfect place for her to shed her waterproof gloves in favor of simple, warm wool ones under a round lantern. She hesitated just a bit before shrugging off her heavy backpack, but something about the lamp and the warm air made her feel secure after the day of trekking through treacherous snow. She brushed the snow from her boots and the folds of her jacket, then took the lantern carefully to explore the rest. Later, she realized she hadn't had to, as more lanterns were somehow lit inside. Instead of eerie isolation, the vault was filled with a cozy sense of comfort in solitude as she passed shelves. Unlike the concrete and steel exterior amidst black rocks and white ice, the shelves were full of color; books with spines of bold illustrations and fine embossed words, boxes of documents tabbed in bright plastic. She could imagine someone else here, someone like her, enjoying being alone; but she could also imagine many others here, filling this place with even more warmth and light, sharing in this color.

Happy reading! I'd love feedback or comments.

~Citali

Solarpunk Library: Libraries Series

Hello, it's Citali here, with my first post in the libraries series: a solarpunk library.

Solarpunk

The library had been the first thing the city rebuilt after the apocalypse, by unanimous vote of all the citizens. Standing outside, he always took a moment to look up at the building. Seemingly squeezed onto a street corner, the former apartment building now had its balconies, fire escapes, and even its roof glassed in. Through the colorful stained-glass-like mosaics created by the solar glass, he could see the library already humming with life, even at this time in the morning. Quickly, he locked his bike into one of the colorfully painted racks and entered the library. Inside, he immediately started hunting down his favorite reading nook. Passing an end table with a whimsical sign saying Leave your favorite book, take someone else's as your own, he took a look at a dark blue hardcover with a graceful, cherry-red high heel. With a grin, he took the book, taking one out of his backpack to leave, a silver-and-blue book probably about two inches thick and yet one of the greatest stories he'd ever read. Next to the end table lay a pile of colorful beanbags with a lanternlike stained glass lamp hanging above, casting a warm glow. Letting himself fall onto the beanbags, he put his feet up and opened the new book. A few minutes later, a boy in walked by with an overstuffed backpack and a tiny kitten following at his heels. Pausing at the end table, he thoughtfully flipped open the cover of the book he'd left and scanned a page or two. Deciding to take it, he pulled a thin yellow paperback out of his backpack with difficulty and left it on the table. The boy would have walked on, probably to find an armchair for himself and his comical kitten, but something about the other boy made him pause. "Nice book," he said. The kitten padded up to the beanbag boy and patted his shoe.

Happy reading!

~Citali

Perfect Libraries: Libraries Series

Heya, it's Citali!

If you're a book lover who doesn't love libraries... well. I do believe you have a few issues, though I'll try not to judge. But libraries seem to embody the best of not only a love of books but also, well, everything. Where else is a sanctuary, a meeting hall, a place to receive knowledge for free, a place that's equally fun and interesting by yourself or with a book-loving friend?

Whether you love sci-fi or fantasy, I've always been fascinated by the idea of worldbuilding including libraries. Futuristic libraries? Cozy libraries? Flying island libraries? Underground vault libraries? Robot librarians? Elf librarians? As public buildings, they can embody the entire vibe of whatever world the library belongs to; as a storehouse for knowledge, they can be as open or as secure as you wish.

So I'll be starting a bit of a series, composed of different short stories I've written about libraries of different possible genres. I guess I've talked about me writing on here a bit, but I've never really shared any of it. Hope you enjoy!

Happy reading,
~Citali