I've been working on a peice for quite sometime (in my mind) and the main focus is a library. A quick overview of the tale: children find a grove of long-lost books in the corner of a library and venture into each individual story as they read them. The library is the portal. It's a children's novel. A bedtime story sort of tale. But I can't decide what kind of library I want it to be. What seems more fitting- a victorian, antique, rustic library with a deep history and rich colors OR a modern library full of all of the staples of a local town's library, but with a secret 'old spot' in the far back corner?
Sounds like The NeverEnding Story, which happens to be one of my favorites! I'd prefer the antique rustic library. Old things lend themselves to magic, it seems to me, better than high-tech things.
me, too... that said, for today's kids who are into all things technological, you might be more successful setting it in a modern or even futuristic library, where computers and other electronic gizmos provide the fantasy worlds they're sucked into... and i have to ask what you mean by 'a grove of books'... was that a typo for 'trove'?
Research Firestone Library at Princeton U. Now, I admit my opinion is biased, but it is an excellent blend of old and new. I'll attach a photo of the exterior below.
Thank you for the input. I agree- I prefer an antique library, it seems to hold more magic. But with todays kids a modern library may more vividly catch their imagination. I will certainly look into the Firestone Library. Mammamaia: I guess I think of a 'grove of trees' in the same way I think of books. Grammatically the term 'grove of books' is incorrect. But I think of library shelves- sort of like a forest. You can search through them, explore them, experience things in them- in a way similar to a timber.
Maybe the children see a room no one else can see. If you're going fantasy, let your imagination fly freely.
Libraries are changing. These days, at my library, more people are using the computers than checking out books. More people are attending events than reading, or checking out movies instead of books. Now that you can fit the library of congress on your ipod or buy about any book for your kindle or home computer, the need for a library is dwindling. So, maybe they put the books in the basement where they won't be in anyone's way. Or in a back corner. Maybe there are only a few books left in the library and they happen to be children's books.
