Newsletter chitchat - April 16, 2024

[Cassel]

How are libraries in your area?

Do they have activities sections or are they still "books only" libraries?

What kinds of interesting areas do they have? What activities do they offer?

Let's chat.

Let's discover libraries around the world (almost).

[Doska St.]

Hi all,

we have a great regional library in our city (we are a university city) where I used to borrow tons of heavy illustrated books and books on art in general and archaeology, Egypt for example, before I went online. There are also smaller libraries in the districts where you can borrow books or even a book bus. There are only bookshops and archivists in the city center. Today I only buy a few e-books via Kindle. They don't need any physical space and don't gather dust. I usually find the topics I read today for free on the Internet as PDF files, which I can also add drawings, markings and notes to.

 

Edited April 17 by Doska St.

[Cassel]

23 minutes ago, Doska St. said:

I usually find the topics I read today for free on the Internet as PDF files, which I can also add drawings, markings and notes to.

Yeah, you would not dare do that on a physical book borrowed from the library!!!

[Rene Marker]

The county I live in has a public library. The main branch is in my town which is the county seat. The library is right across the street from the courthouse. There are 5 other branches in smaller towns in the county. The other town which is about the same size as mine (and wanted to be the county seat back in 1848 when the county was formed) has their own library not associated with the county library.

I had my own library card as a kid and would borrow books quite often as did Mom. She loved to read. I had to get an updated card 10 years ago when I got my first Kindle. I borrow books using it from a state wide ebook project. My library is a member of that project so I can borrow any ebooks, audiobooks, digital magazines and video that they have available. 

All of the branches have activities for young and old and everyone in between! Most activities have specific times they are available. Some of them are tech help, science club, book club, storytime, time to play euchre, various craft nights and even escape rooms!  They also have a group for knitters and crocheters! I participated in it for awhile... knitted a lot of scarves for me!

My favorite part of our library is the genealogy section. When I started researching 30 years ago, I would go there to look at all the microfilm of old newspapers and genealogical records since nothing was online at that time. They even have a lot of books and family histories that have been donated over the years. Even now with all the genealogical information available online, there is still information that cannot be found online. When the library did a remodel several years ago, they moved the genealogical section into a room that has a locked door and it has a camera that the workers can monitor it when someone is in there. Quite often materials would disappear when it was out in the open. The genealogy society got this area started and the library was kind enough to give them the room for the information back in the late 70's/early 80's. From a small corner to a room of its own, it has really grown. It does get a lot of visitors from out of town as well! 

[Ann Seeber]

When I was young, we lived in a commuter-friendly town in New Jersey since my Dad was chief night dispatcher on the Erie Railroad (now Amtrak) and had to be near the trains. We had a little library and once I got a bike I would ride there with books in my basket. I looked for photos of my old library but all I could find were vintage postcards! I guess I'm vintage, too! The town of Rutherford has since updated their library, so it doesn't look like this anymore.

Edited April 17 by Ann Seeber

[Ann Seeber]

When I moved to New York State, I worked in Middletown at the local newspaper and used the Thrall Library. I was thrilled to find it was a big, converted train station with impressive architecture. The library in my own town was rather small and in need of expansion, but I used it weekends to take my grandchildren out to borrow a book, visit the local petting zoo and treat them to a Burger King. Here are photos of each. The first one is Warwick and the second Thrall in Middletown, NY

Edited April 17 by Ann Seeber

[Ann Seeber]

Later in life, my library in Warwick was updated and even won an award for Best Small Library in America in 2016. It is beautiful but I'm back at Thrall since I've moved to Middletown in my retirement. Here's Albert Wisner Library in Warwick and its award along with another shot of Middletown's Thrall Library.

[Doska St.]

On 17.4.2024 at 12:49, Cassel said:

Yeah, you would not dare do that on a physical book borrowed from the library!!!

Yes, that's right Carole, I was careful with publicly borrowed books, but in my own books I have sometimes drawn or written down or underlined something in pencil. Soon I'll make a scrap of one of these book drawings from my youth. That's why I love coloring around in my e-books and PDFs today; you can correct or delete them again.🤩

Illuminations May 1969

 

Credits:

on scrap;

Font: Shopie

Edited April 18 by Doska St.

[Ann Seeber]

Just sharing a chuckle posted by my Warwick library on Facebook.