Public Librairies

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You know how much I love libraries. I ran across this in my book du jour: "But I hate libraries like I hate zoos. Books are defaced, marked, sorted, and trapped on their shelves, prisoners forever. Books need to owned, cherished, and then given away as gifts. Not ensnared in indentured servitude until they fall apart." Eight of Swords by David Skibbins

I suppose. However I look upon books in the library as well loved, used, awaiting their time in a patron's hands like a child's toy waits on the shelf for it's turned to be loved into nothingness, much like the Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Ahead by a thumb....

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Three more pair done yesterday. And, my day was removed from my control again... Youngest Daughter threw her back out, was in serious pain and spent the day on the couch. Transporting Eldest Granddaughter to and from school, keeping up with Youngest Granddaughter and all the rest of the daily stuff fell back to me again. I'm not complaining and I wish I could do something for Youngest Daughter, but it did cut into my plans for the day.

Today will be much of the same. Youngest Daughter called out at work. She can barely walk to the bathroom so she's not much use to the fiesty old lady she works with.

It was a nice cool day again, yesterday. No cooler, no fans. High winds. Today is supposed to be hot, though. Up in the 80s (which really isn't hot for us). If it stayed in the 80s all summer we'd have a wonderful season!

Okay, I love my Netflix. It allows me to see the movies I want. Although it takes a day or so longer than going to the local rental place, 99.9% of the time they have the movie "on the shelf." I never have to check back to see if it's been returned. I can watch a lot more movies for the same amount of money I'd spend on less than half a dozen rentals. It's good for me!

I just found this, BookSwim, which is basically the same thing with books. I think this is a great service for someone, like my DIL, who is not near a good library. As she pointed out the other day, with the cost of gas as high as it is, the 45 minute drive to the nearest large library is just not cost effective. But I suspect the greatest users of BookSwim are people that just don't take advantage of their public library system.

I don't know if I have a really good library system at my disposal, but it sure does everything I want it to. I can download books to read or listen to as well as download a small collection of DVDs. I can reserve books, DVDs, magazines and more to pick up at any branch of the library in town. All for the monumental cost of $0.00. It amazes me how many people don't bother to take advantage of their local library systems and choose to spend their money on books that they plan to read only once and then discard. Granted, many choose to recycle their books through used book stores, or donate to charitable organizations.

I guess because I've always had limited funds, always have had to choose between this or that when contemplating spending, it just made more sense to me to use the library rather than spend money on books.

Now some can't be found at the library (like lots of the good knitting books) and some I do want to own (Diana Gabaldon's books or the Harry Potter books for instance), but the majority, well, I just can't justify spending my money when I don't have to on books that may or may not be good and most likely I'll never read again. Maybe it's just me....