When it comes to writing, many writers have a specific place where they prefer to do their writing. Some writers use a home office while others prefer an internet cafe or coffee shop; then there are others who prefer the more natural writing environment of a park or beach. The two main reasons for choosing a writing place are generally comfort\usability and inspiration. The problem with always using the same writing place is that it eventually starts to lose its ability to provide inspiration over time. This can cause a writer to seek either a new place of writing or a new place of inspiration. There are multiple temporary writing places that have been found to inspire writers. One often overlooked place of writing and inspiration is the library.

Most people think of libraries mainly as places of reading and forget about the many other resources they offer to writers.

Computer Lab(s)

Almost all libraries have computers available for use by all community members who own a library card. These computer labs can be a valuable tool to a writer who either does not own their own personal computer as well as those who do not have a peaceful writing environment. These computer labs offer a tranquil place to write that is free from the distractions that are often found at home. The computers can also be used for internet access by those that do not have internet at their home.

Inspiration

“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species.” ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

The library is not often thought of as a place of inspiration, yet it is filled to the brim with fictional worlds, non-fictional memoirs and biographies, and all sorts of characters, both fictional and not. The books on the library shelves can prove invaluable not just in providing inspiration, but also character creation as the writer will have access to hundreds if not thousands of different settings and characters that are both real and imagined. Just like Carl Sagan said, books can truly provide the knowledge that you need to write, regardless of whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction.

Writing Help

Many libraries have computers with all sorts of different writing programs ranging from Grammarly to Microsoft Word. There are also huge shelves devoted to dictionaries, thesauruses, writing help books, and memoirs and biographies on famous writers. The writing self-help books can offer new writing techniques, prompts, and formatting assistance.   

Library as a Setting

The library itself can be an especially perfect place to write if you are planning to have your story take place inside a library or have a library as a main feature in your plot. Besides being able to literally see the setting you are planning to create inside your book, there are also plenty of library staff around that you could interview for character inspiration and to obtain an in depth understanding of how a library operates. If you want a truly authentic feel to your library setting, you could even take it a step farther and either volunteer or obtain a job at the library.