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This Library Story features Vanessa Paumen of Austin, Texas, as she tells about discovering the Old World libraries of Bologna, Italy. Vanessa lived in Italy from 2003 to 2005 with husband and native Texan Robert Paumen. 
Ciao!
Robert and I are still alive and well here in Christmassy Bologna. The atmosphere is here, and so is the cold. Although not as cold I had expected. A wintery chill yes, but no frost. We have also been spared from the floods that hit the north-west of Italy. Thank goodness. The city looks beautiful in its seasonal getup. There is a large tree filled with lights on the Piazza Maggiore, near Giambologna’s Neptune fountain. All over the city, tiny white lights sparkle in the streets and under the porticoes. Even the two medieval towers, the symbol of the city, are embellished with little lights. Right near where we live is a mercatino di natale. There are several stalls of vendors displaying Sicilian sweets. Oh my! Cookies made with almonds, pistachios, chocolate, you name it. Rows and rows of caramelized nuts. Beautifully sculpted marzipan. And tons and tons of Sicilian torrone, in all colors. Robert and I have been a few times! Just for the Christmas atmosphere, of course.
I have been working on my academic projects, and I have been doing some creative writing as well. I work mostly at home, but also go to the libraries to consult the books that I didn’t bring. Oh how UT has spoiled me. Doing research here just isn’t as easy. The search engines are difficult to use, and the entire library system is a maze, both all over the city and in the individual libraries themselves. I usually need things from the library of the Dipartimento do Archeologia so I am slowly starting to figure things out. Luckily the library is close to where we live. It is underground, and searching for books in semi-darkness underneath low cross vaults, one actually feels a bit like an archaeologist. It is cozy actually.
But oh my when it comes time to check out a book! Efficiency has just not yet made it to Italy I think. First a big folder is consulted, which contains a handwritten list of all the books that can’t leave the library. Each one of my books is checked against the list and then I am told whether I can check out the books. (In my case, the person helping me seemed surprised that I could indeed take all of them—there is a limit of three books. Although I haven’t figured out yet how they check this limit since nothing is computerized. What if I go back the next day? I need to test this.) Then, I need to fill out two (!) pieces of paper for each (!) book, one with my name, address, borrower number, title, author, and call number, and the other with the same info but not my name nor address. Then a little file is made for me in which one set of the papers go. The other set is returned to me in little plastic covers.
What am I to do with these?
I am to put them on the shelves in the spot of the now checked out books so that others can see that the book is gone and when it will be back (this slip has the due date on it)! All this took about 20 minutes with two people assisting me (and each other—this is a common thing we have noticed) for three books! Not only does this mean that there is no recall (at least that is what I assume, I should check on that too) but that one cannot know whether a book is on the shelf before one actually goes to the library. And considering there seem to be a unlimited amount of libraries (every time I do an electronic book search I discover new libraries—yes! An electronic search exists) all over town, this is not convenient to say the least. How these people do research here, I do not know (yet)! |
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