Once again, I am accidentally ahead of the curve

NPR says that libraries may be the next big thing ala cupcakes, which is awesome, except that the next big thing eventually turns into something old and played out. I’d like for libraries to be the next big thing ala flip-flops, which have existed in one form or another for hundreds of years. Despite their lengthy history, it has only been in the last decade and a half that flip-flops came on the scene in the US as acceptable public, adult footwear. Given their ubiquity, despite how bad they are for the feet, I doubt that they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

So, while I thank NPR for encouraging people to think about libraries, I don’t want readers to equate these amazing institutions with cupcakes. Cupcakes can be great, no doubt, but they can also be generic and ridiculously expensive, and as a trend cupcakes are dangerously close to overexposure. Instead, when you think of libraries, think of flip-flops: easy to find, accessible to all, and inexpensive to use. But not detrimental to your arches.