Thursday, April 2, 2009

Booking Through Thursday - Libraries




This weeks weekly Booking Through Thursday question for today is:

Suggested by Barbara:

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April [12-18], 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?


I love my library; the building is very old, quite historic and just so lovely. The library did get central air about 5 years ago which makes it nice in the summer for patrons to come and cool off. I've been lucky to work here part time for the last (almost 7 years).


Since I get to order and catalog the new materials when they arrive, I've become what some in library jargon would call the "high-volume patron". I've checked out a whopping 1,236 items in the last (3) years --- that's as far as the new circulation system keeps track.


For me, working here does have some drawbacks---since I can't stop requesting the latest releases, the books I own take a back seat. I read my REVIEW Books and the Library Books most of the time it seems. I look at the ones I own as my "retirement reading inventory"...LOL


Seriously, I loved the library when I was a child (I walked to it 1.5 miles each way). There was a 20+ year period when I did not use the library at all, when I traveled a lot on business, and sadly, I did not have time for much reading then either. Since 2000, my life has become much more simple, and my library love and reading passion has been rekindled once again.


With some sadness, I will be leaving my part-time library job this month when we move, but hopefully, I will find another dream job once again in time. To me, family is most important and we cannot wait to move at the end of the month.


What is your library like?


10 comments:

  1. Great post! It's good to read that there are still people out there who still appreciate a good library in this age of hand-held connectivity.

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  2. That is a beautiful library! I would be sad to leave it too.

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  3. Nice post! Beautiful building. I hope you get an equally fab job after you move.

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  4. Oh my, that is one beautiful library. I would love to have something like that here. Everything is so modern where I live. I hope you'll be able to work in a library again when you move-that would sure be my dream job.

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  5. That building is beautiful. If that was my local library, I'd be there all the time! :)

    What a shame that you have to leave your job but hopefully you'll find another great job after you move!

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  6. If the local library looked like that, I'd have to visit often! That's a beautiful building.

    I imagine it will be sad to leave. You have new adventures awaiting you in your new town, I'm sure. :-)

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  7. I wrote a blog post entitled "Libraries I Have Loved " - the story of my life through my libraries. What a walk down memory lane that was!

    http://everydaymatters.typepad.com/every_day_matters/2008/07/libraries-i-hav.html

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  8. Good luck in your new location - no wonder you are sad to leave this gorgeous place!

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  9. Working in a library must be a really fulfilling job. Surrounded by books and book lovers, that sounds like a ream come true, but I bet it is hard work as well. Hopefully you will find another job that gives you as much joy. Your library looks awesome. Ours is being renovated at the moment and is in makeshift quarters at the moment, so everything is a bit topsy-turvy, but it's still fun to go there.

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  10. I hope that you are able to find another dream job when you move. I wonder how many books I've checked out at our library over the years. It's got to be pretty high. I don't know if they keep track of that or not at our library.

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