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| This is how we felt when our new public library cards arrived in the mail. |
The first mail we received in our rural mail box 4km down the road was from our local public library. Inside the sea blue envelope were brand new library cards.
All those wonderful resources are now at our fingertips. If we couldn't make it in to the branch, they would mail books to us.
All at no extra cost. Citizenship has its rights and privileges, including barrier free access to information.
Did You Know?
1.1 BILLION people worldwide go to the public library every year.
Compare that to a paltry 204 million people attending sporting events.
The library rocks, sports...well not my cup of tea!
ReplyDeleteT.M.,
DeleteLife is the only sport in which I am really interested.
I find it really cool that I can download books online from the library, as well. The selection is not as good as at the physical library, but it's convenient.
ReplyDeleteDeb,
DeleteIt is very convenient to download books online. There are also times I like to hold paper versions in my hungry, curious hands.
I love the library! A year or two back I donated all of my books except a select few and now rely on the library instead (which is across the street from me). With online services I can search for books, request a book be brought in from another location, or be put on a waiting list for a book if all copies are currently checked out. I can also visit in person and just browse until something catches my eye and can also look at a wide variety of magazines (including back issues) without having to subscribe to them. Want a movie to watch Friday night? They provide that too. I am obviously a huge fan of the library.
ReplyDeleteMelodee,
DeleteWe are also heavy users of public libraries, and always have been. Over the years they have been sanctuaries for me. I can get lost in a big library for days, and you are likely to find me sitting on the floor between the stacks viewing books within my reach.
I like how quiet libraries are, and the big tables most of them have are great for getting serious about research and projects. I have also found that most libraries have little nooks here and there for quiet contemplation.
I love libraries! From the mobile library that used to visit our village when I was a child, to the one I worked in in my early twenties, to my current local one (although it is small) to the wonderful library just opened in my nearest town. Love them all. It is just so sad that in recent years councils (in the UK) have been cutting budgets more and more, shutting small libraries etc. It is so short sighted. Makes me sad. Frances.
ReplyDeleteFrances,
DeleteLibraries should receive more funding rather than less, but some people think that anything that doesn't "turn a profit" is to be done away with. It is very short sighted and sad.
You are fortunate to have worked in a library. Linda enjoyed her 5 years on the circulation desk when we lived on the west coast.
We miss our mobile library that used to park outside our door. Fund cuts closed the program down.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the library as a child was like a religious experience. We have a cathedral like library built by funds from Andrew Carnegie the steel tycoon. I still remember the sound of my shoes on those tiled floors, echoing down the aisles. Back then it was totally silent and kept that way by ladies who shushed you at the slightest noise. We visited often and it started my lifelong love of reading.
Miss Marla,
DeleteI also have fond memories of a book mobile in my childhood. Bring the books to the people!
I love large libraries. I hung out in the library during my student days quite heavily. It was a religious experience to lose track of time while perusing books in different areas of the building.
And large libraries always have little hidey holes where one can study and think (and maybe nap) unhindered. Many also have visual art displayed, and the buildings themselves often have unique architectural features that can inspire, amaze and focus one on the many positive achievements of the human race.
Leaving a library is always a bit of a disappointment for me. I find the outside world can be harsh and illogical in comparison.