FROM THE FLOOR

How often do we look at the bottom shelf of books in a library? Speaking for myself, the answer is: "Not often enough." So last week I plopped myself down in front of the History section and began pulling books at random from the lower shelves. These books may be low, location-wise, but they are high in interest to those of us who love local history. Thus I was rewarded well for my time, effort and the occasional "twinge" from my lumbar region as I made the acquaintance of these books:

Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins, and Schuyler Counties, New York

Niagara and other Famous Cataracts of the World

Landmarks of Wayne County Landmarks of Monroe County

Warriors of the Genesee Political History of New York

Topographical Survey, Adirondack Region, New York

Hotchkins History of Western New York Annals and Recollections of Oneida County

Exhibit of State of New York at World's Columbia Exposition

All these books are over a hundred years old and they do show their age. A book evaluator would use words like "loose boards, warping, yellowing," or "brittle" to describe some of their conditions. In addition to natural aging, many of these books sustained additional damage from the heat and water of the 2001 library fire. Despite the toll taken by the storms of life, however, they keep on keeping on, their contents enhancing our knowledge and appreciation of the past as well as the present. Today, they sit in their assigned places, ready to serve yet another generation of readers. Let's not disappoint them.

(As the title states, this viewpoint comes from the floor...The Bullis Room floor. Hope to see you there one of these Thursdays.)