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Do you use your library?
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Susan
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Jun 23, 2013 03:13AM
PS: Paul - 60 books - now that's just greedy :))
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I didn't use the local library and then I was lucky enough to gain a beautiful little niece. Going to the library was something I decided to do with her. Seeing her enthusiasm in books made me reconnect with my library again
When my son was little, we went to the library at least once a week, sometimes more often. I don't go to the library as often as I used to but I still use mine regularly. My county has a good system, and if my local branch doesn't have a book I want, I can get it sent from another branch that does have it. They'll call or email me when it comes in, and I just go pick it up.I read mostly on my Kindle, and my library has a decent selection of Kindle books. The selection could be better though, so for $35 I joined the Free Library of Philadelphia. It allows non-residents to borrow e-books and audio books. For those of you in the U.S., if you're over 65, a veteran, or active military, you can join for free.
Editing to add: I try not to buy books anymore, unless they're digital. I'm trying to mimimize, so the only books I want on my shelves are ones I know one of us will re-read.
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Essex Libraries seem very good about sharing their books around the county too.
Paul - how can you borrow 60?! I have a maximum on our cards of 14 each.
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It is useful living near a border! We belong to libraries in Dorset and Wiltshire, and we could also belong to Somerset too if we wanted.
Not as much as I did when I worked there, and I turned down the interview for the library manager, for which I am kicking myself. I go in once a week or so get books out for the children as the park and ride bus stops right outside, although it's moving next month, so will take more of an effort. The local one doesn't change its books very often and at the moment the children are enjoying classics which I like to buy and keep for their children. Second hand book shops are my downfall and there is a great small stall in the high street in Dorchester 4 days a week.
I just signed out the first actual library book I intend to read in almost 3 years. Ever since my Kindle I haven't actually read a novel in paper or hard cover.
I love having a library close to my house. I am there every weekend getting out a new book. I also use the online catalog to see which books I find on goodreads i can borrow. Since I live in a major city i can "order" books from another library, so that helps finding different books if the one by my house doesn't have it.
Jo, I live in Essex too and find they can get books from even further afield - from memory I think it's East Anglia - without an extra charge. Though you do have to be careful about authorising a search. For one novel they went to the trouble (without asking me) of getting a copy from the British Library. Must have been the only copy as a slip of paper informed me that if I lost it they'd charge me over a hundred pounds!! I took it straight back without reading it as I dreaded leaving it on the train or something!Elizabeth, yes. it's useful living near a border. I'm also allowed to borrow books from the London Borough of Redbridge (which starts just down the road) and they can get books for me from throughout Greater London, if I click on the "wider search" option. :)
I'm very fortunate to live in a huge city with a TON of libraries (seriously over 10+ in the system here...) in Indianapolis. I LOVE our libraries! Plus its website is great to search for books and place them on hold. If it's at one library, not close to me, they will transfer!
I use the British Council Library in Calcutta!
As a result of joining Goodreads and rediscovering my love of reading, I've started using my local library again. I love it!
Mod
I rely on my local library as I could not afford to buy the number of books and audio books that I borrow. The on line catalogue I can access at anytime and can reserve a book for 35p! Audio books cost £1.00 to borrow. If the library group does not have a copy of a book I can suggest that it is purchased and be the first to borrow it! I just wish more people would use their local libraries as more closures and cuts in opening hours will be inevitable otherwise.
I was there today collecting a book I had requested and returning a DVD my son had borrowed. We use ours every week or two.
You're charged when reserving a book, Gail? We can reserve books without charge here, if it's in another library within the County they'll send it over to my local one. The online facility they have is wonderful.
I use my library a lot. We have a charge for reservations too. We also have a bounce and rhyme session every Wednesday, we sing lots of songs for half an hour it's great and my baby loves it! They seem to be really putting a lot more effort into the services at the library and the books on offer too recently which is great.
We have a voluntary contribution request at our library for reservations, suggested fee of £1.00.
I used to take my children to Rhyme Time when they were babies, at our library. They used to enjoy it.
It is 35p per item to reserve a book from within the county. However, I recently tried to reserve I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away but there was not a copy within the county, it is out of print so cannot be purchased and if I wanted them to get a copy from out of area it would cost £4.00! Think I will keep an eye on Charity and second hand book shops and then donate it to the library!
Gosh, sounds like I am lucky with my library service, still Council run and therefore free, and I intend to make good use of it from now on!
Our library is council run, but still a charge. Not a huge problem though as the biggest library in our area is only a small ride away so can often find what I need in there if its not at my local library.
The library is council run and I don't begrudge 35p per item to reserve. My town library does not open on a Sunday but the one in a nearby large town does, which I think is a great service. Lots of people use it to read the Sunday papers!
Just to clarify, our library is completely free to borrow off the shelves.but if you want something brought in from another library or want to reserve a popular book they ask for a voluntary fee. Also DVDs are charged on a daily rate. Still cheap though. I often borrow films from the library.
50c here for reservation and obtaining from other libraries. Not bad really considering! !
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I hate it when the library's shut. Wednesdays here too. It's nearly always the day I have a book to collect or want to go too!
Was it open on Sunday before? That's impressive! Sunday would be a great day for a library visit imo.Our library is open all day Mon to Sat, and three of those days until 8, so can't complain really!
We have a beautiful library here in Brighton, open on a Sunday too. I used to be a librarian and wish I could go back to it, hate my present job.
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Jo wrote: "We used to have Sunday something like 10-2... and Elizabeth - the number of times I have rocked up to return a book on a Wednesday afternoon! Doh.":D I needed to return a couple of DVDs today and ended up doing what most other frustrated library users do ... I posted them through their letterbox. There's usually a massive pile of stuff on a Thursday morning!
Linda - my mum was a librarian, albeit in a college rather than a public one. I was very envious of her job!
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In my county it's £1.30 to reserve/request a book. Still do it if it's one I really want and it's not cheaper than that on Kindle.
It's quite a dilemma when the reservation fee to borrow a book for three weeks or so from the library is potentially more than it would cost to buy the book on your e-reader. It does come down to wanting to support the library at whatever cost and sometimes it doesn't make sense to do that if you're on a small book budget.
Jo wrote: "In Essex, it's free to reserve on line but someone said the other day that if you reserve in the library, it's £1. And it doesn't matter if they have to ship in from elsewhere in the County. Great ..."That is something I use a lot, especially as quite a lot of interesting books are squirrelled away in storage (have borrowed a number of natural history books that were stored at 'Goldlay Gardens'). Being able to search all the Essex libraries from home and reserve a book for free is a hugely beneficial service, I doubt I'd use the library a quarter as much without that.
I go through phases with the library though... currently am not using it much as I try to get stuck into my huge pile of unread books at home!
Jo and Paul - I also like the way that in Essex you can specify which library you want to pick your book up from. So I always put the branch just up the road, which is actually only open 3 days a week. Presumably though you could even put the travelling library if you find it hard to get around, or if you're working away from home the library in your temporary place.
I also like the fact that the books can be returned to ANY library in Essex, and do use this facility if I know I'll be somewhere else near a library.
Linda - I had a different impression of Brighton Library. It IS very beautiful, I agree. But I tend to seek out ex-library books throughout England (because I can only read Large Print ones.) Some libraries have an on-going shelf for sale; others save them up and have a big sale every so often. I couldn't find any in Brighton, so asked a librarian only to be told, "We don't sell our old books!" I was very shocked! What do they do with them? I hope they donate them somewhere useful, as I've never encountered this before (and they were rather snooty when I asked about it too.)
Yes, they really have got the system set up well. In fact I've just been inspired to write them a thank you email.
Yes, always, but I am a scholar as well as an author so I spend lots and lots of time in the archives.
We use university libraries much more than our community library. In the US the universities are either public or private and we have 2 excellent public universities in my region. A private university library can have limited or expensive access for the general public. The public universities are much more accessible; one of them is free unlimited use to any resident of the state. The community library is owned by the county but participates in a state-wide affiliate. The community library doesn't have the selection of books that we want, very often, and they haven't been terribly helpful in processing interlibrary loan requests. It seems to be a good "community center" with a lot of activities, computer stations for hourly use, a large children's section, a lot of large print books, and general facilities for meetings and events. In terms of ordinary non-fiction and fiction, the selection is quite limited. My husband enjoys their audiobooks, which he finds to be varied and well-stocked.
The university libraries in our region are much more to our reading preferences, with a lot of academic books (obviously) and also great responsiveness to interlibrary loan requests. Also the books are checked out for an academic semester (unless recalled) rather than two weeks, and sometimes I need more time with a book, especially for non-fiction scholarship; it's nice not have to keep track of frequent due dates.
I don't spend time in any libraries, I just get my books & go.
I use the library all the time. I usually reserve books online. When I first moved to York I wasn't impressed with the main library at all, but they've had it all refurbished and it's so much better.
For the first time my library has let me down! I wanted a copy of The Widow's Adventures by Charles Dickinson after it was mentioned on The Book Vipers Books that make you Laugh and they cannot get a copy anywhere! Fingers crossed that I get lucky at a charity shop or second hand book shop.
Over the past year or so, my library usage has dramatically increased. I make a lot of use of interlibrary loan, and I probably check out 2-6 books at a time 2, 3 times a month. I also use their digital library to get audiobooks and books for my Kindle.I don't spend a lot of time browsing because then I come home with so many books that I can't actually read them all!
I never use my local library any more. I find the charity shops and eBay much better.
I don't use my library much these days except to use one of the Ancestry sites when I'm researching my family tree. I have a subscription to one but can't afford to have 2 subscriptions. Other than that I go to pick up my green recycling bags and food waste bags.
You like doing family research Pat? Do you watch Who Do You Think You Are? I find it fascinating. My dad is the family historian, researching for years and has a huge file of papers now.He's over 80 now so can't get out and about to do his research any more. He's fascinated. I want to research my mother's family when I have more time.
I went to the Library solely to print off two documents.Came out with three more books.
I just can not be in the presence of books without looking at them!!
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