Library Wonders
I really enjoy our library system. Even though I’m in Pasco, I still go to the Kennewick location. It is aesthetically pleasant, has a large selection, and the librarians recognize me and know I probably have books waiting for me. I had one CBC class with one of the librarians, but we’ve never mentioned it and I have no idea if she knows it. She was always at the sci-fi club table and the guy who was her boyfriend works at the Pasco library. I wonder if she thinks of me as the one who was always at “the homeschool table.”
On our library’s website you can place requests for books. Even if the book is on the shelf at the library you’re going to, you can place a request for it. A day or two later, it will be waiting at the check-out desk for you. Often I go to the library, return my books, immediately get in line to check out, and in a minute walk out with five or more items. It is quite handy with the little ones in tow.
I can also manage my account and renew items online. I can set my requests to activate in a week or a month or a year, so I don’t get 20 books at one time.
Online I can also ask the library to purchase books I’d like them to have. I am responsible for two of the books at the library: Piers Plowman, which I wanted to read before deciding whether or not to do it for Medieval Lit; and Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. A few weeks ago I requested that they purchase Norms and Nobility, since I seem to see it referenced as a good classical education book pretty frequently, but it still hasn’t shown up as on order. If you request a book, it’ll automatically place a request for it on your account so you get it as soon as they get it.
Today I finally subscribed to our library’s RSS feed. Now on bloglines I can see a list of the new books and audiobooks that are on order or have arrived. I could also subscribe to a list of new videos or new large print books that they receive. I can click through the link to a book I’m interested in and get my name in on the list of people who want it. New books can only be checked out for one week, and there is often quite a queue for them. Now I can try to get in and get some of those audiobooks before my dad does. :)
Someday it would be fun to go into the library with my dad, whom all the librarians know and who is responsible for many more than 2 of the books the library owns, who took Geoff and I to the library every Saturday when we were growing up and who recently showed me all the things one can do on the library system. The librarians could then see the family resemblance; there is of course, the physical resemblance, but in library usage we also have resemblance, myself the junior and my father the mentor. :)
I really enjoy my library.
I’m thinking about requesting this book next, but I really should read the books we already own at some point….
I checked out your book review link and it does sound like an interesting read. Now that trailer I saw this morning makes more sense to me. :)
I read that book in my teens. It was very interesting. I had no idea at the time that the author was any sort of Christian, and whenever I’m thinking about the anti-child atmosphere of our current age the memory of that book floats through my mind. I always wondered if there was a sequel… It kind of ends on an unfinished note.
I read that book in my teens. It was very interesting. I had no idea at the time that the author was any sort of Christian, and whenever I’m thinking about the anti-child atmosphere of our current age the memory of that book floats through my mind. I always wondered if there was a sequel… It kind of ends on an unfinished note. It’s not in your library system? I thought that was where my mom got it… but maybe not.
I use our library system extensively as well. It is so nice living in a rinky-dinky town and still be able to check out any book in the system I want and have it delivered here. Our library has strange hours which is the only draw back of using the one here. They don’t seem to mind my kids running around and causing a “scene” on occasion, so it is definitely a great place to go. I requested a book before but they have never gotten it.
Elly, it was there! The only bad thing about the library system is that their search functionality stinks. I searched for the title and because the first 6 or 7 on the screen didn’t even have both the words “children” and “men” in it, I assumed it wasn’t there. I also couldn’t get it to pull up authors with the last name “James” at all. On your comment, I went back and tried searching for the title again and it was number 8 or 9 on the search results. Now I have it on reserve. :)
Samantha, did you fill out a form at the library or online for the book? It seems to take them a few months from the filing of the request to the shelving of the book. I had despaired of both the books I requested before I received the email that they were on hold for me. So, don’t give up hope. :) What was the book?
You will have to wait for me to return it :) but I guess that means I probably will not be able to extend my copy for the normal 6 weeks it takes me to finish a book.
The library catalog does show a large print edition too, and has the book on cassette.
Looks like I need to set up a system for converting cassettes to mp3s…