Discussion: Libraries

Posted December 17, 2018 by Nicky in General / 4 Comments

I’m a pretty unabashed lover of libraries. Free books! And so many of them! Okay, I sometimes have trouble finding the exact books I want, but I do get exposed to all kinds of books I might not otherwise have tried. And, well, having four different local library cards helps, too. If the most local library doesn’t have a book, the next one out just might (without having to figure out the individual library’s interlibrary loan system).

And it’s great, of course, to support librarians and prove to councils that people need and use libraries. Especially given the fact that I was on the committee of and volunteered at a community library — a noble endeavour and one that did a lot of good, but also made it obvious just how important funding and backup are in running an effective and useful library. Energetic volunteers aren’t really a replacement for money, and community-led libraries are limited (though better than nothing, by a long long way!).

On the other hand, I have an entire shelf of library books, menacing me slightly with their due dates and sheer profusion. The problem with libraries is that they tempt me to bite off more than I can chew, and unlike the books I own, they don’t wait patiently. So currently I’m in the process of whittling down the number of library books hanging out on my shelves. It’s going slowly… I’m on about 30 left, though, from 60ish to begin with, so I guess I’m doing okay.

Thank goodness libraries let you renew loans…

All the same, it’s important to remember that libraries are pretty great. Librarians, you have my love!

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4 responses to “Discussion: Libraries

  1. I’m lucky to have a library virtually on my doorstep, but I don’t borrow as much as I should as (a) there’s also a bookshop a stone’s throw away, and (b) I’ve such a backlog of my own books that I could do to be locked in for a year!

    Being part of the Friends committee when the library was under threat meant we were able to up attendance and membership figures; now its future is safeguarded by being under the aegis of the local high school, those numbers have dropped back a bit, but at least now we can plough in funds to make popular titles available for the town’s readers instead of them having to wait for demand elsewhere to die down.

    I’m afraid I can’t advise you on your conundrums (thirty library books?! I can barely manage three!).
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  2. Gotta love libraries. I use my local library’s online digital collection a lot for audiobooks, and this summer I took my kids pretty much every week. My daughter goes through books fast, and with libraries she can read all she wants.

  3. I gave up on our local libraries years ago. The horror section was old Stephen King and Dean Koontz and a few classics but nothing new ever got added plus all the charges for cards, ordering etc were so annoying! I’m glad your library works well for you though!

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