by Doranna
Watch what you’re thinking! This is not that kind of blog!
Okay, yes it is. But not at the moment.
Here’s why I’m having a library love affair right now: The ebook hold system.
It’s magic!
It’s free magic!
So, yeah, I’ve been waiting for ninety previous patrons so I can get my hands on Divergent (I like to see what the fuss is about). But once I put my name on the list…
Magic!
Off I go to do my thing, and then one day there’s an email in my inbox. “I’m yours,” it says. “Yours and yours alone.”
Less romantically, it also reminds me I have two days to respond, so if I’m not in the mood, I have to get on the list all over again. Not a big honkin’ deal, sez I.
Just yesterday evening, The Gifts of Imperfection email landed in the inbox. Didn’t even have to leave the office, just reached for the Nook and went for it.
And earlier this week I was on my way to some Hillerman titles, and stumbled across Alec Berenson, The Faithful Spy*. Yup, reading that now.
(If you get the idea I often have multiple books going at once…yes.)
*I typoed that as The Faithful Spay. Probably not what Berenson had in mind.
For some reason, I’m currently thinking of sixth grade through high school. Those were the days I’d hike a leg over my bike and ride a couple of miles in one direction or more than a couple of miles in the other, and spend an hour or so in a local library.
When I emerged, it would be with a backpack stuffed with so many books that the librarians always sagely said, as I started the process, “Those will never fit.” Half genius and half desperation, that packing was…but I never left a book behind.
Although for some reason, the ride home was always longer.
But now–! I heart the convenience! I heart the “hold it and forget it and THERE IT IS!” But I think the thing I like best is the variety. So many books to try! No worries about investing in one I don’t enjoy, because, oh look!
*taps the return button*
Isn’t it all awesome?
We moved the summer between 5th and 6th grades—so I had no friends that summer—except the library which was only 2 blocks from our apartment. That’s when I became hooked on books—I read day and night.
I can’t really remember *not* loving the library. I think my elementary school had a particularly good one, and those are my first memories of the library gestalt.
I am reading student papers and student tests and student quizzes…But oh for the days when I read book after book after book. I read all the horse books in the public library–first the youth and the then adult. In 6th grade the assistant librarian was the best and when I was done with my classroom assignments early I’d get to go to the library. The Librarain would point out the books she really liked or the new books–The Phantom Tollbooth was one of them, A Wrinkle in Time…it was magic!
I still have my copy of the Phantom Tollbooth! And of course, A Wrinkle in Time…
The library was always my friend — Dad was a geologist, and we moved a great deal, so friends were fleeting. Dad often was told, “Your paycheck will be in Timbuctoo in two weeks. We recommend you be there to pick it up…” and off we would go, a new town, maybe a new state, leaving human friends and school behind. But in the library, I could find my real friends, my forever friends, the ones who would always be waiting. I have vague memories of taking some wild-picked bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush to the librarian on my last day in Tyler, Texas, to say good-bye to the librarian who helped me find so many worlds of wonder. The Black Stallion, the Island Stallion, Big Red, the Sunnybank collies, not to mention Robert Silverberg’s REVOLT ON ALPHA C and LOST RACE OF MARS, not to mention another one, THE ENORMOUS EGG. And of of course, Miss Pickerell’s adventures. I started building my own library in 4th or 5th grade, earning money ironing pillowcases and handkerchiefs (2 cents and 5 cents) so I could actually BUY books and not have to return them. And eventually, I met the man who proposed by suggesting that we merge our libraries. But, oh, do I like my Kindle, because I can carry dozens of books with me and never run out of reading material!
Marilyn, that’s a wonderful story!
I have just recently, become reacquainted with using the library. Have not yet tried checking out ebooks, I will need to attend one of the library classes they hold to teach those of use less technically inclined how to do that… However I have started checking out the audio CD books and I’m a huge fan. Never a short distance to go places here so I love having a book in my truck to listen to and love getting the email from the library telling me that the book I’ve reserved is ready for me to pick up! In fact just picked up the 3rd Game of Thrones books (39 discs! Eek!).
Growing up in a tiny town with no library getting books was hard. However, my grammar school had a fantastic library so had plenty to read during the school year and my mother would take me periodically to the library in the next town. Until a classmates mother decided to open her home to become a small lending library. I could request books and check them out from there.
I also got started in the companion library bookclub and bought my own books (I still have them). They were wonderful because they had a book on either side. Finish one book and flip it over and upside down and there was another one! My Mom also got the Reader’s Digest condensed books. So between the school, local lending library, and what I bought I had lots to read growing up. My Mom would actually tell me to stop reading and go outside to “blow the stink off” – from sitting to long I guess.
In Junior High we also had a great library, but my 7th grade teacher introduced us to another book purchase opportunity and I would buy paperbacks through the teacher and every few weeks would get more books. I used my paper route money for this. I found that while I loved libraries there were books that I just wanted to own, to re-read when the mood struck me. So for a long time I purchased books rather than using the library (this should make lots of authors happy with me!)
But now I’m back to libraries as audio books are expensive and I now want to try out a new author before I buy. So it’s back to browsing the library shelves and using their request option.
I love the library stories!
And boy, am I familiar with the “put down the book and go do something” routine from back in the day!