“If somebody is trying to come to terms with being a human, there is an instinct to hide, but there’s also an instinct to explore. And in the library those two don’t contradict each other. Hiding in the stacks is a form of discovery.” She said she’s not against social media, but doesn’t feel that it’s as conducive to sharing ideas as browsing in the stacks. “Physical books are easier to pick up and put down. They don’t pull you in the same way as electronic media. The library is a lower-stimulus environment.” She frowned slightly, then seemed to think aloud. “How often is it publicly discussed that people thrive better in lower-stimulus environments?” In the early twenty-first century, when people aspire to multitask their way through ten-hour workdays, practically never.

— Stories Are Weapons by Annalee Newitz (67%)