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Public Libraries | Pad Patter 11.5

jenevang

jenevang

Rocking a two-piece under my scrubs
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Apr 20, 2011
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So, I love Public Libraries. I just love them. I totally need to hang out here more!

Every seven years I have to take this HUGE test for my job and sadly, I have yet to study for it yet (yep, have to pass by Dec 1). Anyway, I've been spending some time studying (these past 2 days) at the library and I'd forgotten how awesome it is. The library, NOT the studying.

No distractions from laundry that needs to be done. Quiet corner. No TV. No fighting kids. The smell of real.life.books. Awesome people watching when I need a break.

It also makes me nostalgic... since I was in school before the days of the internet so actually had to go to the library to look stuff up in HS/college/med school. #deweydecimalsystem #oldschool #iamoldandproudofit

I should come here more often. No more Starbuck escapes for me... this is the bomb diggity. And I don't have to purchase a $5 coffee. Bonus.

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How about you? Do you love the library? Hate it? Brings back too many memories? :giggle
 
Love the library! I love the ability to try new genres and authors without investing $$ (except for the occasional fine... oops!). I haven't had much reading time lately, so I haven't been in forever. It used to be part of my Thursday routine, I would walk up to the library and check out some random books, then take them to my favorite quiet little restaurant to have lunch and read. I might need to start that up again and make more time to read!

My son also loves the library, although he doesn't check out books. He volunteers there every summer.
 
I love libraries so much I've scrapped about it. It started in elementary school in the early 80's when I worked in my school library with a wonderful librarian who would read to us at lunchtime while we did crafts.

I've said that if I were locked in a library, as long as someone provided food and water, I could be happy for weeks.

I'm very grateful for my local library system. It's modern and friendly and has some good programs. And I usually find every book I look for.
 
We use the library for the resources more than hanging out. Although my kids had some tutoring done there at times & sometimes they get together with friends for study sessions (finals), but we don't usually go just to sit and hang out too often. I'm not sure why .... our library was just redone too!

I really love the library for the online requests ... we can get a book delivered to our local branch from anywhere in the multi-county system right from our computer at home! The digital downloads are awesome too!

Could not live without our library.
 
I love the library. So much, in fact, that this month I'm applying to another graduate program to get a Master in Library & Information Science. Don't tell Tim! :giggle The program I'm applying to made me swoon because they have research opportunities in things like "community memory," "digital heritage," and "equitable information access." Yes, I'm a total geek.

I still have flash memories of trips to the library when I was little. My grandma would take me to show me off because I could read when I was 3 and had signed for a library card shortly thereafter. When I was older, I'd spend a weekend with her and get to go to the library because because I loved it so much, and my parents never took me. At school, I'd always get special library privileges because I was several grades ahead in reading, so I could go into the older-grade-reading sections of the library and be the only one in there. It was a real reward when there weren't many positives in my life, so I can only imagine how it can impact kids now.
 
I. Love. Our. Library. LOVE IT.

I haven't begun to explore every single thing about it, but... the kids area... they have a castle to play in... with toys and dress up and stairs. A toddler area, with kitchen, puppet stage, reading bench, puzzle tables... and an outside play area, too. They have computers (which my kids are not allowed to play)...
We don't go to the library to read books. we go to play somewhere besides home.

Digital access is amazing, too. They participate in several online/cloud based options: Overdrive, Hoopla, Freegal, Cloud Library, Zinio, and a couple others.

Last weekend, they had a Harry Potter Halloween party. All the staff and volunteers were dressed up as Hogwarts staff and students, they served "butterbeer" at their café, and they had a scavenger hunt around the library... I found their "mystery" room (where they have shelves and shelves of mystery books, and set up like an old school home library with fireplace, tables, and walls of books), and also the piano they offer people to practice on... I found puzzle tables for adults...

I signed the kids up for the "1000 books before Kindergarten" program and learned the kids could have their own library cards (I didn't know that!)... they received sticker charts and stickers to use....

Picked up the November calendar, and it seems like the big event this month is Family Literature Day on the 19th. Super excited about that... trying to see if I can fit in their movie night and/or the adult coloring party, too. :giggle

I remember loving the library as a college student. I don't remember ever paying attention to all the things the library has to offer, but it is now one of the first things I like to check into when making our plans each month. Trying to make sure I have library visits in, and participating when we can.
 
I love the library too - the town near us built a nice big beautiful library a few years ago. We are out of the district for the library, so to get a card it is $200+ a year ... so, I do not have a card.

When our son was small we purchased a card (not near as pricey at that time) and we both enjoyed going to the library - and to this day, he still likes books and I think the reason is we spent so much time there.
 
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I live on the border of two districts so am able to be a member of two local libraries. One is newer and bigger with a lounge area built inside and the other is much older, smaller and has a small corner area with comfy chairs and small tables. I love them both. I don't go as often as I used to b/c mostly I get digital books online from them so don't have to physically go to the library but every now and then I get a book that isn't available in digital format so enjoy going to pick it up and wander around. Sometimes I will sit, check my phone and just relax for a bit, before heading out.
 
Libraries are the best! Free books (digital or print), free WiFi , and there's one almost everywhere. When I have long random breaks between teaching piano lessons, I can hang out in my car or go to the library. The library is nice because then I don't look like a creeper in the neighborhood! :giggle

I grew up going to the libraries. The town next to us had a stash of computer games we could check out (Nancy Drew mystery games anyone? ) and that was awesome. They had a better selection of movies too but now non residents have to pay a fee so we don't go there anymore.
 
I love our library as well. I really need to spend more time there. I remember, when I was younger, my grandparents lived just a couple of doors down from the library and we would stay at their house but spend all of our time in the library. It's since moved to a bigger building and is such a beautiful place. They have wonderful children's programs in the summer and I just love the smell of books ;)
 
Since we moved back to my hometown last November, my mom has taken my 2 1/2yo son to either the library or the zoo one morning a week. He loves them both... although he is not too good at the being quiet aspect of being in the library. :giggle

We live in a different library district than my parents do (even though we live in the same county) so we go to programs at both and love them. My daughter participated in Lego Club last fall at the library close to her school and adored it, and she is looking forward to building a gingerbread house the week after Thanksgiving (not that I totally signed her up for that so I would have something for my Daily December album that day or anything --- :innocent) at the library by my parents' house.
 
liBraries make me smile.
when I am driving some where new, and I see that green sign with the book and library under it, and the arrow, It takes big will power for me not to go and investigate
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corsicar said:
Libraries are the best!
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considering your comment here, i have to say i think this is the perfect Belle (or any) costume for you (in your avatar). I can totally see you dancing around a provincial town, basket of library books in hand!
 
firstly, good on you for studying @jenevang , keep going and good luck with your exam (but study more, depend on luck less)- Mum speech over

i think our libraries here are lacking somewhat compared to what i've seen of some online and from what has been mentioned in the Reading Pad; that said, i go about fortnightly (with or without the kids) - DD can go through a book a night and DS read the 8 picture books i got him last night apparently - i hate hearing 'Muuuuuum, I have nothing to read! I can't go to sleep!' which inevitably happens once a week. But then we went to my mother's local library and i thought it was dreadful and she's been to ours (with school holiday program activities) and she prefers ours too (2hrs south of metro sydney is too far for a quick trip to grab an old school paper book though)

When DS or DD was a baby (i cant remember which now - must be getting old!) i would take my laptop and go scrapbook there for an hour or so some Sat mornings (but they closed at 11am and i wasnt then and still am not at my most awake or efficient before then on a weekend so it wasn't always productive and wasnt always quieter but i could usually find a corner with a powerpoint and do something for me, without, like you say, having to buy a coffee to justify my taking up space!)
 
I like the library, but my kids are little so it's more for them. I spend library time being hypervigilant, replacing books taken out & making sure everyone is behaving. At the bigger library, 8yr old has been known to wander far into the DVD section. The bigger library also has too many things to play with, not just books. I do love my library app & being able to read whatever I want for free.

@scrapsandsass woot woot!!!
 
I absolutely LOVED the public libraries in the US when we lived there! They are just unparalleled! From the smallest to the biggest - they've got it all! I used to love to browse the books - borrowing ... returning ... with the family - the feeling of actually touching the books vs web browsing!!

Since then we've lived in U.K., México and India - and the only ones that come even close are the UK libraries. Elsewheres I really miss the US ones!
 
I love the library! My mom works at the one in town, and my sister works at both that library and the one in the next town over. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the one here. I would walk there after school just about every day, and was always participating in the summer reading program/activities. There was a program when I was about 9 that had me reading with an elderly volunteer that I just adored :) At the beginning of this school year, it was still quite hot out and our AC had stopped working. I packed up my laptop and spent a few hours at the library staying cool and scrapping. It was heavenly! We love to go as often as we can. The boys get some computer time, check out some books, visit with grandma -- and they have to be quiet! LOL
 
I adore the library! We moved here on Thursday, unpacked on Friday and Saturday and got our library cards Monday. Then registered for school. That is my importance order. And that is typical everywhere we move.
My husband laughs because when I'm looking for rentals, and when we looked for a home, as the selling point is how close is the nearest library, and how big is the system it belongs to. Our house was 1/8 mile and I was jealous of the house in the library backyard. :giggle
Our current library is a little farther than I'd like, and with school we only make it every other week. But I just had the brilliant idea that I could go by myself tomorrow! Dh at work, ds at school, hours for me at the library:D!
 
I love the library! I need to visit it more often. But whenever I do I end up with more craft books, and then more projects to make. Or should I say complete? That's why I don't go much anymore. But maybe I should stop there on the way home from Bible Study on Thursday... its along the way!
 
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