In a time of quarantine, books provide connection and escape

Although we’re apart, books can still bring us together.
By Kate Pritchard, MS/HS Librarian

Reading can be a way to travel beyond the confines of your current situation: to 18th-century Cairo or to Mars 300 years in the future; into a world entirely made up by the author, or into the history of your own city. Reading can offer a glimpse into someone else’s mind, perhaps connecting you to someone whose perspective you’ve never considered before. Several studies have even suggested that reading about someone else’s experiences can make us more empathetic.

And, as anyone who’s ever joined a book club or gone to a Harry Potter convention knows, reading connects us to each other as well. There’s a special joy in talking with someone about a book you both loved (or hated). Books can help us start a difficult conversation or forge a new friendship. Reading to someone can be an act of love — and if your children won’t let you do this anymore, reading together side by side is also a lovely way to create memories.

Now that so many of us have to stay home and limit our interactions with other people, it’s a great time to pick up a book and immerse yourself in another time, another place, or another life. If you’re looking for some ideas to build your To Be Read stack, visit our What Should I Read? LibGuide or request a personalized recommendation. And if you’ve read something wonderful lately, please reach out and share. We always love to hear from you.
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    • MS/HS Librarian Kate Pritchard

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