Penn State University Libraries - International Library Experience Essay Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 International Library Experience Essay Contest! Below is a list of winners with excerpts from their essays.

First Prize:
Jing Tan, China
Graduate Student

“The library itself was on the second floor. It was a room of rectangular shape; its size roughly twice that of the Pattee Library hall—not big indeed: this alone made our whole library. A counter divided it into two sections. The smaller part was where all the books were kept. A good number of tall shelves were arrayed straight and densely; every single one was fully occupied. Behind the counter sat our librarian—I’d call him Uncle Librarian—and the only librarian there I’d ever seen. Around his fifties, he wore a pair of big glasses and a serious countenance. On the other side of the counter, several chests of drawers were situated in the corner. Their handles were slightly stained and their bodies a little worn; this gave it a hint of a historical scent. They contained the library book-cards, on which all our searches relied. The rest, the larger part was our reading room. ––Thus was the whole picture of our library, as small as this room yet as big as what an inquisitive heart could reach.

The reading room was simple and tidy. Rows of wooden desks, wide and milky-white, dyed the air bright and serene. Delightfully arrayed were all sorts of juvenile magazines, plus a good variety of newspapers…It was a real “reading” room—we went there not to bury ourselves in the mass of homework and reference books; we read for pure pleasure, for a broader view; we read there for reading’s sake. Despite the ever heavier study load which was revealing to us life’s tougher side, back in those days, things for grade school kids were not that tough yet (lucky us!). After all, why should life be nothing but textbooks and exams? Our library uncovered a little corner, allowing our inquisitive eyes to peek out at the vast universe, at the enchanting unknown.”


2nd Prize:
Svetlana Vasilyeva, Russia
Humphrey Fellow, College of Education

“I’m an international student and a Humphrey scholar. I’m here for my professional development. I really love to read: for research, for work, for language practicing, for self-development, for fun. I have been working for a special library for the blind back in my country, Russia, and I’m blind myself. I have had a lot of very different experiences with libraries…I like to be in the library because people there are so friendly and helpful and I can learn there. In addition, I use the services in the library disability office. I always can have my materials for class in Braille and read them with my fingers. It is very important for me because my fingers work like visual memory in my case. I memorize and understand better when I read something in Braille, especially academic readings which could be very complicated to understand sometimes.

One experience I will never forget. My friends and coordinators from the Humphrey program knew that it is very meaningful for me reading with my fingers. They also knew that I loved potato dishes. They prepared a set of recipes for me, came to the library office for disability services and asked there to print this little book in Braille. They gave it to me for my birthday. I had a lot of things to do that day but I just sat and started to read.

I always feel that a library has its own spirit, a special one. When I come inside I can easily set my mind to be peaceful and positive. I like to think that I make a step into an informational universe.”

3rd Prize (tied):
Senorpe Asem-Hiablie, Ghana
Graduate Student, Agriculture and Biological Engineering

“This Monday morning in May was the first day of the second semester's examination period. For many of us queuing Legon students, exams week at the end of the school year was one of the four main battles that would determine our fates; whether we were going to be relegated to the ranks of university drop-outs or emerge victorious as successful graduates with respectable grade point averages…The reason every student was in this line this morning was to secure a seating place in the Balme Library which logistically had the most coveted studying or cramming spot on campus. Unfortunately, the demand for seats exceeded supply so seating was on a first-come, first-served basis.

Four semesters ago I was given a tour through the library during my orientation week. The two-floored Balme Library, named after the British principal of the then University College of the Gold Coast, David Mowbrary Balme, came to occupy its current location in 1959. I took great pains, at the time, to learn how to use index cards in References for locating books on shelves but that knowledge was quickly lost along with my naivete when I realized that students could be devious enough to alter and create their personal indexing systems. Don't be surprised to see chemistry textbooks hidden in the economics section across the hallway. After innumerable fruitless searches for phantom textbooks among rows and rows of dusty sneeze-inducing ancient books stacked ceiling high, I determined very early in my academic career in Legon that all I needed to effectively use the Balme library was my study notes. I then set to exploring all the library’s five sections to select the most comfortable area with the least traffic…That is how an alcove on the first floor of the east wing of the library became my favorite spot and to which I was headed.”


Shashank Singhai, India
Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering

“Living in the national capital, we had more than a fair share of superb libraries in New Delhi. I was not familiar with all of them but there was one library my father knew. It was a government owned library and one of the oldest in the city. But it was also one of the largest buildings I had ever seen…My father used to take me there on his scooter when he came back from the office. There were dim lights inside the building with nature providing the rest of the illumination.

 I was not familiar with anything inside the library and did not recollect ever having seen one. As a child of age 6-7, I walked around the library holding my father's hand. Since he also did not know much where to take me, he asked the librarian and took me to the aisle where one would find books for children. The books all looked the same since they had a binding cover and not their usual colorful covers. I picked up a book at random. It was a long and thin book. Something similar to the Tintin series or the Asterix and Obelix series. Since I was not familiar with these books, seeing those descriptive pictures of a monkey warrior protecting his king was very captivating. It had full pictures in all pages and little sentences which were simple to understand. I took the book.

Somehow, though my sister and I did not generally get along well, we both read the book together with a degree of shared enthusiasm. The heroic tales of the monkey warrior being depicted through pictures was for a kid like me, riveting. I do not remember the name of the book any more but would sincerely like to go through it once more. We later on read many more titles from the same series and surprisingly, it was one area where my sister and I were not at loggerheads with each other.”