Bravo to Frances C. Miller’s articulate portrayal of life at the Lewiston Public Library. Her letter (Dec. 10) came as no surprise to me. My last few trips, before and after renovations, have left a lingering negative image of that storied institution.

Shameful as it may seem, but I fear that we have lost a great part of our treasured literary way. Where are the stern librarians I grew up with? As a child, whom among us cannot recall walking into either the Lewiston or Auburn library and be told shhhh? Why, yes, it was true, one could pick up a book and read for hours and not hear a sound. Doors slamming, kids screaming, conversations on cell phones, all would have been reason for the person or persons to be sent out on the street by the seat of the pants, or, worse, a lifetime banishment.

Perhaps things will never be the same. The 21st century is here. This day and age brings ever-changing times, so folks such as Ms. Miller, myself and others, will just have to go with the flow – no matter where it takes us.

Mark L. Vasiliauskas, Greene