Booking Through Thursday–Library Week

It has been a while since I’ve participated in Booking Through Thursday, and since this week’s question really appeals to the librarian in me, I thought I’d play along this week.  Here’s the question from the site:

Suggested by Barbara:

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

The little ladies and I make a trip to the library in a near by county every week for our book haul.  I usually aim at checking out between fifteen and twenty picture books a week, in addition to any books I might choose for myself, a chapter book to read aloud to them, and any videos or DVDs we might also borrow.

This library is new, large, and beautiful; it is a real treasure to have such a resource in our mid-sized town.  It has a beautiful children’s area, with book browsing boxes, animal-shaped lounging cushions for the children the relax on while reading (What are these things called?  I think we called them polliwogs when I was a child.), and gigantic trees for reading under.  The children’s area also has Clifford’s doghouse filled with stuffed animals to be played with and loved on.  (I try not to think about hygiene when Louise heads for the doghouse.)  It is open, light, and airy, with huge windows and window seats at one end to give plenty of natural sunlight.  It is a bright and cheerful place we love to visit!

Our library’s adult areas are just as beautiful, but we spend most of our time in the children’s area.  One thing I love about this library in particular is that it has a large and well-run used book store.  I have found quite a few treasures there, usually for $1 or less.  The book store is staffed completely by volunteers who are very knowledgeable and professional in their attention to their work.

Our library is very modern and new, with lots of technology, the latest library accoutrements, and even a coffee shop in its foyer, but it has a charming, historic atmosphere  with its white columns and marble staircase.  We love it!

Because we are avid library users, we do not frequently visit our local bookstore chain.  However, we do visit both the aforementioned library used book store at least once a month and another used book store (where I trade in used books for credit) every-so-often.  I would have to say, though, that the economy is not much stimulated by our bookstore purchases.  We have to either really love a book or not be able to find it anywhere else to purchase it, in general.  I even use interlibrary loan for the books that our library doesn’t have!

I provide Amazon links here at Hope Is the Word to have a visual of the books I review; I would encourage my readers to check out their local libraries for any titles they see here.  Then, should they decide they would like to purchase those (or any other, for that matter) books, by all means, access Amazon using a link here.  As an Amazon Associate, those purchases do add up to credit for Hope Is the Word!

How about you?  Do you use your library?  Click on over to Booking Through Thursday to read other bloggers’ thoughts on their libraries!  Happy (early) National Library Week!

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