Take a look, it's in a book, the reading rainbow.
A couple of months ago Abigail got herself a library card and it was blah, blah, blah, the library is the most important invention of our time, for weeks on end. And I was like, c'mon, the library is what the bookstore is for. And she was all, when the Truth is revealed to you, me and my fellow library card holders will not judge you for your previous disbelief; we are morally superior on account of all the free books.
Turns out she was right.
Last month I was strong-armed into a library card, and now I am superior, too! I thought the process of procuring the actual account with the library would be much harder than it was. Like, not long ago I opened up another savings account at my bank--the bank at which I have been banking for my whole life possibly--and it took two entire hours with all the background checking and interrogation and whatever else. That is: I was putting even more money into a bank at which I already have money, and they treated me like a common burglar. I took a whole file folder of documents to the library: driver's license, debit card, credit card, passport, bank statement, phone bill, resume, background check, list of books I've read, essay on Robert Frost--just in case. But all they needed was my address and a handshake. They gave me two library cards--one for my keychain and one for my wallet--and told me I could check out 50 books right that second if it pleased me to do so. Also: free wi-fi, free coffee, and library t-shirts for only ten dollars.
In Georgia, we have this thing called The Pines system, which is a state-wide online catalog of all the books in all the libraries, and if you want a book that is in very south Georgia delivered right to your very own library, all you have to do is log on, search, and click. In only twenty-four hours the librarian is calling to tell you to come on over for your book, and she made some homemade banana-nut bread; she'll save you a piece.
I ordered ten entire books from The Pines that will be here today. Which is actually just in time, because yesterday I finished the last Gossip Girl recap of the season, and I need something to take my mind off the pain.
Comments
Does she really give you banana-nut bread? I'm so moving to Georgia.
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Yes. Her name is Bev, and she is much nicer than Madam Pince.
Posted by: Jennie! | May 28, 2008 08:27 AM
Hall county just opened a library in my very sub division on Saturday. Courtney is on book #2. She is in HEAVEN! She loves mysteries and is reading a book called Who Let The Ghosts Out. You should come over for dinner and a swim and a trip to our library.
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There was a huge article about that in The Times on Sunday, and it made me very excited. I would of course love to come over for dinner and a trip to your library!
Posted by: Melissa (Courtney's Mom) | May 28, 2008 08:34 AM
i saw levar burton in a movie the other day and wondered if he still has his reading rainbow gig.
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I, for one, would watch it if it still came on.
Posted by: kat | May 28, 2008 08:45 AM
I am so jealous of your library. Free coffee?! Wow! (but you don't drink coffee) The one in Cumming sucks. The ladies are grouchy and the electrical outlets are far away from the tables making it virtually impossible to use a laptop. And also, the set up of the various sections of books...it's all wrong. I miss my library in Sewanee, like whoa.
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It's not the matter of liking coffee, it's the principle of the freeness!
Posted by: broke bertha | May 28, 2008 10:19 AM
[this is charming]
Discovering the library in 2008 is not unlike discovering the internet in 2140.
A warm welcome to the family, Heather Anne.
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I wonder if we could get a couple's discount, me and you.
Posted by: peefer | May 28, 2008 10:30 AM
Because I live in a college town, we have the best library in the world. You can even get DVD's of new movies if you are tired of reading all the delicious books there.
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I have heard mention of these libraries with DVDs. Maybe mine has them, too? If so, I'd like to burn a copy of Sound of Music on account of my SoM VHS is flat burned out.
Posted by: churlita | May 28, 2008 11:12 AM
I work at a library! I'm not a librarian, but I work in the Communications Dept at a county-wide library system. Yeah libraries are pretty sweet. Glad you discovered them!
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I wish I worked in a library!
Posted by: doahleigh | May 28, 2008 11:16 AM
Broke Bertha, if you come to my library, (I call it mine cause it is in my neighborhood) there are computers everywhere and you can plug right into the table you are working at. And the young adult readers have their own rooms with funky chairs!
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If your neighborhood had a movie theater, there would literally never be a reason to leave it. You could put a dome over that thing and survive for millennia.
Posted by: Melissa (Courtney's Mom) | May 28, 2008 11:21 AM
My town library only has about 500 books total and they're only open two days a week.
You are superior.
Posted by: Mad William | May 28, 2008 01:27 PM
My neighborhood does have a movie theater for 30 people. You can get it for free and watch a movie just your family. OR have a party. Nifty, huh?
Posted by: Melissa (Courtney's Mom) | May 28, 2008 01:36 PM
My library has DVDs, but BE CAREFUL, because the fines are much, much steeper. Not that I know from experience or anything.
Posted by: Jennie! | May 28, 2008 03:34 PM
The frugal girl in me loves the library - why buy when I can borrow it from the library?!?!
Nothing is better than when the library calls me (ah, small towns) to tell me the books I requested are in.
Posted by: Heather | May 29, 2008 04:00 PM