Booking Through Thursday: Library Week

Booking Through Thursday


Suggested by Barbara:
I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

Now that I work at the library, I go there nearly every day! But I have noticed that my "for fun" library time has gone down since I've been working. Instead, I'll grab whatever I have on hold as I go out the door (which I just did a minute ago and came home with Jellicoe Road!) or I look something up and run and grab it when it's time to leave.

Except when I'm shelving the teen section, which we all now know is hazardous to the TBR pile, because I end up bring home a whole stack of books that are just not in the plan!

But my favorite thing to do at the library is to just walk up and down the aisles and see what jumps out. I haven't done this in a long long time. Mostly because I have too many books I own now that I feel the urge to read first, so getting library books makes me feel guilty. And also, because of challenges, I feel like I have lists of books to work from, or the above mentioned books that are "in the plan" that I have to read first.

So the spontaneity of the library has waned in the last while, which makes me sad.

No, I don't think the bookstore will replace the library. For sure not!

Yes, I went to the library as a child and loved it just as much then as I do now. Lots more browsing to see what jumps out back then! I don't have too many particular memories... just how much things have changed. I remember checking out records, and thumbing through the periodical guide to find articles for reports (remember those fat green books?) and the card catalogue and paperback sections (separate from the hardback collection.)

And if I had to pick, I think I'd go for the older libraries, but not dark. Bright and modern, but cozy.

At any rate, libraries are the best!