THE READING ROOM

I doubt there is much that physically links the reading room of the old Fish Hoek Library to the New York Public Library. Besides books, of course. Yet, as soon as I step into the marbled entrance hall of the Manhattan landmark, all I can think about is a photograph taken in the small library of the Cape seaside town in the 1970s. 

Whether it’s the atmosphere, the smell or the hushed tones, for a moment I’m overcome with nostalgia, thinking about this old black-and-white photo of a group