Library essay contest

I am kind of slow in putting this up, but in my defense, I thought it was going to be in the newspaper, or at the very least on the newspaper's website.

During June, the library held an essay/writing contest. There were two categories, each with different questions, open to all ages.

Category 1: How is a library in a democracy beneficial to you? (First prize was a camcorder, second place was $50)

My entry:

When I was a child, the library was my portal to a whole universe of ideas that I had never imagined existed. The possibilities were endless, and for each new thing I learned or imagined, a dozen more were hinted at, waiting right around the corner for me to discover.

As I grew into a young adult, becoming more aware of the world around me, my attention shifted away from this magical world of endless possibilities towards the social and political issues.

As an adult, I have come to believe that access to all notions and ideas is integral to my way of life. They are necessary to a democracy - the polis should be as well informed as possible. While mass media try to push certain views in order to make a profit, the library offers access to all of the views for examination. The closest a person or community, particularly a democracy, can get to a true Marketplace of Ideas - the notion that if all ideas are presented for public inspection, the good ones will rise to the top, because there is a wisdom in the individual and the community that will know the best idea when presented with it - is the library. For these reasons the library is not only beneficial to me, but necessary to me and my community for a democracy even to exist. It is the place where the ideas are and everyone is encouraged to come and partake of them.

Category 2: Why I love my free library? (fist lace a digital camera, second place $50)

My entry:

Oh library, home of my heart, how do I love thee?

Is it the way which you hold me as a lover in your tender embrace while I dream of things that were and things that will never be?

Is it the gentle questioning and encouraging, but never judging, of a parent as I pursue intellectual interests and flights of fancy?

Perhaps it is as the teacher showing me the wide world from the comfort and safety of a soft chair and a firm table?

Maybe it is as the friend who not caring if I'm down on my luck or riding high, provide me with your all every time?

Oh library, home of my mind, it is all of these and more, the countless smiles brought my lips and those of other patrons, the vital questions answered, the important services provided, and knowing that if I really need something, that you will find a way to make it so.

The only other rule, was that a writer could only place in one category..

I was given the option of taking $50 in category 1, or the camera from category 2. :) While I like the second one better, I already have a nice camera, so I took the money and ran.