It's been over five months since I've last visited a library or been inside a bookstore. That's more than five months where I haven't been surrounded by physical books, and I miss them. I might go as far as to say that I miss being around physical books the way some people miss being around their friends during this pandemic. That's not strange, right?
Thanks to the Libby app, I've still been able to borrow e-books from the library, but e-books aren't the same as physical books. Also, I can't roam around the Libby app like I can walk between the bookshelves at a library or bookstore and see all the books that I haven't read before. I have my share of physical books at home, but I'm still a long way from owning enough to capture the feeling of a library/bookstore. (But one day...)
Even when libraries and bookstores re-open, the near-term experience will be different from what I'm used to. I'll have to keep a safe distance away from other patrons, and I'll hesitate to pick up books at random because I won't know who has touched them before I did. However, I look forward to the day when I'll be able to be surrounded by physical books again.
