Tools of the Trade – Your Local Library

Imagine a bookstore where you can leave with armfuls of books without paying – and you can even ask for help finding what you want. Rather not venture out into the wild blue yonder? Imagine a digital bookstore open 24/7 where you can download audiobooks or e-books without ever getting off the couch, again, all for no charge.

This magical place exists, of course, and it is your local library. Now, the “without paying” is not quite true, since you help fund it with your taxes, but since you’ve already paid for it, make as much use of it as you can!

My local library, despite an alarming tendency to shelve all fiction together (noooooo!) is wonderful. They run an interactive, fun, and educational story time for babies and children three times a day during the week, they are well stocked, and their online system for placing holds on books is really easy to use. Also, they put on a May the Fourth event last year.

I’ve found that The Perfect Strategy for finding books at a library really depends on each individual library. Before we moved, I did best going in for a wander around. Here, however, (and the baby might have something to do with this) I do better if I place holds online and then go in to pick them up. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, talk to a librarian – sometimes they’ll even buy a book you ask for if it meets certain criteria and they don’t have it.

Seriously, use your library. It is an amazing community resource, and can greatly benefit you personally. They also often hold used book sales as fund raisers, and who doesn’t love a good used book sale?

Stay tuned later this week for a three part interview with a librarian!

Who out there is a fellow library lover?