Blog Post #1: Observing in the Library

Observing in the Library

            

        Outside the Hawaiian Pacific collection room is a line of curious, eager freshmen. Their murmurs echo through the tiny hallway and bounce off the clean cut white walls. The sound of their teacher hushing them and giving them instruction cuts through the murmurs and silence fills its place. Inside, a young man carefully flips open the slightly yellowed pages of a thick book. His eyes scour the pages quickly at first, as if searching for something, then his eyes stop over one section of the page. He reaches for a pencil and slowly jots down each idea, careful not to forget a single word, letter, or period. At the front desk of the room, two librarians silently type on their computers, the click and clack of the keys almost in rhythm with the ticking of my watch. A couple sits just across of them, their eyes glued to the books on their laps. Occasionally, one will turn to the other, whisper something, then both will go straight back into the world on their laps. 

         Then, two girls enter the room, each carrying a bag on her back. Their eyes wander through the room, soaking up its newness and nakedness. They stand glued to their spots and communicate using their eyes, perhaps wondering where they should sit or what they should explore first in their new environment. The librarian lifts her head and makes a quiet call to the two girls. After explaining the rule of not carrying bags inside, the two girls make their way outside as if to put their belongings in the hallway lockers. Five minutes pass and the girls don't come back inside. A few more minutes pass and the room returns to its normal configuration. Only the sound of keys clacking, the occasional page turning, a silent whisper passing between two, and the ticking of a watch can be heard. I feel as if I am the man in Allure of the Archives, silently observing the new female archivist -- hearing her high heels clack along the floor and her sift through pages in a book. I also feel as if I am Farge. I take bits and pieces of what I observe and create characters and stories from my evidence. Through this short piece I have taken evidence, just as Farge uses bits of information from the archives, and have retold the stories and information of the people I observed. Even though I haven't experienced what it's like to be an archivist, I feel as if I somewhat understand the allure of the archives.