B is for Bibliophiles and Bookworms by Carol Harrison

B is for Bibliophiles and Bookworms

Is there a difference between these two types of people? According to the Cambridge dictionary, a bibliophile is a person who loves to collect books. Bibliophiles love books for their looks, the feel of the book cover and pages, the smell of paper, as well as the history of the book. They may collect first editions, simply to own them and display them on their bookshelves, Covers become an important choosing factor as does the age of the book with the content remaining secondary to the avid collector of books.

A bookworm loves books primarily for the content. They devour the stories and collect the ones they enjoy the most. Their shelves will be filled with favourite content as opposed to what the book looks like.

I love books and the stories they contain. Learning to read opened a whole new world for me as a child. But we couldn’t afford to buy more than a few little story books, some of which I still own. The one large, hard cover book in our home was a book of Bible stories with coloured pictures in it. I spent hours just looking at the pictures before I learned to read. I waited for my mom to read the stories at bedtime every night.  It’s never read anymore. There are no young children here at bedtime to share it with and yet it tugs out memories and continues to occupy a space on my bookshelf.

The local library, the bibliotech, became a favourite hangout. I checked out as many books as I could each week and would rather hide away and read than do my chores or even go out and play some days. The stories within the books transported me to other times and places. By the time I was in fourth grade, I added non-fiction books to my list of books to sign out of the library or read at school. Researching topics for class projects and assignments allowed me to learn so many things. My parents splurged and bought a set of World Book Encyclopedias. Oh how I enjoyed the look of these cream and white books sitting on the bookshelf next to the red covered Bible story book. They added the set of Childcraft books with their cream and red colored covers as well as the two volume dictionary. Each year they purchased the year book with the updates of important events that happened during that year. I thought these beautifully bound books looked amazing. I felt so rich with all this knowledge at my fingertips instead of having to do research in the library. But I also enjoyed reading them. I was a book loving bookworm with a huge curiosity to propel me into researching a variety of topics.

Those encyclopedias are long gone but I hung on to them for more years than I probably should have. Parting with the antiquated form of information gathering meant letting go of books which had cost my parents a lot of money, and still looked great sitting on a bookcase but I didn’t have the space for a huge library in my home, filled with books to read, books to look good, and also books to help me study and learn.

Downsizing to an apartment a number of years ago meant paring down the books we owned which proved difficult. Yet we found homes for what we couldn’t take with us. Now I borrow books, read e books more often, and stack books instead of having them sitting in library order on the one bookshelf that remains. But I can still read to my heart’s content.

In writing this, I reflect on these two words and the definitions of each. Which one am I? In all honesty, I think I am a bit of both. If I had a huge house, it would be a dream to have a library room with floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with a variety of books with beautiful old spines and more modern stories that captivated my attention. Non fiction books to study would have a section of their own. The room would need several comfortable chairs to curl up in while I lost myself in a captivating tale. A desk to match the décor of this library room would also be a necessity to allow for a place to study and write. I dream of visiting a place that has a library room like this where I could hang out, browse the shelves, read, and even have a writing retreat.

Yet the pull of story remains strong, no matter what format it shows up in. E books allow my eyes to see the words more clearly as cataracts grow and have many books in a small amount of space. Borrowing from the library allows me to read more books than I have room or budget to own. Yet I still collect books by authors I know, reading their words with even more anticipation because I know the author.  

But one book remains the greatest of all time. The Bible occupies a place of importance in my life. God, the Author, longs for me to know him better. It is a never ending opportunity to learn and grow in my spiritual life, allowing him to help me discover the gifts and abilities He has given me.

Psalm 19: 7-10 reminds me of the importance of God’s word.
“The law of the lord is perfect reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes.
9. The fear of the Lord is pure enduring forever; the ordinances of the lord are pure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb
10. By them is your servant warned, in keeping them there is great reward.”

In Psalm 119: 18 I read, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” and in verse 105 it says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

I realized, as I wrote this post, that I have tendencies and dreams of a bibliophile who collects books just to have them. But in reality, I am a bookworm, devouring stories almost every day. Yet deep inside, I crave to know more and more about the Bible and the One whose story it contains. This is the greatest story of all.

How about you? Are you a bibliophile or bookworm?

  

Carol Harrison loves to read, write, study, and dream about a library room from her home in Saskatoon. Her love of stories continues stronger than ever and she has a passion for sharing the greatest story of all time - the story of Jesus.