Do you have a favourite spot in the Library? For me, the corner I like the most is the New Arrivals wall on G/F. Here, you come face-to-face with the latest books in our Library. The display is always so colourful and visually attractive, and I often encounter books that pique my curiosity. For example, today I picked up a book called Less is More, which is about the “Degrowth” approach to reverse the ecological crisis that we are facing. It may change how I see the world, or it may not at all. I won’t know until I read it. But what I do know is that if I hadn’t stumbled upon it in the New Arrivals section, I probably wouldn’t have learned about the idea of “Degrowth”.
In librarians’ jargon, we call this “serendipity” – the way of encountering books and ideas by chance in libraries. In Chinese, I like to call it “碰緣分“. Libraries not only offer the magic of serendipity, but they are also generous. If you borrow a book that you don’t enjoy reading, you can simply return it – no hard feelings, no resentment, and it’s free!
I hope you will drop by the New Arriivals often and try your serendipitous luck. Perhaps you will discover new interests, new novels, new authors, and new ways to enjoy reading!
PS: When I was at the New Arrivals today, I unexpectedly got emotional while flipping through the pages of a book. I was so touched that I stood in front of the wall for a while. But that’s a story for another time. I hope when you stand there, you will smile instead of shedding tears!
Gabi Wong
Library Director
lbgabi@ust.hk
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