[mhammer]

Sitting in the Research Library at the National Museum of Scotland at the moment, and I have to confess to being a little weepy. I hadn't realized how much I missed librairies. It was like being reunited after 40 years with a twin who had been adopted on the other side of the country.

I was a prolific library user at school, but it's been a while since school. We used to have a library at work. And while its scope was limited, it was a real library, with books and journals and monographs and librairians, whose message was "What came before you is important". It was closed as a cost-saving measure, and the collection cast to the four winds, never to be reconstituted again, under the foolish presumption that "You can just find it on the net".

But you can't. You can never duplicate the experience of tilting your head and scanning the spines of all those books, and coming across something you never expected or even knew existed. I feel like I've come home.

 

[Mooh]

Our local library is very good, though I don't use it like I once did. I suspect that upon retirement I'll be using libraries much more often.

Over the last 15 years or so, both my kids and my wife have attended universities and community colleges. Besides basking in the reflected glory of well educated family members, I got to haunt university libraries and book stores. Awesome places.

 

[High/Deaf]

I go to the library at least once a week or so, My local library is The Terry Fox Library. As you walk into it, you would think he was about as impactful to Canadiana as Don Messer and not the huge public hero he actually is. But fear not, they are rebuilding it this year, not so much to be larger but to modernize it and make it more usable by today's standards.

At least I still have a library. With federal deficits running at new record highs. perhaps they are something we will all fondly look back on as 'the good old days' in a decade or so.

 

[bolero]

yeah libraries are inspiring places, I hope they don't disappear

 

[colchar]

yeah libraries are inspiring places, I hope they don't disappear

While driving home from shopping yesterday evening I noticed a big new building being built a few blocks north of my place. When I read the sign to see what it was, it turned out to be a new library branch.

 

[johnnyshaka]

My office is right across from our county library and I enjoy popping in there for half an hour after finishing my lunch just to browse around. My girls like to go as well so I gladly take them whenever they want to go.

 

[mhammer]

While driving home from shopping yesterday evening I noticed a big new building being built a few blocks north of my place. When I read the sign to see what it was, it turned out to be a new library branch.

Rejoice in your good fortune, my friend. Such signs and initiatives are becoming rarer.

 

[colchar]

Rejoice in your good fortune, my friend. Such signs and initiatives are becoming rarer.

It is good for everyone else, not for me. Being an academic I don't use my local public library as I have access to academic libraries and a local public library usually won't have holdings that are of use to me. The college I teach at is affiliated with a university whose library system is run jointly with the universities at which I did my B.A. and M.A. so I can access all three of those libraries not only as a faculty member at the college, but also as an alumnus of two of the schools who run that library system. Hell, I don't even need to use the electronic system that the college uses, I can use the same online catalogue that I used throughout university.

But yeah, for the average person it is a good thing that the new library branch is being built.

 

[Diablo]

Since having a kid, ive rediscovered libraries. admittedly, after university I had little use for them. I no longer have the discipline to commit to reading a full book. Ill get through 20 pages or so, then something comes up, and next thing you know a year has passed by lol. magazines and internet is best for me.
But she likes books and at her age, theyre quite a quick read, that a library is a fun place for her.

 

[Robert1950]

When I moved to Edmonton, the first thing I got was a library card. Local branch is only a three block walk away.

 

[Budda]

If you travel, a library is free to enter, has AC, bathroom and usually wifi as well. Our stop at one in Fargo was a great few hours.

 

[Sneaky]

Sitting in the Research Library at the National Museum of Scotland at the moment, and I have to confess to being a little weepy. I hadn't realized how much I missed librairies. It was like being reunited after 40 years with a twin who had been adopted on the other side of the country.

I was a prolific library user at school, but it's been a while since school. We used to have a library at work. And while its scope was limited, it was a real library, with books and journals and monographs and librairians, whose message was "What came before you is important". It was closed as a cost-saving measure, and the collection cast to the four winds, never to be reconstituted again, under the foolish presumption that "You can just find it on the net".

But you can't. You can never duplicate the experience of tilting your head and scanning the spines of all those books, and coming across something you never expected or even knew existed. I feel like I've come home.

Do they have a DVD section? PS2 games?

 

[mhammer]

It is good for everyone else, not for me. Being an academic I don't use my local public library as I have access to academic libraries and a local public library usually won't have holdings that are of use to me. The college I teach at is affiliated with a university whose library system is run jointly with the universities at which I did my B.A. and M.A. so I can access all three of those libraries not only as a faculty member at the college, but also as an alumnus of two of the schools who run that library system. Hell, I don't even need to use the electronic system that the college uses, I can use the same online catalogue that I used throughout university.

But yeah, for the average person it is a good thing that the new library branch is being built.

I'm attempting to get sessional work for the 2017-2018 academic year, and thereafter, as a post-retirement activity - more a hobby for enjoyment/fulfillment than a revenue stream - so with library access and no time limits I'm looking forward to many great hours in the library.

 

[cboutilier]

If you travel, a library is free to enter, has AC, bathroom and usually wifi as well. Our stop at one in Fargo was a great few hours.

Come to Halifax. Ours has a studio

 

[Guest]

Libraries are like a manual Google. I wonder if the youth of today in 40 years will get all teary-eyed when they see an ancient Google page?

 

[Guest]

Do they have a DVD section?

There were a couple of times that I went with my wife and I would go into this section.
They sometimes have a cool selection of concerts.

 

[bolero]

hopefully they do not become

Lib-RARE-ee's

 

[dcole]

I take my kids to the library every now and again. Most of the books I read come from the library as I can't justify the price of a book. Since I tend to read a book only once, having a copy of it sitting around ways on my mind in regards to the waste of paper as well. At a library, I can share books with everyone else!

When I was a child, my mother would take me to town once a week to the library. I loved seeing all the books and the old method of cataloging and checking out books. The kids area was nice to play in and I read a lot of books back then. High school scared me off books with the various lame novels I had to read. The only book I did read completely was Lord of the Flies. Around the time the Lord of the Rings movies came out, I bought the first novel and tried to read it but failed. After the first movie came out, I attempted the book again and succeeded. I read the other two before the second movie came out and have been reading ever since as well as visiting libraries.

Last time I was down at our Central library, bums were asking for spare change right in the library. That was terrible to me.

 

[Lola]

I have used our local library to unearth the rich history that abounds in the city of Pickering! I am a lover of pioneer cemeteries! A taphophile to those in the know! It's an amazing resource to have at my fingertips! The staff is amazing and always so willing to lend a hand!

Sure, I could look up some of this stuff up on the internet but it's much more interesting to do some research at the library!

 

[zontar]

I don't spend as much time in libraries as I used to--but I do like them--good place to check stuff out (In more ways than one--read it there or take it home)
Plus music & videos--and more libraries are adding online resources--mine has some streaming services you can use for free--which is a cool way to listen to new music--or to play favorites or mix it up.