Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Remember Your Library!

I have always loved the library. As a kid we lived two blocks from our public library and I made a daily trek during the summer and multiple treks during the school year. I particularly enjoyed going on Sundays because they were slow and the head librarian would let me help check out books. Those were the days when library books had pockets and cards in the back and you actually had to stamp the due date in the book. Today when I go to our library, I scan my library card and simply set everything I went to check out on the counter. The items all have radio signals in them and the computer automatically checks them out! It really is amazing. Over the past few years, however, I really haven't been taking advantage of all our library has to offer.

Since the beginning of the school year I've been making weekly trips to the library -- ALONE. It is definitely a trip I look forward to each week. I'll check out 7 videos (the limit), usually a few for the kids and a few for us. I've been determined to introduce Ella to something other than cartoons. So far she's watched Gidget (she loved those), High Society (not so much), Cheaper By The Dozen (liked that one) and some Shirley Temple movies. My husband and I have been watching old Star Trek movies.

I've also used my weekly library trips to pick up a few books. I've read Julia Child's autobiography, The Time Travellers Wife, and just picked up Julie and Julia. Because our district is so big, I can request books I want to read from other branches and they will be sent to my branch of the library.

I've also had fun perusing the cookbook section recently. I've picked up a couple of kid cookbooks (Rachael Ray and such) and I have a request in for a few of Julia Child's cookbooks (they are quite popular right now!). I also perused the Sneaky Chef cookbooks to see if they were something I wanted to purchase. I really liked them and I just ordered them on Amazon using Swagbucks gift cards (so they were FREE!).

I've been loving my weekly trips to the library (and I just went on-line to request some more Star Trek movies)!

3 Thoughts From Others:

Anonymous said...

I'm at my library all of the time. I love it!

As a reader of Christian fiction, however, I can't always find the latest and greatest.

Solution?

Just ask! If you're looking for something that your library doesn't have (because you're in rural areas and not Vegas), then tell the library what you're looking for.

I recently printed up the list of Book of the Year nominees for a Christian Writers' organization and sent it to them. Now they know which books are considered the best :)

The Campbell Family said...

We love the library too. Ours is just down the street within walking distance IF I needed an all day activity. (When I had just two kids and they both rode in a stroller, it was much easier.) Until the older learns to move at faster than a snail's pace, we have to drive. Oh, and after getting kicked out last week because the boys wouldn't stop running and squealing, it is now a one child activity.

Noah and I went yesterday and had a wonderful time. They have a children's play section with a train set (just like ours that he won't touch at home) and a tree house where he likes to sit and read books. He currently has two favorite series, letter books and The Magic Treehouse. He begs to go get new books when he finishes his chapter book. And we GREATLY appreciate adding variety to our book choices.

I've also used the children's music section and found some great, different, CD's.

They also have 'HOLDS' where you can request books you want and they call you when they have them all put together on a shelf right inside the door. If you were in a hurry, you could be in and out in about 2 minutes.

Now if I could just remember to get things back on time...

Camille said...

They kicked you out! That's terrible. Our libraries are all very tolerant of noisy, little kids.

Sarah is a HUGE Magic Treehouse fan!

I also forgot to mention interlibrary loan. If your library does not have the book you want, you can ask to use ILL and they get from another library in the U.S. that has it. I actually use that quite bit as our library's collection is pretty new.

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