Cricket’s Hamlet Aventure: Day Six–Reading Room Remiss
Today was our last day in the reading room. The Folger Reading Room is the heartbeat of the Folger Shakespeare Library. This is where one goes to seek information, conduct research, and revel in past history. Yes, the majority of the collection is centered around Shakespeare, yet the library contains other information that relates to Shakespeare such as politics or manners for the time period.
I couldn’t help but notice the regulars that spend ALL day researching. I imagine we disrupted their mojo a bit this week as we whispered and bustled about in our scant time among the stacks. I asked one gentleman what his project concerned, expecting some dry thesis point about act three of Richard III. Nope. He was working on an Irish murder mystery that took place in medieval times and has been gathering background on law, setting, etc. His notebooks were overflowing. I wasn’t clear if he was gathering the material with the intent of writing a novel. I kind of hoped I was witnessing a renowned writer at work. We were unable to continue our conversation as I had to hustle back to Hamlet School. Here are a few memories of the Reading Room:
so much to learn in such little time
on the left is a “snake” which holds the page down –it’s a lead string
as Hamlet said so well:”Words,words,words”
plus drawings that bring it into better focus
the interior is richly Tudored and the stained glass at the end is Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man
I will definitely miss the Reading Room. Tea Time was served promptly at 3 o’clock every day. Cheerio!
Pam Webb 
Such a wonderful experience and I’m glad you got a chance to speak to one of the other patrons. An Irish murder mystery, who would have guessed?