Do you use your library?

[CuriousMama]

I use mine all the time and I've just finished reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and have now ordered (online from my library) The Passage, by Justin Cronin and Me before you by Jojo Moyes.

I'm always there but am amazed how underused they are? Ours is only small and I'll be gutted if it closes.

I despair of the condition some books get returned in TBH. We got a message from another library saying they'd had a book returned with a condom in it mostly it's just grubbiness/smudges/food.

After Xmas we had a massive clear out and got really strict with our stock, pulling anything grotty off and leaving more space on the shelves for easier browsing, we all really enjoyed it and got loads of great feedback from customers - both regular and new. :)

I have a kindle too BTW, I felt a bit weird as many of my colleagues don't like the idea, but I love it. I stock up on the deal of the day but had to stop as I was spending too much . I never thought I'd want one but I find it more convenient. I rarely buy anything more than a couple of quid though, as I don't tend to read things more than once.

My county doesn't offer ebook loans yet but is considering it for the future (we have a few free ones that you can read on the library website). I really hope we do one day as I think it could be popular but I really don't feel it would take away much trade from actual books. I don't want them to rush into it though as I've heard some places have had problems with hacking etc - if we do it, it needs to be done properly. As I mentioned in my interview (they asked about kindles, it was a bit awkward as I knew my boss wasn't that keen!) they really enhance the lives of some people who can't hold actual books (customers have mentioned as much) and I hope we can embrace the technology.

Has a vision of fuzzpig being ostracised because of the kindle. Whispering librarians who go quiet when she enters the room

Kindles are good for those who need large print books as you can change the font size. It means you get a lot more choice of books if your sight isn't good.

:o thankfully it's not that bad! I have convinced them of the benefits for commuting/holidays etc. One colleague has one too so we always ask each other "have you seen today's deal" :) we are very geeky about it!

I don't end up taking my kindle in that often - I tend to always have library books on the go too. That's the problem - I buy stuff on the kindle that looks good (some of which I may have seen at the library already), but then I see all the lovely shiny new books that come in at work and have to read them too...

I have 4 books on the go ATM - 2 library (invention of Hugo Cabret because the film Hugo was amazing, and the new mark haddon book 'red house'), one book on Aspergers which my boss lent me (her friend self published and I recently found out I'm an Aspie too) and I am almost too scared to read it in case I wreck it and one virtual - the second of 14 Oz books, actually an iBook rather than kindle because the formatting is better.

I am annoyed because this was my week off, I was supposed to finish all of them and maybe start my next library book (perfect people by Peter James - never read his before but this looks far better than regular crime which I don't like) but I am not up to reading, I am stuck in bed with pneumonia

Oh no fuzzpig I hope you get well soon

How did you find out you're an aspie? Did you go to the GP? DS2 is going through the process of diagnosis but he's 11. It's harder for adults isn't it?

I didn't know there are 14 oz books? Do you mean Wizard of oz? Or have I read that wrong?

There are an awful lot of sequels to the Wizard of Oz. I had a set of 8 when I was younger, and found out a few years ago that there were more that hadn't been published over here. Or not currently published when I was given my Oz books, at any rate.

I had no idea? I saw Wicked in London and thought that was the only other story?

Nope

Wicked is based on a story by a completely different author too.

L Frank Baum wrote all the originals, all childrens books. Gregory Maguire wrote Wicked (plus a few sequels) - this is an adult book, based on his imagining of the wicked witch of the west's back story.

Oh right Not my sort of story but I may have enjoyed it as a child? I liked the show Wicked though

Wizard of Oz - yep, 14 books in total by Baum. The Judy Garland film is based reasonably well on the first book. The Return to Oz film with Faruza Balk seems to be a mishmash of subsequent ones but I'm not sure yet as I've only read 2 books recently (finally finished book 2 earlier!). I decided to read them as I had one of the last books when I was a child (probably withdrawn from the library my mum worked in at the time!) and loved it, so I wanted to get the whole story straight in my head. What really surprised me is that in the books so far there has been NO reference at all to it being a dream, which is a very clear theme in both movies.

Sorry, geeked out a bit there didn't I

Anyway, the Aspergers thing - I posted on MN about my many many many issues because they were getting more obvious since starting work (public place, being with colleagues etc). Lots of people mentioned AS, which I'd heard of but not really looked into. As I looked more into it it all made total sense - I feel like an alien who has been wandering the universe and finally found the home planet. I was lucky enough to see a lovely doctor who referred me straight away. Just waiting for appointment now - should be soon as my regular doctor has bugged them about it due to me really struggling lately. I think I've been really lucky so far as lots of people have told me how hard it is as an adult (in fact my dad, who I am pretty sure has AS too, was basically told to sod off as he's too old to bother looking into it...). I hope your DS gets the help he needs ASAP, I'm sure it will make a difference in his teens and beyond

Had to respond to HerBigChance near beginning of thread, to say I'm so pleased to learn that someone else has cards for 3 different borough libraries too. I used to have 4 but when I had kids I didn't bother getting a replacement Westminster card - Marylebone library is a great branch library though. I manage to deal with 3 because one's my home borough, dp works in an office in a central library in borough 2, and I currently work in a building which has a library branch in it in borough 3, though I'm being made redundant soon (I will still use the library here (or another branch) but might cut back a bit (or if I end up working in another area, apply for another card!)

Thanks for the info fuzzpig. I really had no idea? And the fact the dream isn't in the books?

Great that you have an appointment as an adult. There are a few adults in my family who haven't been diagnosed. One is my poor nephew who just stays in his room drinking We have a lot of autism in my family. Ds2 doesn't know about his yet I'm dreading the day I have to tell him. His main problems are at night when he thinks snakes are in his room, on him. Also he takes things very literally. The other day family visited and my niece's youngest dd is so mega cute she's edible! I said to ds2 'I think we should steal her she's so cute' he went off it! Saying 'you can't do that'. I said no I was joking I just mean she's so cute I wish she was ours. He said yes but you can't take other people's children off them. Bless him He's fantastic with young dcs and also animals. Our dog is so spoilt by him.

He sounds like a sweetheart, CuriousMama!

elkie, I used to have three too - one for where I worked, one for where I lived, and the other, slightly different, a university library, which had an okay section of reading-for-fun books.

The first thing I do when I move to any new place is to join the library. I had the application forms for DD to join when she was still in utero, although couldn't fill them out due to her not having a name or date of birth yet.

Thanks he is We've been on a long walk today, dp, ds2 and I. It's through woodland and dp and I were trying to show him how to do the thing with a blade of grass that makes a loud noise. He was laughing so much at his -poor effort I thought he was going to faint We had a lovely day. DS1 is far too cool to come with us, he's almost 15. DS2 called him a miserable bugger but I did tell him not to use those words was funny though.

Love the image of him laughing to the point of nearly fainting!

i've recently started using the library again. As a kid ours was close enough for my mum to let me walk there on my own and most of my summer holidays were spent in our small rural library.
I Home Ed my son so this has prompted our recent increase in library use as we can use the books for projects and return them when we've finished and any that prove particularly useful for long term we then go and purchase to have a copy permanently.
I live in a tiny village with many elderly residents and we still have a monthly visit from the mobile library. If i'm at home when it comes I always go and borrow books, though I don't always read them, because I feel it demonstrates a need for this service which rural areas so desperately need.
I just need to persuade my Dh that he should start using the library as he is a voracious reader and we are running out of room to store books! I don't have a problem with buying a book if I'm going to read it again, but we have so much that he probably won't re-read but he has a real problem with the idea of letting a book go once he's bought it!

I just picked up a dvd from the town library and it's only 55p for a week. It's a movie dp and I fancied, I've seen it he hasn't. I do have netflix but it isn't on there.