The final guest post from Brannen in a series about geeky hangouts around DC.
Welcome back geeks and friends to the show that never ends, come inside, come inside.
I might be on cold meds. You have been warned.
I have to admit that I’m a book geek. When I finally accumulate Sod Off money my personal cave isn’t the sybaritic den that some might guess (that’s for sharing with guests, after all), no. It will be more like this:
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| No, I don't have enough. Why do you ask? (via Charlotte L.) |
There is just something about the weight of the book in your hands, the smell of old paper, oiled leather, hint of must and dust and words both shouted and whispered into my ears by people I’ve never met.
For a lover of books, not just as an idea transmission medium but as objects in and of themselves, then you’ve got to get over to the Folger Shakespeare Library. The collection is amazing and it runs far beyond just getting to coo at covers and look at a few displayed pages. The Folger does an excellent job of bringing out not just the texts but the context of the works as well. The easy hours of the place and the free admission make it a very attractive offering if your out for city exploration or scratching that academic itch. If you’re willing to pay out a bit the Folger also has an ongoing schedule of plays, musical performances, poetry presentations and other live works. The place makes a great spot for a geeky, elegant date when you’re looking to impress (or taking advantage of your SO’s patience to soak in your own preferred geekdom).
The second spot for the book geek and the final suggestion for this little series on geek outings for the winter winds up at a place very near and dear to my heart. If I had a church, a temple, a mosque or sacred grove this would be it:
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| Try not to fall when you look up, it happens surprisingly often. (via Angela N.) |
Yeah. That’s the Library of Congress that I’m talking about. Take a look at that image above again. Now think about your personal library or local library. Now look at the image below:
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| Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story... (via Matt Riggott) |
Yeah, tell me its not a place of reverence and I’ll call you a liar.
The complex itself is surprisingly large, spanning several buildings in DC and a whole warehouse area outside of the city. The buildings in the city are linked by a series of tunnels, so if you’ve ever been curious about underground DC you can get a small (and well lit) taste of what a lot of the federal passages around the area look like. I suggest coming in from the main entrance, though. Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass, as we all know, and you can really get a feel for that as you come into the main reading room. It truly does feel like a temple to knowledge, to the understanding and creativity of humanity. Its an incredible place to seek out on a wander, no matter whether you’re on your own or with others.
There are several options for visiting the library as well. You can do the standard tour thing, or even download some self guided tours onto your phone. The outer rooms of the library buildings tend to be special focus and often hold small exhibits that shift over time. Honestly, I’ve spent hours in there just for the art and architecture, let alone the book collection.
Ahhh, yes, the collection. It is massive and you need to know a few things about it. First of all, if you want to actually access anything you need to get yourself a Reader’s Identification Card. The process isn’t bad, it took me about 20 minutes last time I got one. You need a valid photo ID, the ability to fill out a short form and then you’re issued a card good for two years. Once you’ve got that in hand you can use the on-site catalogs and can even request materials. Yeah, request. You can’t go digging through the stacks, which honestly is for the best. Just a warning though, depending on traffic this can take a while and what you want may not always be available. Last time I was in I requested a fair obscure book dealing with a Norse mythological figure. They’ve got it in the catalog, but after a bit more than an hour of a wait I was informed that it wasn’t available at that time. So if you’re going in to research, have a full list of materials you want to look at. On the upside its almost like a restaurant: Tell them which desk you’re at when you turn in the requests and they do the rest.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope these ideas have encouraged you to get out and about, even as the weather gets colder. Whether you’re seeking solitude from the maddening throngs or looking for that cool place to share some special company, there’s no reason to ever claim being bored in DC. We have a vast and rich region to enjoy. Get out there!
Until next time, I hope your obsessions blossom beautifully.
The complex itself is surprisingly large, spanning several buildings in DC and a whole warehouse area outside of the city. The buildings in the city are linked by a series of tunnels, so if you’ve ever been curious about underground DC you can get a small (and well lit) taste of what a lot of the federal passages around the area look like. I suggest coming in from the main entrance, though. Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass, as we all know, and you can really get a feel for that as you come into the main reading room. It truly does feel like a temple to knowledge, to the understanding and creativity of humanity. Its an incredible place to seek out on a wander, no matter whether you’re on your own or with others.
There are several options for visiting the library as well. You can do the standard tour thing, or even download some self guided tours onto your phone. The outer rooms of the library buildings tend to be special focus and often hold small exhibits that shift over time. Honestly, I’ve spent hours in there just for the art and architecture, let alone the book collection.
Ahhh, yes, the collection. It is massive and you need to know a few things about it. First of all, if you want to actually access anything you need to get yourself a Reader’s Identification Card. The process isn’t bad, it took me about 20 minutes last time I got one. You need a valid photo ID, the ability to fill out a short form and then you’re issued a card good for two years. Once you’ve got that in hand you can use the on-site catalogs and can even request materials. Yeah, request. You can’t go digging through the stacks, which honestly is for the best. Just a warning though, depending on traffic this can take a while and what you want may not always be available. Last time I was in I requested a fair obscure book dealing with a Norse mythological figure. They’ve got it in the catalog, but after a bit more than an hour of a wait I was informed that it wasn’t available at that time. So if you’re going in to research, have a full list of materials you want to look at. On the upside its almost like a restaurant: Tell them which desk you’re at when you turn in the requests and they do the rest.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope these ideas have encouraged you to get out and about, even as the weather gets colder. Whether you’re seeking solitude from the maddening throngs or looking for that cool place to share some special company, there’s no reason to ever claim being bored in DC. We have a vast and rich region to enjoy. Get out there!
Until next time, I hope your obsessions blossom beautifully.
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