Do You Have A Library Card...And If So, How Do You Use Your Public Library?

Meanderer

Meanderer

Supreme Member
Location
PA
We get books from the Library about every two weeks in the colder Months, less in the Summer Months. Mostly a couple bags of Mystry Novels for myself and Home Decorating books for my Wife. To sum it up: Books R Us! :) What about you?

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Love to read, and I get ebooks online to my Ipad from the library, Meanderer. Very handy. Mysteries are among my favorites among many other genres.
 
One of the things I do when researching an area to move to is find out the nearest location of my library, I make use of it quite often. The one that was nearest me temporarily moved to the mall, which is only a five minute bus ride away, they are due to return to it's original location which is just a mile or less walk up the road from me.

I rent books, in printed, cd form and ones they lend to you via your computer. I also rent movies and sometimes music, once and a while, I may take part in some of their public activities and I do make purchases from their used book store. I read some of everything including, fiction, non-fiction, home improvement/decor.

At one time I worked as a children's librarian, also did some time working in the school library earning credits and a few extra dollars. Very much enjoyed working with the children, was a great experience.
 

I have a library card but we live in a rural area so the library nearest me just can't hold a candle to the Internet. And other than the internet, my book purchases are mostly done through Abe Books. It's an online shopping sight and I can get used books that way so my 'recycling' gene can feel good.
 
There's a small library just a few minutes away from me and I use it most weeks. It's a great place and great staff. As well as borrowing books there are also various activities going on throughout the year. The other day I went along to listen to poetry and prose put on by a local group. This morning they are hosting the annual Macmillan Coffee morning (cancer support) coffee/tea, homemade cakes, raffles, tombola, various items to buy so my friend and I will be going along.
 
I have two library cards ( different libraries ) and use the library weekly. I love having conversations with the staff members there about great new books, film, and classic rock music. Libraries get a big thumbs up from me.
 
Yeah, it is a real Community place as well. We also enjoy bumping into neighbors and old friends occasionally, and having a chance to talk. It has recently had an overhaul and has been remodeled, and is a pleasant place. Information retrieval has changed, and will never be the same.:)

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I have a library card, but don't go as much as I used to. I do a lot on the internet, and we have a book exchange place right nearby. My sister and I get a big bag of books, which we take turns reading and then we take the bag back and get more. I guess the book exchange sort of serves as the library for us. We are both voracious readers, as was our mother.
 
I sure do have a card , & MUST have books to read in the house, just like must have coffee & cat food. i go to 3 different branches, partly depending where my errands are thAt day, or their individual atmosphere. Occasionaly will sit & read mags that i like but dont want to spend $ on, like New Yorker, Nat Geo. They sometimes have little programs or mini-concerts too. Every time i go, makes me feel good to see how well the libraries are used by people of all ages. i dont borrow dvds or music, dont have a player for them. Not at all into ebooks, like the feel of paper much better. Sometimes they sell surplus, like when they have extras of popular books after the demand drops, $1 for paperback, $2 for hardcover. can get on a wait list for popular books also.
 
I download books onto my Kindle which is much more convenient, I couldn't be bothered with a library.
 
I do have a card but with Kindle handy I hardly use it.
The last time I was in our library, the lady at the desk took my card and said, "Oh, I see you have expired."
I looked at her and said, "Well ma'am, I felt pretty good when I got up this Morning."
We both had a chuckle over that.
 
I used to drain library resources on a weekly basis (books, videos, magazines, music) until I got an iPad. Now I can do everything online and use my library card number to take out books. Videos come from Netflix, music from iTunes, magazines from aps. This technology came right at the right time as I reach advanced aging, and with a long winter ahead...
 
I go to the neighborhood public library when my online book club doesn't come through soon enough with a book.
But I've really gotten lazy about wanting to make those runs.
 
Pappy said:
Remember the old book a month club? Use to get a lot of books this way.
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I belong to an online book club that will send you 2-4-6-8-10 books a month, depending on what you sign up for. I'm getting 4 a month at present ... read a couple, send them back, and they will send 2 more on the way while I still have 2.
This system works for me. I am just old-fashioned, and like the hard copy of books.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I have a library card, though I rarely visit the library.
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Im
like you too,The last few years and all these budget cuts has taking a toll on the cities libraries.
They cut almost 75% of magazines subcriptions.
Biggest problem I see is the type of people now using the 30 free computers or the homeless just hanging around all day in and outside the library. There is a large cigarette container outside the door of the library,so for every 1 cigarett making it to the container there are 5 more on the ground.sad...
 
I do have a library card [though I may have expired too Pappy!] I have not used it for about 2 years. Having a Kindle and buying cheaply from Amazon changed things for me. Plus our libraries in this county [all counties have differing policies] want the books back in 2 weeks time or they fine you huge amounts.Friends/relatives get me book tokens for presents too, there are some good bookshops in Oxford.
 
Davey Jones said:
Im
like you too,The last few years and all these budget cuts has taking a toll on the cities libraries.
They cut almost 75% of magazines subcriptions.
Biggest problem I see is the type of people now using the 30 free computers or the homeless just hanging around all day in and outside the library. There is a large cigarette container outside the door of the library,so for every 1 cigarett making it to the container there are 5 more on the ground.sad...
Click to expand...

One of the biggest pet peeves I has when I was working for my county's libray was when they started installing more and more computers for the general public to use for hours on end, even worse, some places they it's legal for them to look at porn on these library pcs. I didn't mind when they were used to help the school kids to research projects, but that's basically all a lot of people come into the library for these days is to use the computers and the free wi-fi. That's partly why funds are being pulled out, they just aren't getting the numbers.

What some say about it not being quiet, I really don't know where these noisy libraries are, I would have showed these patrons the door and none of the libraries I've visited over the past few years allow more than a whisper, they have separate meeting and rooms for or areas for people to do tutoring where necessary. When I do tutoring, I always check to make sure the library I'm going to teach my esl students in have a separate room as well.
 
There are several nice things about checking e-books out from the library.

1- You can get the latest best sellers free.

2- You can do it from your home, car or even a mountain top.

3- No overdue fines ~~~~~ ever. You check the book out for two weeks. At the end of two weeks it's gone.... poof! If you haven't finished reading it, you can renew it once. Most libraries only allow one renewal. But it you haven't finished the darn thing in a month, you probably aren't going to finish it anyway.
 
I have collected old books over the years, and reading a hundred year old book is like a time machine of sorts. I don't think "books" printed today or e-books could be around a hundred years from now. I can't imagine having a thousand books on a kindle. I like turning the pages of a real book. I like real book-markers. I like bookshelves. There are still people who like to play solitaire using a real deck.:)

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