Being a Library Power User

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I have always been a huge fan of libraries. Growing up, one of my favorite memories is of going to the library with my father (sometimes riding our bikes there) and hanging out for hours.

I still spend a lot of time there because sometimes when I get bogged down when writing at the house.  Maybe I’m not totally in the zone and anything will distract me: the dishwasher stopping,  the dryer buzzer, a table that needs dusting.  Leaving the house and going to the library is usually the perfect remedy for the problem.  I don’t need total silence to work, providing the background noise has nothing to do with me.

But I use the library for more than just a place to write when I need to escape the distractions at home.  I use it to fill my creative well, exercise my brain (which seems to help my writing), and inspiration.

Below are the ways that I use my library.  I’m in the Charlotte,  NC library system and it is a big system and fairly well-funded. Your mileage may vary with yours, but if you find a service here that sounds interesting, check to see if your library has it.  If not, see if they’ll consider offering it.

Books and Magazines

Obviously, books are what first comes to mind when most people think of the library.  I always have something on loan from the library that I’m reading.   I do still get physical books, but I also use my library’s Overdrive service to borrow ebooks.  Whenever I hear about an interesting book, I first check with my library.  If they don’t have it in their catalog, I use their online request form to request a purchase (I’ve never had them turn down a purchase for anything that I’ve suggested).

I’ve used this less, but my library also offers free magazines online (I do like to scroll through looking for recipes sometimes).  They’re offered through RB Digital and Zinio.

Education

Want to learn how to use Office products better? How to develop your own website? There are tons of opportunities to  learn different skills through Lynda, with over 3,000 free online courses.

I also recently tried to challenge my brain to relearn the French I was taught in school (a looonng time ago).  This is free through Mango. 

Entertainment 

We stream at our house (no more cable) and get our programming through Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, etc.  The library is helping supply me with some really cool films and TV through Kanopy and Hoopla.  I’m a fan of classic movies and independent films, but there are also a lot of box office hits on Kanopy and Hoopla, too.  And Hoopla helps me keep up with my favorite British television shows.

Whenever I’m feeling like my creative well needs a little filling, watching a well-made film or reading a great book is the way to do it.

Are you a library power-user, too? What kinds of services do you use there?  Do you go there to write?

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