I ♥ the Library

The library is like a good friend, with whom I occasionally fall out of touch. As a child, I was a faithful library patron until I ran afoul of some mean librarians in middle and high school. Curiously, the mean high-school librarian had also been the very nice fifth-grade librarian, who always helped me to pick out books. By the time I hit ninth-grade, there was no evidence of her former solicitude. The mean librarians conjuncted badly with a string of ineffective English teachers, and my love of reading got shunted down unfortunate roads. It was years later, in college, that I stumbled back into the public library in search of non-crappy books.

Soon, though, I was seduced by non-crappy books with pretty covers in bookstores. My favorite stores, in D.C. circa 1990, were Ohlsson’s Books on Wisconsin Ave. in Georgetown, and a place near DuPont Circle or Adams Morgan, the name of which I’ve forgotten. (It was an indie that had a coffee shop way before this became the norm. I’ve been trying to recall the name for some time; I think it might be well and truly lost.)

The middle of the decade found me with high debt and lots of unread books. Upon reflection, it is quite likely that my periodic re-engagements with the public library coincide with dips in my personal fortune. Once again, then, I find myself patronizing my local library.

The Minneapolis Public Library has an extensive collection, and a wonderful online catalog. It is easy to search and to reserve items, which can then be sent to the branch nearest to me. I can run in, grab my items from the hold shelf, use the self-serve check out, and I’m done in a trice. I reserve books, CDs and DVDs. The library sends me an email when my items are in, and a reminder before they are due. Renewals can be done online or by phone. Minneapolis also has reciprocity with the more affluent suburban libraries, so even in the rare instance that an item I want isn’t in the city system, I can usually still get it.

I’ve long thought that cookbooks and CDs are items best tried before buying. I now think this holds true for most books. With limited funds and storage space, I only want to house books that I love, and that I am likely to read, or at least refer to, again. The library, for free, allows me to try a book, movie, CD or magazine. If I love it, I can seek it out for purchase. Even if I discover that my reading reach exceeds my grasp, I can return the item with no penalty by its due date, and attend to it at some later date. All of this allows for more room on my shelves, and less in my wallet.

7 Responses to “I ♥ the Library”

  1. carolyn Says:

    i know exactly what book store you are talking about in dupont circle. when i went to DC, i stayed in a hotel right across from it and i could see it out my window. but i can’t remember the name either!!!

  2. Becca Says:

    Was it Kramerbooks/Afterwords Cafe?

  3. Vince Tuss Says:

    I was going to cast my vote for Kramerbooks as well.

    One other word for the Mpls. library system. As a previous heavy user of libraries for 25 years, only to fall out of the habit the last seven, the move to Minneapolis has got me back in the stacks. I credit the ease in which you can reserve books via the Internet and the phone.

  4. Elle Says:

    We just got a brand new library….which seems so nice until the realization hits that it appears physically impossible for the city of Boise to hire a librarian who is either nice or compitent. I’d actually settle for mean and compitent at this point. There’s so much added to the library experience, especially for kids, when there’s a good librarian available.

  5. Girl Detective Says:

    It was Kramerbooks/Afterwords! You guys are awesome! I’d been going to add that I thought it began with a K, but I so often say something like “I think it starts with an N,” then it ends up being an R, so I didn’t want to confuse the matter. But you came through, and three of you even know the one I’m talking about. Yay!

    Elle, I’d give some feedback to the library. I have two good friends who are librarians, who say it’s tough to find jobs in library land. If somebody’s there who’s neither nice nor competent, let somebody know, because there’s likely another candidate out there.

  6. Vince Tuss Says:

    You got to love the main Boise library. When I lived there, the sign on the exterior called it the Library! Yes, with the exclamation point.

  7. Darice Says:

    Oh, we have such deep library love. (On top of a houseful of books.) I was always a library kid, all the way through school and into college (I even worked shelving books in the FSU library). I fell away from the library when Amazon began delivering books right to my door — ooooo, seductive. But now, with voracious-reader toddler and a massive cut in take-home pay, we’re back in the stacks.

    I think it helps, too, that now I take Meg to the library every week — so I’ve gotten into a rhythm of checking things out and returning them. My overdue fines have gone way down because of this.

    Our local library is getting a massive overhaul; they’re building a new building, with an expanded children’s area and so forth. I’m so excited!