For about three steps, the sound follows me, then it disappears. White tiles give way to red and cream carpet, and the building takes over and footsteps soften. Bags stop announcing themselves and it seems that even the shoes seem to understand where they are. The light is bright enough to read without shadows and soft enough not to demand attention. It feels like a place that has already decided how people should behave, without ever needing to say so.

I am inside the State Library Queensland, spread across four levels, on a warm day. On every level, books can be borrowed. The building is not organised to keep knowledge in one room, but to let it travel. Near the entrance, librarians stand at an open desk and greet people as they arrive. Further back, quiet conversations unfold about what someone is reading or thinking of reading next. I notice that not all noise belongs here, buuuuuuut enthusiasm does.

People seem to fall into a few patterns…. some borrow desks and time, setting themselves up carefully with laptops and headphones. Others stride straight to the holds shelf to collect books they have already chosen. And some wander slowly, letting themselves stop when a title or image catches their eye.

My name is waiting on the holds shelf, tucked between book spines. Lifting them is heavier than expected, gosh, did I need to order seven? And I immediately regret not bringing an extra bag. At the counter, a librarian pauses on one title and tells me she loved it. It is a small exchange, but it turns a private choice into something shared, and I feel warm fuzzies.

Inside each book is a yellow slip with a return date printed clearly. Borrowed books feel different from owned ones. They smell like paper and plastic covers, and they ask for care. They cannot go to the beach or camping in bad weather, they need clean places and time set aside for them.

Owning books is easier, especially on a kindle. In contrast, I feel that borrowed books expect attention. They assume you will make space, physically and mentally, and that you will return them. They do not demand loyalty, but they allow curiosity and experimentation. Thanks for drifting with me, Lyss x

Note > This season and episode were produced from within the Queensland Writers Centre at the Queensland State Library, as part of the Fishbowl Writers Residency. My sincere gratitude.

What does borrowing give you that owning doesn’t?

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