li·brar·y
1. a. A place in which literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for reading, reference, or lending.
I have had a truly deep love for libraries ever since the fourth grade when I was allowed to visit the public library after school in Sumter, South Carolina. I have moved all over this country and even been to France. The one thing I remember about every place since South Carolina was where the library in town or on base was.
These are not books. These are movies.
The other side of this aisle had just as many video games. I have to say, I have never (until today) checked a movie out of the library. But I also have to say, I will in the future. They even have several series from television. I can see that it would be a great benefit for kids to try a new video game out before investing. So, I’m trying to embrace the changes that libraries are undergoing, but I’m very sad to say….
that in this branch of our county library in the fiction section at the end of this second set of books, we are already through the letter “C” and working on the letter “D” by author. That’s not very many books. Once when I asked at another branch of the county library for several of the classics…John Steinbeck, Pearl S. Buck…I was told they didn’t carry copies of those books because that wasn’t the demographic they were going for. Huh??
How about you? Do any of you still frequent your county or city library? Are you enriching your children’s lives with the love of literature in whatever form that may take?
8 comments:
Oh my gosh, I just left a long comment!!! And it was erased! Ugh....NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Oh my gosh do I hate that.
Well I'll try again. I don't go often to the library publically but I do hang out in our school library because I'm a book nut. I am fortunate in that I have a kindle and love to read. My students are also avid readers and it's pretty exciting to see this generation really get into it. But because of the kindle technology, books are being replaced with movies and video games which I think is a great idea! I wanted to become a librarian several years ago but I've been teaching too long at around 17 years and I don't want to mess with my retirement/pension. I have 12 or 13 years more to go before I can retire. But I won't really retire as I'll be a park ranger or something in that area. It will be my second career:) Hope you get some more rain tonight:) Talk to you soon. Me:)
we do go to the library...ours has yet to start carrying games but i imagine it is not too far off...already a lot of books have been moved to ereader so you can just down load them....the times they are a changing...
I go to the library at least once a week. In a town of 35,000 you would be surprised at what a wonderful library we have! Our fiction section is huge compared to the one you've shown. Of course, it helps that there is an interlending agreement with the local university library. Now movies is a different story. Very few movies and I've never found one that I had ever heard of before! Most of them are quite old. I think they must come solely from donations. I also am on the prowl for audio books since a drive in to town can take sometimes more than a half hour and there are no radio stations other two particular genres, both of which I can't tolerate. I can't seem to follow anything too complicated while I'm driving because I'm too easily distracted by barns and fences and other goodies that call me and my camera to the side of the road or down lonely paths so I'm generally attracted to memoir or biography type books. In fact, I'm on my way to the library and photography club meeting tonight! But I have to be extra early to make the library because it is only open until 5:30 p.m. And when there's a three-day holiday it's always closed for four days! I still haven't figured that one out!
I love libraries. When my kids were little we went every week. Now I live kind of far from the library so I don't go that often. How wonderful that they have so many movies available, but I too am surprised by how few classic books...
I do get books at the library. The one closest to us is like yours. Most times they don't have the book I'm looking for. But I can usually find something interesting.
That is one thing I miss since we moved here. The main Phoenix Library, they had the best movie selection. I was there every weekend. Great music too.
Let's face it, Magpie, the world is changing and we're getting older!
Library (all 5 of them) in Naples is a favorite place for me to be. And their changes are in the form of expansion, not diminishing inventories.
Also, as with most libraries (I'm assuming here--dangerous!) everything available can be found online--even can reserve, can have same-day transfer from one branch to another. sOOO much! And I'm grateful.
This is first time I'm aware that libraries are not serving interests of ALL of us, as their mission(s) frequently state.
Remember the country "Bookmobile"? Guess they are still in existence...
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