Freedom To Read

October 2, 2024

“Gathering is peculiar, because you see nothing but what you’re looking for. If you’re picking raspberries, you see only what’s red, and if you’re looking for bones you see only the white. No matter where you go, the only thing you see is bones.”

from The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Sometime last week, I worked for Freedom To Read by doing literature drops. In the upcoming election, one of the passages, WC-1, aims to renew a tax that is portioned to provide 2¢ out of $100 to fund libraries. The tax renews every 30 years, and voting Yes on WC-1 this election will allow for guaranteed funding to libraries. I have yet to hear a convincing argument for No on WC-1, except for how libraries are outdated—which sure, the internet provides a wealth of information that could replace physical books, but I don’t think that the internet can replace the communities that grow from libraries. Besides, most people who make this argument don’t have any relation to libraries anymore.

Anyhow, volunteering made me hyperaware of the types of doors and door knobs, because there’s so many doors to get to that efficiency is a concern. Circular and handle door knobs were the most difficult, though I figured out that I could just fit it through a gap on the door frame. I noticed that some doors with circular knobs were directly aligned with the lock above, and I haven’t figured out why the aesthetics are wonky like that. Perhaps it’s a fitting issue? Other than that, I’m still pondering why so many door knobs weren’t aligned to their locks.

And I enjoyed deciphering what each household was like based on exteriors. There were a ton of Ring doorbells and dogs, and I suspect that this is because the area I was in was near Downtown and were mostly apartments. I also noticed how easily smell emits from an apartment, and perhaps this observation is due to how apartments are inherently less private spaces. There was a distinct smell of “home” in each that wasn't my own, such as Saturday breakfast, medication, or some hand cream.

In the end, I walked nearly 15,000 steps. Part of this was done in the beating sun, and it was 89 degrees Fahrenheit at one point, which is ridiculous for this time of year. It should not be this hot in late September! I felt like a denatured enzyme.

The Radical Cat is a bookstore in Reno, and interacting with people there further convinced me that the community is worth funding for. Not only do they have cats, but they also genuinely seem to care about the well-being of others. I am much more well-versed in STEM communities than in humanities communities, but I feel like because of how cut-throat STEM careers can be, humanities communities seem more caring of each other. Maybe it’s because the humanities are more about artistic things and subjectivity, and there’s not really a way to measure success. But I suppose that an argument can be made about how activism tends to sprout from humanities communities, and while it could motivate people to make the world better together, it can also polarize people.

But polarization only occurs if we don’t respect each other’s thoughts, and surely passing pamphlets is fine! Volunteering has also made me more aware that besides the presidential candidates, there are so many other people and policies that are fighting/being fought for.

I look forward to when I get to support Yes on WC-1 again, this time on the ballot.

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