Rediscovering the Library
By theprofessionalhobo ~ January 7th, 2008. Filed under: Hawaii.
I remember as a child going to the library and happily walking out laden with books. I enjoyed perusing the narrow aisles and arbitrarily picking a book up that looked interesting. Best case scenario: I had a new favourite author and genre. Worst case: I didn’t like it so much and returned it before finishing it.
I don’t know how or why the library ever fell off my radar, but it is a valuable tool worth exploring, for travelers and non-travelers alike. And they don’t just have books any more…
Here in
I have discovered new authors and amazing inspirational books. I have rekindled my love for Michael Palin’s books and documentaries. I have found and read some of those “books I always wanted to read but…” for whatever reason never ended up reading. I have taken out books on other worldly destinations we plan to travel to, and I have even borrowed volumes for research in putting together some of my financial articles for Wise Bread.
And if books weren’t enough, there is a collection of music CDs (a paltry one at that, but CDs nonetheless), as well as DVD movies for the taking. The DVDs carry an additional charge of $1 per week: sure beats the heck out of the local rental store any day. And although the selection leaves a little to be desired, we can order any movie that is in the Hawaii State Public Library system and they will send it to Pahoa for pick-up. Television series collections, often multiple DVDs and many hours of viewing, are also $1 and we’ve enjoyed catching up on shows, new and old.
Not all travelers can enjoy the library at their destination of choice, depending on the length of the trip. But once home, the little bit of effort required to trek to the library can produce amazing rewards in the form of new discoveries, constant learning, and frugal living.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Woah, I had that SAME Library Revelation just this past weekend!!
I drove past one and smiled immediately as I thought about the weekly trips we used to take and all the new “worlds” I got to bring home with me each week. I remembered being bummed out because I was eventually limited to ONLY 10 books each trip I couldn’t carry much more that that by myself!
At some point, I “grew up” and Chapters became my new “library”! It can be an expensive habit and counter-productive when you are in de-clutter mode. At least half the books I pick up are “one-timers” (only need them or reviewed them ‘one time’).
That said, my big plans this weekend are to go get myself a brand spankin’ new Library Card! I must say, I’m quite excited about that! Hahaha!
They should have sent me one of those notes that retailers like to send that say “we’ve missed you!” and they give you some coupons to “come back”.
If the Library had hooked up with Tim Horton’s like Chapters did with Starbucks, I may have never left!
January 8th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Even if they won’t let you borrow, almost all libraries will let you in–and once you’re in, you can just go ahead an read the books.
I took a week-long intensive tennis clinic at Kalamazoo College one summer when I was a kid. The sessions wrapped up in mid-afternoon, but it was a couple of hours before my dad picked me up to go home (after he got off work). Happily, the library was just a five-minute walk from the courts.
I didn’t have a card for the college library, but I didn’t need one. I found a book I wanted to read and then read it. If I didn’t finish it before my dad came to pick me up, I put it back on the shelf and came back to it the next day.
I read Stranger in a Strange Land that week. I also read a kind of trashy novel about experimenting with extremely liberal social norms. I thought the title was something like The Harrod Project, but I can’t find it, so that may not be right. I also read SIMSOC: Simulated Society, Participant’s Manual: Fifth Edition (Participant’s Manual), a classroom book that is kind of an ancestor to modern fantasy role-playing games.
That was probably 30 years ago, but I remember those books pretty vividly. I enjoyed them just as much reading them at the library as I would have if I’d been able to bring them home.
Even if you lack borrowing privileges, you can still use a library.
–
Philip Brewer
January 8th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hey Philip – Thanks for the suggestions. And that’s so true: once I’m in, I can read to my heart’s desire!
And Dawna – I too fell into the “bookstores are better than libraries” club for a while…until I had to sell all my books and wondered why I ever spent so much dough on so many books I only read once! You’ll love all the possibilities of the library once you get there….