Thursday, September 18, 2008

Get off the computer and go to the library.

For some reason today I am thinking about public libraries and how so many people have no idea what they are missing out on by not going there.

Why, there are books of all sorts, both in book form and on CD (and even cassette, for crying out loud!) and some on pre-loaded ipod-like devices. There are music CDs and movies. Magazines. Old newspapers. Reference materials so you can look stuff up.

Yes, there is a lot of stuff available on the internet (and you can use the internet at the library) but how can anyone not like strolling along the aisles, browsing those stacks of books/racks of CDs/cases of DVDs? And it's all free; you can load up a huge bag of stuff to haul home (we do every time) and not feel guilty at all. You also don't have to feel guilty if you end up not reading the book, watching the movie, listening... you get the idea. Unless, of course, you get those unused items back late and have to pay a fine. (In our spending tracking system, we have a category called "stupid" for those fines, among other things.)

Go on now, support your local library.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel like I've won a shopping spree when I leave the library. Just got back in fact.
V.

kerri @ gladoil said...

I spend way too much time at the library. When I go up to the desk the woman who keeps it just walks back and gets my holds for me. She hardly even asks if I have any. Today I got "Your Story Hour" tapes, Jim Weiss doing classic scary stories, and a biography on Oliver Cromwell. :) (Hoping I get a chance to read it..)

I just had to empty my head on Sara Palina a bit. Well, not so much about her, but the controversies about her that were bugging me. Come tell me what your thoughts are-I should have taken more writing in school. But like I tell my kids "Go easy on me, I was Publik Skooled." :)

Sandy said...

We use library elf (dot com) to avoid those fines. Saves me a bundle. Also, our library is happy to take requests for books to purchase. It's a great place to go when you're feeling 'needy'. You can be downright selfish at the library and take home every item you want. For free!

edwardherda said...

Remember actually digging through books for research, rather than blogs and the ever-so-powerful Wikipedia for answers to questions like, "what is a beet?" Here's an oldie but goodie to bring back some memories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkBxl8Cq-fI

G said...

I love, love, love the library. We go there every week and the libraians are getting to know us as the family that always checks out the absolute maximum number of books! We're excitied today because our hold (Harry Potter #1 on CD) came in!

And library elf is marvelous!

Anonymous said...

hey! the fees don't bother me at all. ;D