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On Libraries by Oliver Sacks: Summary | Questions and Answers | Class 12 English
On Libraries by Oliver Sacks
Table of Contents
SHORT SUMMARY
ON LIBRARIES BY OLIVER SACKS
Oliver Sacks grew up in an oak-panelled library inherited from his father, a Hebrew scholar and admirer of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906). The library was filled with plays by Henrik Ibsen, poems from his father's generation, and adventure and history books by his brothers. He read Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book," which was written by an English short-story writer. He enjoyed the adventures of Mowgli, the fictional character in the book. His mother was also a lover of literature. She created a library of literature books by Emily Dickens (an American poet), Anthony Trollope (an English writer), George Bernard Shaw (an Irish playwright), Rudyard Kipling, William Shakespeare (an English playwright), John Milton (an English playwright), and poetry books as school prizes. His parents also had medical books in a special cabinet for surgery. Along with the most luxurious library, he had a small laboratory where he could spend hours immersed in books, even forgetting his lunch or dinner. From the time he was three or four years old, the library and books were his first memories. Willesden Public Library in Willesden Green, London, where he spent the happiest hours of his adult life. He did his formal schooling there. He did not like passive reading in formal schools, as he was an active reader and self-taught.
He was a good student at libraries and enjoyed reading whatever book he wanted in the company of other readers. When he grew up, he began to study astronomy and chemistry. Because the Walker Library at St. Paul's School did not include chemistry books, he was able to, with the help of his schoolmaster, go to the Science Museum's library and learn about chemistry books there. While he was at the university, he went to the Radcliffe Science Library and the Bodleian Library. After reading Theodore Hook, he decided to create his own biography. He collected information from the British Museum library and wrote about it in the Bodleian Library. His favourite library was the library of Queen's College, Oxford. He reviewed ancient texts such as Gesner's Historia Animalium (1551), Agassiz's volumes, 17th- and 18th-century writings by Charles Darwin, Sir Thomas Browne, and Jonathan Swift, as well as Samuel Johnson, David Hume, Alexander Pope, and John Dryden. In 1965, he moved to New York City and started living in a small apartment. It was difficult for him to read and write in the apartment, but he did write some of his books, including Migraines. He was accepted into the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he found it easier to read and write. He met another friend who was looking for the same old book, Volume of Brain, from 1890. He built a good relationship based on reading and the exchange of knowledge. He kept on visiting the libraries, sitting at a table surrounded by mountains of books.
TEACHERS' GUIDE
ON LIBRARIES BY OLIVER SACKS
▪︎ 'On Libraries' is an autobiographical essay written by British author Oliver Sacks.
▪︎ About the essay: The writer's childhood memories as well as his experiences regarding his interest in libraries It is written in praise of intellectual freedom, community work, a high state of unexpected discovery, and so on.
▪︎ The writer has presented his delightful feelings for all the readers (book lovers) in the world. He has shared his experiences regarding the change that occurred in the field of reading books at libraries.
▪︎ He begins his essay with his childhood memories.
▪︎ He informs all the readers about an oak-panelled library owned by his father where so many books were stacked. He grew up there.
▪︎ His childhood's favourite room at home was that particular library, a large oak-panelled room with books on all four walls and a solid table in the middle for writing and reading.
▪︎ According to the author, the library was his father's special library. For the author, the oak-panelled library in the house was the quietest and most beautiful room.
▪︎ His favourite place was that particular library, where he was found completely absorbed by a book whenever he was late for lunch or dinner.
▪︎ Among his memories, his first memories are the books and the library itself.
▪︎ The author disliked his school. He disliked sitting, receiving instructions, and education.
▪︎ He seemed careless about the information received in the class. Information in the class seemed to go into one ear and come out of the other.
▪︎ He was not a good student, but in the matter of learning something, he was good.
▪︎ Libraries played very vital roles in his life. He roamed many libraries and engaged himself in different shelves and thousands of books, felt the freedom to read and learn things of his interests, and enjoyed the special atmosphere and quiet companionship of other readers like him. All these things fascinated him about libraries. He visited Willesden Library and even all the libraries that followed later.
▪︎ As he grew older, his reading interest in the sciences was biassed due to his growing interest in astronomy and chemistry.
▪︎ At the age of 12, at St. Paul's School, he got a chance to visit an excellent library called the Walker Library. That library was particularly heavy with information related to history and politics. He got a chance to learn history and politics.
▪︎ Later on, at Oxford University, he got a chance to access two great libraries called the Radcliffe Science Library and the Bodleian, a wonderful general library that could trace itself back to 1602.
▪︎ In the Bodleian Library, he got a chance to learn about the now-obscure and forgotten works of Theodore Hook. After studying much about him, he became fascinated by his works. Due to his keen fascination, he decided to write a sort of biography or "case history" of Theodore Hook.
▪︎ At Oxford University, his favourite library was the library of Queen's College.
▪︎ During his first visit to New York City in the year 1965, he had a horrid, pokey little apartment. The apartment had very little space. There, he felt difficulty reading and writing.
▪︎ Fortunately, he got a fine and spacious library at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he worked and learned various things in a fine environment.
▪︎ The author expresses his feelings regarding libraries. For him, the library is the place where we may be reading our own books and absorbing our own worlds, and yet there prevails a sense of community, even intimacy. Meeting people in a library, handling and sharing books, and passing them on to each other develops a kind of friendship and trust between people. The conversations in a whispering manner among readers in libraries develop friendships between them.
▪︎ The author talks about a shift that occurred in libraries during the 1990s. He continued visiting the library during that time.
▪︎ He experienced unusual things in the libraries. While sitting at a table with a mountain of books in front of him, he saw lots of students ignoring the bookshelves increasingly, accessing what they needed with their computers.
▪︎ During that time, very few students went to the shelves anymore. The books in the libraries, so far as they were concerned, were unnecessary. Seeing the majority of users and their disinterest in reading and using the books, the college ultimately decided to dispose of the books.
▪︎ He experienced such things not only in the AECOM library but also in college and public libraries all over the country. He felt horrified to experience the conditions of the books in the libraries.
▪︎ According to him, over the last few years, most of the books had been thrown out of libraries with remarkably little objection from anyone.
▪︎ For him, it is a kind of murder or a crime that has been committed to destroy centuries of knowledge.
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ALL ESSAYS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
On Libraries by Oliver Sacks
BEFORE READING
Answer the following questions.
a. Why do people visit the libraries?
Answer:
People visit libraries to read a variety of books and gain a variety of knowledge. Books in libraries provide a variety of knowledge to the readers.
b. Have you ever borrowed books from the library? If yes, what kinds of books do you like to read?
Answer:
Yes, I have borrowed books from the library. I like to read storybooks. I enjoy reading stories a lot.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Answer the following questions.
a. Where could the author be found when he was late for lunch or dinner?
Answer:
The author could be found in the library, completely absorbed by a book, when he was late for lunch or dinner.
b. What are his first memories?
Answer:
His first memories are of the books and his library, where he learned to read at age three or four.
c. Why did he dislike school?
Answer:
He disliked school because he didn't like receiving instructions while sitting in the class. For him, the information he received in the class seemed to go in his one ear and out by the other. Furthermore, he couldn't want to be passive. He wanted to be active, learn for himself, learn what he wanted, and do it in the way that suited him best. He thought that libraries were the best place for intellectual freedom.
d. What did he feel about at the library?
Answer:
At the library, he felt himself free to look at the thousands - tens of thousands - of books. He felt the freedom to roam and enjoy the special atmosphere and the quiet companionship of other readers, all, like himself, on quests of their own.
e. Why was he so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry?
Answer:
He was so biassed about science, especially astronomy and chemistry, because the subject of science was his area of interest. The next reason was that there seemed to be many books with wider sections that he couldn't study at all. Therefore, he preferred science subjects very much. He was inclined to these subjects at St. Paul's School, where he went when he was twelve. He had a kind of hunger for both the subjects of astronomy and chemistry.
f. Why did he become so fascinated by Hook?
Answer:
He became so fascinated by Hook because he stumbled upon the works of Hook, a man greatly admired in the early nineteenth century for his wit and his genius for theatrical and musical improvisation, in the Bodleian, a wonderful general library that could trace itself back to 1602.
g. Describe library at the Queen’s College.
Answer:
The author loved the library at Queen's College the most. The library's building was so magnificent. It had been designed by Christopher Wren himself, and below it, in an underground labyrinth of heating pipes and shelves, were vast underground library holdings.
h. Why did the students ignore the bookshelves in the 1990s?
Answer:
The students ignored the bookshelves in the 1990s because they had access to computerised books. Few of them went to the shelves anymore. The books, so far as they were concerned, were unnecessary.
i. Why was he horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago?
Answer:
When he visited the library a couple of months ago, he was horrified to find the shelves, once overflowing, sparsely occupied. Over the last few years, most of the books have been thrown out of libraries with remarkably little objection from anyone. He felt that murder, a crime, had been committed, resulting in the destruction of centuries of knowledge.
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. The author says, “I was not a good pupil, but I was a good listener.” Justify it with the textual evidences.
Answer:
The author says, “I was not a good pupil, but I was a good listener." In the text, we find the author's dislike towards his school or sitting in class, receiving instruction and information from the teachers. For him, teachers' instructions in the class seemed to go in one ear and out the other. He was not a good pupil in the sense that he didn't pay attention to the information conveyed by his teachers, but he listened without making noise, so he was a good listener. To be active, he tried his best to read different books at libraries. At the library, he felt free to look at the thousands of books. He got the opportunity to roam and to enjoy the free and special atmosphere. He also got the company of other readers like him on missions of their own.
b. A proverb says, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library." Does this proverb apply in the essay? Explain.
Answer:
The author was fond of his library during his childhood days. The library was one of his favourite rooms in the entire house. According to the author, his library and the books are his first memories. For him, nothing is pleasanter than exploring the library. He felt extreme satisfaction in reading the books in the library. He disliked his school or sitting in the classroom, receiving instruction and information from the teachers. He didn't care much about the instructions of his teachers in class. The information of the teachers seemed to enter his one ear and move out of the other. However, the author enjoyed the environment of the libraries and companionship with other readers in the library. He talked about the charms of reading books in the library.
c. Are there any other services that you would like to see added to the library?
Answer:
By library, we simply mean an institution that holds books and/or other forms of media for use by the public or qualified people, often lending them out, as well as providing various other services for its users. It is mainly established to provide benefits to readers. There is a vast difference between traditional and modern libraries. In the past, libraries were limited to a certain amount of paper-based books. The past trend has been completely changed in the matter of managing libraries. In modern times, a variety of changes are seen in libraries. But I have experienced some lack in modern libraries too. Yes, there are other services that I would like to see added to the library. These other services are as follows:
1. There must be full internet service.
2. Readers can get full access to the subjects of their interest.
3. There must be compulsory audio as well as video materials for the readers.
4. There should be the availability of books in both printable and digital versions.
5. Every library should have photocopy and scanning facilities.
6. Readers should have access to connect their devices with the library's network for downloading and reading e-books, journals, magazines, or other online sources for learning.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Write an essay on Libraries and its uses for students.
Answer:
Libraries and its Uses for Students
By library, we mean an institution that holds books and/or other forms of media for use by the public or is often loaned by qualified people, as well as to provide various other services to its users. It is mainly established to provide benefits to readers. Libraries play an important role in imparting knowledge. Libraries help in the learning and expansion of knowledge. It develops the habit of reading and increases the thirst for greater knowledge. It adds to what a person has already learned and leads to his personal growth and development in life.
There are a variety of collections available in the library. Most libraries in the present time include books, magazines, newspapers, films, audio, DVDs, maps, manuscripts, e-books, and various other formats.
We find different kinds of libraries, such as personal libraries, public libraries, and institutional libraries. Among libraries, a personal library is owned by an individual with adequate means. Personal libraries are created according to the knowledge and interests of a person.
Next, the public library is one that is open to all. It contains books on diverse subjects. An institutional library refers to a library that belongs to an institution, such as a school, college, university club, etc. Such a library is open to the members of the community and caters to their needs and interests.
Uses of Libraries for Students
▪︎ Libraries help students a lot. Libraries are especially essential for those students who cannot afford expensive books and resources to read and obtain information. Students with poor economic status can easily get educational knowledge from libraries.
▪︎ Students can develop their habits of reading and learning through the use of the library. The habit of sitting and reading in the library can bring unprecedented results in their reading skills.
▪︎ Students can get a chance to read in a fine educational environment. Libraries provide virtual spaces for individual and group studies. They also facilitate access to digital resources and the internet. Students can have multiple opportunities to secure a variety of knowledge by using libraries.
▪︎ By using libraries, students can easily develop their concentration levels. They can easily focus their minds on the subject matter for a long time without feeling bored.
▪︎ Students can easily get a variety of solutions to their problems. With the help of various resources, they are able to develop their creative abilities.
▪︎ Libraries provide students with a chance to learn various things regarding the internet and computers. They can use computers and the internet in the libraries to complete their research projects.
Thus, libraries are a boon for all the students who are struggling in the field of education. Libraries can really help students who require education.
b. Do you have any public library in your locality? If so, do the people in your community use it? Give a couple of examples.
Answer:
Yes, we have a public library in our locality. It's called the Community Library for All. People in my community are interested in reading. Most people in my community are educated. They prefer to spend their leisure time at the community library. The library in our community was established 10 years ago with the help of community members. In the present time, there is a fine facility for all. There are more than twenty thousand books, including all the essential materials needed for a fine library. People of all ages visit our library each day. The building of our library has five different rooms. Among the five rooms, four are occupied for reading purposes, whereas one is for administrative purposes. All these rooms are quite huge. There are altogether five different sections in the building. Apart from the administrative section, there are four different sections: the daily newspaper section, the books section, the e-library section, and the student's section.
Yes, people in my community use our library. Most people, especially youths and elderly people, visit this library every single day to read daily newspapers. The daily newspaper section seems to be packed every day. Most people enjoy reading newspapers in the silent environment of the library. Those who have knowledge of the internet try their best to achieve knowledge through the use of computers.
Next, most students are seen in our library. Due to the e-library, students enjoy spending their time in the library. Most students spend their time doing their school assignments in the library. They have very good knowledge of the internet and computers, so they handle the computers for their research-based projects. Students feel so happy to have high-speed internet access.
This library has provided fine facilities to all the people in our community. The management committee of the library has recently announced plans to add more facilities for all the readers. Our library is still running on donations. We get donations from community members as well as other institutions. This library has aroused people's interest in reading.
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