Bibliophile

On this cold, cloudy February evening, I settle in to work on some research for the website I'm helping my professor develop (it will be part of this series - but devoted to the Bill of Rights). Like most students in the 21st century, I do 90% of my research online. The resources available on the internet astound me. But even in the age of global communications, it is not quite true that everything is available online.

Today, as I look through relatively obscure information on the First United States Congress, my work takes me away from the computer screen to a worn collection of documents from the formation of the United States. The volume arrived yesterday through Interlibrary Loan, and tonight I settle in at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of tea, a ginger cookie and the book to see what I can find. Almost immediately I remember my childhood fascination with books as books. Even before I could read, I loved how a book looked, how it felt, how the pages sounded and smelled.

Tonight I remember that delight, as I examine the odd volume. It is a big book - about half again as tall as a dictionary (although no wider) and as thick as a lawschool casebook. The dark blue cover is worn almost to white around the edges, but is otherwise undamaged by the years. The only ornamentation on the cover is a thin gold border and a gold imprint of the United States Seal - not much bigger than a half-dollar.

The pages are thin and yellowed and slightly textured. The title page tells me that it was issued by the 69th Congress, 1st Session and the GPO publication date is 1927. On the next page, someone has written in pencil along the inside edge of the page. It's a fine script - reminds me of my grandmother's. 20 Sept '38 and U.S.C. Bookstore - Soc.Sci. - 2.85. My curiosity about the significance of the 2.85 is satisfied when I turn the page and find a message from the publisher in capital letters:

THIS VOLUME MAY BE PURCHASED FROM
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
AT $2.85 PER COPY

I sigh thinking of the book I purchased for class today. $27. Compared to this book it was hardly more than a pamphlet. . .

My research will be slower tonight. Its not easy to find what I'm looking for when there's no "ctrl F" function. But I don't mind . . . there's something nice about taking it slow and enjoying the source as much as the information.