What Are You Looking For?

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Photo by Matthew Feeney on Unsplash

“What are you looking for?” It’s a simple question, but when asked by Sayuri Komachi, Tokyo’s most intriguing librarian, in What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, it opens the door to something much deeper—self-discovery and change. This novel, a recent pick from my OLLI book club, explores how a diverse group of individuals find unexpected guidance and new directions in life, all thanks to the insight of a wise librarian and the perfect book recommendation.

As someone who devours science fiction and mystery novels, I’m drawn to stories featuring magical libraries, secret collections, and mysterious librarians. Books like The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox and The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner introduced me to hidden worlds full of supernatural secrets. Meanwhile, Garth Nix’s The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and The Sinister Booksellers of Bath blend myth and mystery in thrilling ways. Books like The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu and Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs remind me of the immense power held by books and those who guard them. Even The Midnight Library by Matt Haig uses books as gateways to different versions of life. So, going into What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, I expected something familiar—but this novel surprised me with its gentle, thought-provoking wisdom.

Unlike the magical or fantastical libraries I usually read about, Sayuri Komachi’s library is firmly grounded in reality—but it’s no less enchanting. Her remarkable ability to understand her patrons’ silent hopes and struggles makes her book suggestions feel almost otherworldly. Through a series of connected vignettes, the novel shows how libraries are not just places to find books but to discover ourselves.

This theme of libraries as life-changing spaces naturally led me to think about another book I recently bought: The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures by the Library of Congress. This beautifully illustrated nonfiction book chronicles the history of the card catalog, the organizational tool that was once the backbone of libraries. In our digital age, where information is instantly accessible online, there’s something nostalgic and reverent about the card catalog. It’s fascinating how it shaped how we access knowledge and how librarians organized books long before we had search engines.

Both The Card Catalog and What You Are Looking For Is in the Library share a similar theme—the idea that libraries are far more than just places to store books. They are spaces where lives are transformed, perspectives are expanded, and answers to life’s biggest questions can be found—often in the most unexpected places.

Dava Sobel’s Galileo’s Daughter is one reminder that the fight for knowledge is nothing new. Galileo knew the Earth revolved around the sun and refused to stay silent, even when it meant standing against the most powerful institutions of his time. He was put on trial and found “vehemently suspect of heresy.” It makes you wonder—could something like that happen today? The truth is, it already is. Librarians are facing obscenity charges simply for stocking books with LGBTQ+ and racial themes. Just as Galileo stood his ground, we must stand up for libraries and the freedom to read.

But libraries are under threat now more than ever. With increasing challenges to book access, censorship efforts, and book bans on the rise, libraries face serious dangers. They’ve long stood as havens for diverse voices and ideas; we must protect them. Defending libraries means safeguarding our ability to explore, learn, and grow freely.

Reading Aoyama’s novel within my book club sparked fascinating discussions about the books that have shaped our lives. Have you ever come across a book that seemed to speak to you exactly when you needed it? If so, like the patrons in Sayuri Komachi’s library, you might have been looking in the right place—your local library. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial we ensure these spaces remain open and free for everyone.

OLLI member Simone Adair is a Rosie the Riveter docent, a voracious reader with books in every room and on every device, a longtime board member of a running club, a photographer, an editor, and a LEGO builder (!) in her nearly non-existent free time.