SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY CHALLENGE

THIS IS A RE-RUN of a post I did last year about libraries.  I'm reposting it for SUNDAY FAVORITES and because I have decided to join the SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY CHALLENGE.  The idea is to challenge yourself to read a certain number of books from your local library.   I learned about the challenge from these book blogs:   JOYFULLY RETIRED  and AT HOME WITH BOOKS.

We both love to read and I get good ideas for my reading list from these great book blogs and others. 

I'm sure I can read at least 25 Library Books this year. (Hopefully they will be from at least two different public libraries -- one on each Coast.)   There's a list on the sidebar.   I'm not sure how that will work (if it starts to be too bulky, I'll come back here and change this post).  But it seems like a good way to keep track of what I've read -- something I have always wanted to do.  Keeping up the list will be my personal challenge.  Of course, this list will only be those borrowed from Public Libraries, not ones I am given, already own, borrow, pick up from assorted RV Park bookshelves, or (rarely) buy. But it's a start.

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL POST from OCTOBER 2008:

 

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We’ve always loved using public libraries but thought we’d have to give them up when we sold our Springfield home to travel full time.   But we’ve been pleasantly surprised to get a visitors card in several of the places where we’ve stayed a few months.  You’d kind of think that people who could pull up their house and leave at any time would be poor risks for borrowing books, but instead we have found that Winter visitors are welcome to take out a card. There's a small fee ($8 to $10 so far) and all they ask is an RV Park address and our cell phone number.

It’s great to save money by not having to buy books for a few months.  But besides that, I like the ambience of a library.  I like to look at books and imagine having time to read them all.   

When we visited my sister and brother-in-law in Seattle recently, we toured  the amazing Seattle Central Library which opened in 2004.  The architect was Rem Koolhaas.  The print guide to the library is called "Cool House", so now we won't forget the name of that architect. 

I wondered if a building this massive and modern would even feel like a library.  It really does because there are lots of small and friendly spaces within the big one.    Although the map room alone (for example) is as big as some of the small libraries we’ve used, the whole building has been designed for readers.  There’s a café inside, a large but cozy reading area called the living room, and tables and chairs in every section. 

We learned that Koolhaus chose the art work and furniture as part of the design.  The different levels are built as ramps, similar to a parking garage, with the shelves arranged crosswise and leveled.  The Dewey Decimal System numbers are incorporated into large blocks on the floor, so it is easy to find the section you want.  My sister found a book of Kentucky history that mentioned one of our great-uncles.  (He fought a duel over politics – but apparently both parties were poor shots and nobody was hurt!)

The whole library is e-wired and there are tons of computers everywhere for public use. 

This is a view from a top floor window.  You can see the Amtrak Station Tower. 

The library was only a small part of our most excellent personally led tour of the wonders of downtown Seattle.  Our guides had to go back to work on Monday.  It was raining and we had some time before our train so we hung out there for a while reading magazines, drinking lattes and exploring the stacks.   If I lived in Seattle I’d be there a couple of times a week.  Maybe more often during the rainy season!

But while we’ve stayed on the lake this summer, Cyndi and Jeff have let us piggyback onto their family card at the Fern Ridge Library here in Veneta (pictured at left).    It’s considerably smaller, but there are, after all, considerably fewer people here than in Seattle.   We have borrowed great books and the staff is so friendly.  No lattes though!    

This library also gets a lot of use – when I stopped by one afternoon, the school bus let about ten high school kids out right in front of the building.  Before I left, they were on the computers doing their homework or quietly searching the stacks.  I love that libraries are a welcoming place for every age. 

No matter what size it is, a library is a great community resource and I am always happy when we get to use one again.

   

 

Comments

[Carletta]

Hi Sallie,
The library was always a favorite place for me - public, school, I just loved being among the books. One of my favorite teaching jobs was being the school librarian for nine weeks while the regular librarian was on maternity leave.
I used to read books fairly fast but I tend to fall asleep these days - LOL!
Good luck on the challenge. I'll be watching for some good reviews.
Happy New Year wishes to you and yours!

[Chatty Crone]

We use the library constantly. Also once a year our library has a sale to get rid of there old books. On Sunday of the sale it is $10 a box (any size)for all the books you can put in it. My box this year held 150 and I'm still reading!

Sandie

[Chari]

Hi Sallie...

So happy that you could join us for Sunday Favorites this week, my friend...this was a great post! I especially enjoyed seeing the new Cool House library in Seattle...it's very fancy! Hehe! It sounds like a great place that you could just go and get lost in...spend the entire day just browsing, reading, and drinking lattes! Hehe! I would love that!!! Since I live in a very small rural community, our library is fairly small but one of my best friends is the librarian so she can get me almost any book that I would like! That's great!!! I had never stopped to think about what those who travel...such as yourselves...do for library books! It's so nice that so many are willing to work with you! There's just nothing like a good book for a little R&R!!!

Thank you so much for sharing this great post with us today for Sunday Favorites! I loved seeing the new Seattle library!!! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas! Sending you my warmest wishes and blessings for a fabulous new year! I'm really looking forward to 2010 and all that it holds for us here in Blogland!!!

Chari @Happy To Design

[BOSSY]

Libraries rock!

[Alyce]

That library is so unusual looking. I haven't seen it, but my husband has been there. Good luck with the challenge (and thanks for linking to my blog)!

[dotsie]

Thanks for visiting my blog! This is a fun post. We love libraries, even if I don't need a book to read at the moment (plenty to get through on our own shelves at home.) But that's one thing about traveling, it's always nice to know there are libraries to visit, which we enjoy doing.

[Margot at Joyfully Retired]

I'm so glad you joined this challenge. I'm also glad you ran this library post again as I missed it the first time around. That Seattle library is amazing. I'd like to make a trip there just to see the library. I'm in agreement with you on the ambiance of libraries. We've also been pleased at our ability to use local libraries while on the road. Otherwise it's too expensive for one thing and books take up a lot of valuable space in an RV.

[Lori E]

Too funny, your comment came in right when I was posting mine on your site.

[Lori E]

I too love being in a library. I go to our nearest archives to do genealogy research. I bought my laptop specifically to do research there and can you believe they don't have wireless internet? I know! I was stunned.
Where could you use it more than in a research library where you have to update your work constantly and every discovery sends you down a new research path.
I didn't know you could get a visitors card. I would just travel with a huge stack from my own library.

[Quasi Serendipita]

That library looks amazing! I love libraries and could happily let time roll on by whilst curled up in a library chair with a book!

[Lady Fi]

That is an amazing looking library! Enjoy your reading.

[J. Kaye]

Welcome to the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge. This is going to be a fun reading year. Happy New Year!!