Lilly Library

[osprey_archer]

I am returned from the Lilly Library! The Lilly has an extensive rare book collection, including first editions of many of the Newbery Honor books (not quite all of them yet, but that's the goal), which of course was the siren song that summoned me there.

As I've never been to a rare book library before, I vaguely expected to be handed a stack and beetle off to my desk, but in fact they brought each book out on a sort of beanbag pillow, tamped down in the center so the book opened in a shallow V, with a weighted cord to use to hold the pages down, either to provide some rest for your hands or to protect the pages from the oils on your fingers? Not sure. Anyway it felt very fancy, and the Reading Room is beautiful, the walls all lined with books that people have requested, and above the bookshelf a mural of Great Thinkers of History (I don't think that's it's title, but it appeared to be the subject matter) and a high window with a relaxing view of the trees.

And I read three books!

John Bennett's The Pigtail of Ah Lee Ben Loo, which I'll write about in my post about the Newbery books of 1929.

Anne Parrish's The Story of Appleby Capple, an alphabet book, although such a long and complicated alphabet book that it would have to be read to any beginning reader! It's a nonsense adventure story: Appleby goes missing in the woods while looking for a Zebra butterfly for his great-uncle, and then everyone goes to look for him, and a bunch of zoo animals are loose... If you like absurdist children's literature it's a fine example of the genre, but the genre is not my cup of tea. The thing that touched me most was the dedication, to Anne's brother Dillwyn (co-author of her previous Newbery Honor book, also nonsense stories, The Dream Coach), who had been dead for years by the time this book was published... but it was a story they had begun together long ago as children.

And Christine Weston's Bhimsa, the Dancing Bear, which I quite enjoyed. This is a running-away-from-home adventure story, all the good parts of running away without any of the icky realism. When Gopala and his bear friend Bhimsa drop by David's garden, David jumps the fence, and the two boys set off across India to find Gopala's home. (Gopala and Bhimsa were washed away from their high mountain village when the river flooded.) One presumes from his name and situation that David is English, but this is not a book that is at all interested in wider social issues: it's all about adventure and friendship and that time when your doughty bear friend rescues you from an attacking tiger.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Books brought to you on a pillow--how marvelous!

There's a town near here with a Lilly library--I wonder if it's named after the same Lilly? (The one I'm thinking of is named for Alfred T. Lilly.) Next time you're in the area, we should visit (it's just an ordinary library, though, not a rare-books library).

[osprey_archer]

It feels very fancy to have a book brought to you on a pillow! Luxurious, except the luxury is absolutely free - any Indiana resident can request access to the Lilly collection.

The Lilly at IU is named for the Lilly family, of the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. So, different Lillys, but it's not a common name, so perhaps there's some relation?

Anyway, I'd love to see your Lilly Library! I can see from the photos that it's a beautiful building.

[kore]

I know they have a whooole lot of Sylvia Plath stuff there, so if I ever did somehow make it to Indiana, much less into the Lilly Library, I bet they would never be able to get me out again.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, I was there one time when they had an exhibit of her journals etc! I remember tiny precise handwriting...

[scioscribe]

Ah, I love the Lilly! It's so beautiful and peaceful. I was there once when they had a Patrick O'Brian exhibit and once when they had a lot of old puzzles and toys. I wish I'd actually gotten to sit and read there. This sounds idyllic.

[osprey_archer]

I think the old puzzles exhibit might be on permanent display in one of the side galleries. They're so interesting to look at, but sometimes I want to take them out of the case and see if I can work them!

[littlerhymes]

That sounds like such a lovely experience! Fancy reading room!!

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it was fantastic! It felt so fancy to be in the reading room.

[regshoe]

Beautiful libraries full of old books are such a good place for sitting reading, and this sounds like a particularly cool one to visit :D

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it was a lovely peaceful place to read. Wonderful aura.

[genarti]

Bringing you a book on a pillow! How fancy feeling! This sounds like an utterly lovely experience all around.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it felt like having the post brought in on a silver salver! So luxurious.

[superborb]

Huh, was the weighted cord - pillow experience helpful for reading? It seems like it could be generally nice for all books (not having to hold the book open), if the angle was right.

[osprey_archer]

It was, especially for the larger books that can be awkward to hold. I think with something like a mass market paperback it would be difficult to get it to stay open, but fortunately the books I was reading were all hardbacks of a certain size.

I did get quite stiff from sitting at a table slightly bent over to read, though. Obviously a reading room can't have you curling up in a comfy chair and handling their rare books every which way!

[silverusagi]

I remain impressed by your dedication to hunting down rare Newbery books. Going to a reading room sounds like nerdy fun and kind of fancy.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, the pinnacle of fancy nerdy fun!