We were recently at a neighborhood gathering. (We have the best neighborhood full of really interesting people.) A comment was made by someone in the construction industry that in 20 years you won't build libraries. Someone in academia mentioned that part of the library here is being re purposed because books are being scanned.

While this is true it makes me very sad. I love the library, always have. One of my best memories is of being little and being allowed to walk to the library 3 blocks away with my 2 younger sisters. We always had on cute matching outfits lovingly ironed by my mother. The library was only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Summer. Our library number was 243. I would check out as many books as I could possibly carry. And they never lasted long enough.

I have gone to the library wherever we have lived. It makes me truly sad that future generations won't have that feeling I always get when I walk into a library in whatever city I am in. Libraries and museums give me that same sense of wonder. All those books, all that art, and not enough time.

I have seriously curbed my book ownership. Especially now that we are in a small place. I do still have cookbooks, knitting books, art books, typography books, reference books... the rest comes from the library.

I am working on the font Paris Doodles and was quite pleased that I seem to have what I need in my own small library. OK I have been squirreling away books just for this project. Here are 3 that I am particularly enjoying...

This is the first in the series of 'This Is' books, This is Paris is a delightful tour of 1950s Paris from a child's eye view. I remember this set of books from my early library years. Love the illustrations and the typography. I recently got this at Anthropologie.

This book on the City of Lights offers a unique combination of Then and Now. It has over 100 archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. I will read this one cover to cover, I find this book fascinating.

One thousand buildings arranged by arrondisssements. A great reference guide to the Parisian architecture. John gave me this before our trip there. All in black and white and some shades of gray.

Where does this leave us? Someday no libraries? Will that mean no book stores? No home libraries? Just an iPad? And I love my electronics but I can't quite manage reading a book that way. I know all the reasons why I should but you lose that feel of the weight of the book in your hand, the color and smell of the paper,Â the font and white space, the look and feel of the cover or book jacket. Not to mention actually seeing bookshelves full of books in nooks and crannies of your house....