Have you visited your local Library lately?

[SwordGuy]

American Libraries (maybe others) have an inter-library loan (ILL) capability.  If you know a book/magazine/film you want to see and the library doesn't  have it, ask to fill out an ILL form and ask for it.   It may take months to show up, but eventually it will.  If you aren't in a hurry for the item, it's the cheapest way to go.  It's often free.

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

I hadn't used a library since I was in college...in the 90's.

I recently decided I needed to start planning my finances.  I bought YNAB when I bought a new laptop in November.  I had read their forums, listened to their podcasts, etc.  Eventually I found MMM last week and have been reading his posts.

Anyway, when I did my first budget, I realized to meet my investing goals (I'm 40 and behind) I would have to spend a lot less.  A few weeks ago I joined a few library systems (St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County).  They have reciprocal agreements where residents of one district can belong to the libraries of the other districts. 

I am amazed at the state of libraries now.  I used to just buy my books.  But now, I can browse the websites of all three library systems.  Any book, ebook, CD, DVD, etc that I want, I just reserve online and tell them which branch to hold it at.  Once they deliver said material to that branch (free of charge), they will send me an email telling me the material is ready to be picked up.  So I  can plan my trip to the library around when I am near that branch for other business.  Total time in the actual library is about 2-3 minutes.

I just wished they would hurry up and add more eBooks to their collection so I don't even have to leave the house.  But, I realize the publishers charge the libraries $100 or so for each copy of an eBook.

[frugalcoconut]

I'm primarily a non-fiction reader ... and after (unfortunately not before) my huge-mistake-of-a-home-purchase in 2007 and subsequent decision to rent it out and move elsewhere, I dived into my local library's finance and real estate section.  Probably from 2008-2010 I was going there pretty consistently until it got to the point where I had read just about every available book of interest on the subjects of landlording, investing, retirement, etc.  At some point I'll go back and see what new material they've gotten in since then.  ;)

[davisgang90]

I signed up for daily emails from lendle.com and bookgorilla.com.  Both offer free Kindle titles daily.  I will never get all the ones I've gotten for free or .99 read!

[chatsc]

Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.

I dont agree with this sentiment at all.  my local library has tons of kids programming (lego clubs, babytime, etc).  They have free passes to all the local museums, all the new books are in the express collection.  Our online catalogue is wonderful and very responsive to searches.  I  think you need to give your local library another chance, with an open mind.

[ace1224]

i love our library its less than a mile from me so i walk there a lot with my son.  i have a kindle fire and an ipad with the kindle app, and since i discovered amazon's free books i haven't actually bought a book in a while.

that being said nothing beats a hard copy.  i reread all of my books constantly so i actually buy the hard copy of them often.

[MorningCoffee]

We use our library all the time! We live right near our branch and often have 30+ items out at a time. DH and I have been working our way through TV series, we borrow DVDs and books for the kids, hubby does audio books and I always have way too many books out. I can't remember last time I had to buy a book.

The best part in the inter-library loan system here. When I hear about a book I want to read, I just go online to their database and order it in to my branch if they don't have a copy available. The system emails me when it's ready for me to pick up. Just fabulous!

[Villanelle]

I tend to read more unusual literary fiction type stuff and sadly, my wish list is rarely available for Kindle from either of the 2 library systems I have access to (my county of residence in the State and the overseas military library system).  However, Kindle lendability is still very new, so I believe that will continue to improve at least somewhat.  I do allow myself some spending money for Kindle books.  It may not be mustachian, but I look at this a lot like MMM seems to view organic and other special foods.  I can afford to do it and I believe that reading makes me better, so it is worth it to me, but I recognize it is a luxury and would be one of the first things to go if we suddenly had debt (how does one suddenly have debt?) or job loss.

I would recommend, if at all possible, joining as many library systems as possible.  Different areas have different eligibility requirements so you may well be able to get a card from more than one system.  Since you'll be checking out online, location doesn't matter. 

I have a Gen 2 Kindle for several years and loved it.  I'd read literally hundreds of books on it with no issues.  Sadly, it was stepped on during a move and the screen broke.  I now have a Paperwhite, which I got as a gift when I needed a replacement.  If I were buying on my own, I'd probably go with another Gen 2, used.  The light in the Paperwhite is nice, but not really worth paying extra for when you can buy a clip on book light for about $10.

If you already have an iSomething, there is a Kindle app, which would have you a ton of money.  But then you are reading on a backlit screen so you have to decide how much you read and whether your eyes will object to that.

[Bigote]

We go once every week or two.  We get physical books for the boy.  My wife checks out ebooks from them online.  I've not yet done so, but I just signed up so I can.

[einzweidrei]

Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.

I just want to comment on how wonderful my public library system is. I live in a major city and we constantly get new books. Not only can you put holds on books via the web but they will transport books for you to your local library (within walking distance) from any library within the system. Yes, sometimes there is a wait anyway with a brand new book, but if you're not in a rush the wait isn't always that bad. Recently, they updated their website so that you can find book recommendations based on national lists or even someone who makes a list via their user account. You can keep track of what you read and rate the books as well. And now they even have an app on my phone with allows me to do the same things that I could via my home computer, including whatever free downloadable books they have.

So if you live in a major city, definitely check out your library to see how much it's changed. It has changed a lot in the last five years.

[chatsc]

Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.

I dont agree with this sentiment at all.  my local library has tons of kids programming (lego clubs, babytime, etc).  They have free passes to all the local museums, all the new books are in the express collection.  Our online catalogue is wonderful and very responsive to searches.  I  think you need to give your local library another chance, with an open mind.

I actually do agree with the first statement, quoted above, but I understand it's not universal.

I live in a city with a population of about 1-million. Our public library sucks. Hard. It's a quiet place to go read or get some work done but their selection is awful, especially e-books.

I've searched online catalogs of other city libraries (Chicago, Boston etc) and they have an amazing selection.

that is hilarious.  i am talking about the OPL and I think that they are doing very well for themselves, given their limited budget.  Now that I have a litter of kids, I use it way more than I did before I had kids, at least 2x a week.

I have never any issues with the cataloging terms used in their online search functions.  I usually use name or title search, which is pretty basic, but their LOC terminalogy has never been wrong, in my eyes.  (I have thought I have found mistakes, but after talking to the cataloging staff, turns out I was wrong...)

Their express reads are current and plentiful.  Most of the westend branches are very well situated.  Staff is friendly and well trained.  I cant complain about much.   

I would be curious to see how the budgets for the Boston public library or the CHicago PL compare with the Ottawa public library. 

Potato-Pot-ah-to, I guess...

[icefr]

I used to complain that the downtown public library branch was super far away, but I stopped at the one in my neighbourhood on the way home from work today. There were four buses I could take to get there from work and then it was a lovely 15 minute / 1 mile walk with a gorgeous view home. Google Maps says that walking there takes about 5 minutes longer (since you have to go up the hill vs down it), but I will definitely be heading up there more often instead of griping about how far it is to the downtown branch! It's even open on weekends and until 8 pm some weekdays. Woo!

I always loved requesting books online and having them come to my local branch as a kid - looks like I'll be doing that again! My library does also do e-books, which are nice for reading on my Kindle too :)

[Paul der Krake]

My local library finally reopened at a new, bigger location. It's awesome especially considering the size of the town, hell yeah high property taxes! Unfortunately the wifi hasn't been installed yet. Currently considering relocating to a tent in the nearby woods once they have it up and running. :)

[ScienceRules]

Growing in the Seattle area, I have to say I love the public library system. They’ve never not had a book I wanted and convincing my dad to stop at the library on the way to Lowe’s was the only way I stayed sane on the Saturdays throughout high school. Now that I’m older I don’t go to the library as much, but I check out eBooks all the time on my iPhone. That’s really helped with being out of the country for 9 months since I, obviously, can’t bring a giant stack of books with me.

[1e7ksi]

I am currently in college, and I often enough have the mindset that time I spend reading a book is time I could spend reading a textbook.  That being said, I visit the libraries on campus every so often because they can be a very good place to study and meet. The main Library on campus is a gigantic building and is actually a backup of the Library of Congress. I have spent a good chunk of time simply wandering about and exploring the building because there is just so much to see.  As well, the University System of my state has an inter-library loan agreement, and seems pretty reasonable about times.

I briefly looked in to it at my University, and it appears unaffiliated community members can get a 'community borrowers' card for $50 and get pretty good access to the collection. 

Those who have said your local public library stinks, have you tried looking into this? It occurs to me that this is another option, especially in an urban area.

[BlueMR2]

I don't visit ours much anymore.  It's about 3 miles away, and those are some rough 3 miles (real heavy traffic, etc).  Not very cycling friendly.

My wife found probably the most anti-mustachian way ever to visit the library though.  She doesn't like this one that's only 3 miles away.  So, she drives to another town (about 15 miles away) to borrow DVDs there.  It'd be cheaper to drive down the street the 1 mile to our local Family Video and rent them...  Oh well...

[GoStumpy]

I've just recently started visiting the library... after realizing the two books I bought could have been free!

I just started reading The Millionaire Next Door, I've got a lot of reading to do :)

[Use it up, wear it out...]

Our library experience has really improved since our city library system has gone on the internet.

Nowadays, I look at the catalog online, request the book I want, and have it sent to my local branch. When it arrives, the library emails me. I go in, pick the book off the shelf (it's labelled with my name) and use the self-checkout kiosk. Maybe 3 minutes total?

I can even request Interlibrary Loan books this way if my library doesn't have something I'm looking to read.

The only downside to this system is that, depending on how popular a given book is, it is hard to predict when it will be available at my local branch, so I sometimes go through periods without enough to read, and then might get 2 books at once.

[lifejoy]

I love this thread! I'm a librarian so please PM me if you need loads of book recommendations!

Or try the free site called Goodreads - great for book ideas!! And for keeping track of what you've read and what you'd like to read.

I suggest The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green as great "for-anyone" reads. So so good.

Tip: most libraries are responsive to book requests, so if they don't have it, suggest it for purchase!

Good luck on your library hunts :) The person who wants new fantasy reads might enjoy Laurel K. Hamilton's book series, and murder mystery lovers need to check out Tess Gerritsen.

[Rural]

I'm a total library junkie, and an officer in the local Friends of the Library. I jut stopped on the way home from work today and picked up an interlibrary loan copy of Building Wealth One House at a Time.

[stinkindog]

I am a Bookmobile Librarian so I am happy to see this thread.
My recent reads have been anything-actually everything-by Craig Johnson. Smart and intense with excellent dialogue.
Rick Riordin, Joseph Delaney,Chris Offutt and Louise Erdrich too. Lots of non fiction how tos and the like.
I would suggest novelist as a way to find new authors. Know you like someone? Look for them in read alikes.
Fantastic fiction is a good site as well. If you are a "series" reader you can find the order in which a series was written.

I must say that Libraries are not a thing of the past. They are alive and mostly well. Especially needed in rural areas where lots of folks have never used a computer. We keep moving forward and trying to stay on top of all the tech advances we encounter.

[msmo]

Another librarian here. ::hugs:: to all the mustached library lovers here.

Kindle formats tend to be the least frequent when it comes to ebook loans (via OverDrive). But I think if we're patient this will improve. The other formats have increased in selection tremendously the past few years.

Looking for new reads?
http://www.literature-map.com/
This site is a great way to explore authors that are similar to your current favorites.

[Rural]

Well, I'm certainly doing my part to increase the Kindle checkouts through Overdrive!

[Dynasty]

Lol, everything you said is the complete opposite with the Seattle library system.  It is great, and I visit regularly.

The City of Seattle library is great. Having used it many times when I lived there I can vouch for that statement.

However, NO other library system I have ever used is even remotely comparable to Seattle's.  There are a lot of benefits to living in a city with a good tax base that can fund these social benefits.  But that comes at a cost too.

[adesertsky]

I just found out that my local library screens recent-ish movies for free on the first Sunday of each month.  This Sunday they are showing Lincoln and next month is Les Miserables (if you're into that sort of thing).  Pretty cool deal for free weekend entertainment! 

[N]

just stopped by the library today and picked up 2 books I had requested.
I just finished reading "Defending Jacob", which I enjoyed, but I felt the ending was a bit abrupt.
Im starting another mystery tonight, by Karin Fossum. I read a lot, and like many genres, but mysteries are probably my fave.
I probably go once a week. I also get online books from the library too.

[totoro]

Also a library lover - we live a couple blocks from one and use it every week.  Sometimes I do my work there for a change from the couch.

[cats]

I get off work early on Fridays and the library is near the train station, so most Fridays my after work "treat" is to walk home via the library and pick up new books for the next week.  They also have a pretty huge DVD selection.  Also they are often putting on interesting evening programming (last week there was a workshop on preserving seeds), and lots of kids activities, which I'm sure I would be using like crazy if I had kids!

As for the library being "outdated" or not worth the hassle, I guess it depends very much on what you are hoping to get from it and where you are located.  But I've lived in some rural areas with some pretty tiny libraries and I've still found that they have fairly good (if basic) offerings.  I also can't say that I've ever had a huge problem with late fees, maybe a couple of bucks a year.  But I will often just wander around and pull books that "look" interesting at random from the shelves, so even a modest library can keep me entertained for a verrrrry long time!


I <3 the library, big time. 

[RetiredAt63]

My commute to Ottawa was/is hell (I bought this house when I worked in Montreal, so I am not exactly close to Ottawa), so this past year I rented a tiny apartment there for the week, went home on weekends.  Not as expensive as it sounds, my home costs dropped so much that my total net increase in expenses was only about $200/month, and so much less wear-and-tear on me!

Anyway, the Ottawa library!  Love love love.  I went online, reserved books, had a wonderful read.  My local library (tiny rural town) does ILLs, but I am not sure they will appreciate me, I can easily take out 8 books at a time  ;-)  To me that is the only drawback to rural living, otherwise I love it out here, where my slow traffic is tractors.

Actually, if I had bought (second-hand) all the books I took out of the library, I would have spent more than $200/month.  Not that I would have, so I am certainly ahead of the game.

[Honest Abe]

Love my library... almost caught up on Big Bang Theory, watched all of Boardwalk Empire... reading a great book... all for free! (I do pay taxes, but hey, I'm using it!!)

[MissMimi]

Over the last few months I've become very...promiscuous with my library usage.  I already had a membership with the Salem public library (only three blocks away from home!) and once I learned that MA residents can join any public library system in the state, I've been having a blast.  I've signed up with the Boston Public Library (I don't get into the city too frequently these days but I use it to check out Kindle books).  Next I joined the Lexington library which is close to where I work.  Between these three networks I have ILL access to most of eastern MA!  From the Lexington network I've been checking out CDs from the Great Courses series to listen to on my commute.  I just finished an awesome series on the symphonies of Beethoven (all nine of 'em) and have checked out another course by the same instructor that I'm really enjoying.

Public libraries are such a great resource and I should have been taking advantage of them years ago instead of buying books that I end up donating a year later.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the free access to the online Mango Languages courses.  I just started a few days ago to try to learn  a little Deutsch. ;-)

[rubybeth]

I work for a public library system, and you all have no idea how happy it makes me to see so many people who disagree with chucklesmcgee. I don't know what library he's using, but yeah, my experience has been that most US libraries are awesome.

However, NO other library system I have ever used is even remotely comparable to Seattle's.  There are a lot of benefits to living in a city with a good tax base that can fund these social benefits.  But that comes at a cost too.

I would argue you haven't used enough library systems. :) I think my regional library system likely has a tiny fraction of the budget that Seattle does, but my state has an incredibly cooperative system with easy inter-library loaning, shared resources for the whole state, etc. I am also guessing I get my requests on popular titles a lot faster than folks in Seattle do.

With eReaders, I would caution that not all digital downloads are going to work on every device. The best device I've found for using library digital content is an iPad or other tablet computer.

For anyone who hasn't used a library in a while, I dare you to call up your local library and ask what free services they offer. We almost never rent DVDs, buy CDs, books, or other media. Even a $.25/day late fee is a fraction of the cost of owning an item, let alone the opportunity cost of having your money locked up in a book you may only read once. I treat the whole public library with its million+ items as my personal library.

[pachnik]

Yes, I have always used the library. 
- free internet, you can rent dvds, read magazines and request books through inter-library loans -

Plus my local branch that I can walk to is named after the man ("Tommy Douglas") who gave Canadians public health care!  :)

[Paul der Krake]

EDIT: Forgot to mention the free access to the online Mango Languages courses.  I just started a few days ago to try to learn  a little Deutsch. ;-)

OMG, this just made my day. I had no idea my local library carried this.

[Michelle119]

Over the last few months I've become very...promiscuous with my library usage.  I already had a membership with the Salem public library (only three blocks away from home!) and once I learned that MA residents can join any public library system in the state, I've been having a blast.  I've signed up with the Boston Public Library (I don't get into the city too frequently these days but I use it to check out Kindle books).  Next I joined the Lexington library which is close to where I work.  Between these three networks I have ILL access to most of eastern MA!  From the Lexington network I've been checking out CDs from the Great Courses series to listen to on my commute.  I just finished an awesome series on the symphonies of Beethoven (all nine of 'em) and have checked out another course by the same instructor that I'm really enjoying.

Public libraries are such a great resource and I should have been taking advantage of them years ago instead of buying books that I end up donating a year later.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the free access to the online Mango Languages courses.  I just started a few days ago to try to learn  a little Deutsch. ;-)

Wow I didn't realize I could join any system within the state. I know that many of them are connected though. I grew up in Peabody and that network included many libraries on the NS, now I'm up in the Merrimack Valley and have access to a lot of libraries resources and books. If I had to depend on just my local library it would be not a great experience since its so small.  I never have any issues getting books within a reasonable time.

[MissMimi]

Paul and Michelle, glad I could help spread the word!

[The knitter]

Just want to echo my love of my library. Its around the corner from my house, so I'm there several times a week.

It is on the smaller side, but still has great selection, comfy couches for reading, and a big open "historical room" with long empty tables for getting work done.

I love seeing the teen section filled with young adults. I haven't seen that in many towns before. They have leather couches for the teens, put of some fun programs, and allow them to have their own space where they can get a little loud talking if they need to. Its great to see teens reading and enjoying the community space.

[MelodysMustache]

I am in the Seattle suburbs and I will echo what others are saying - the library system here is great!  I just got back from walking to the library and I picked up a free Sunday newspaper and enough books to keep me busy for a couple of weeks.  I like that I can reserve books online from anywhere in the system and they will have them waiting for me and they have a pretty good selection of eBooks.

[Will]

Looking for new reads?
http://www.literature-map.com/
This site is a great way to explore authors that are similar to your current favorites.

That is pretty awesome!  I have a few favorites where I have read everything of theirs that I can get my hands on.  It is so nice to see something that will show similar authors.

[FiveSigmas]

I am in the Seattle suburbs and I will echo what others are saying - the library system here is great!  I just got back from walking to the library and I picked up a free Sunday newspaper and enough books to keep me busy for a couple of weeks.  I like that I can reserve books online from anywhere in the system and they will have them waiting for me and they have a pretty good selection of eBooks.

Wow, there are a lot of Seattlites on this thread! Anyway, +1 on the SPL. I've started using the library a lot more often in the past half year or so (thanks, fellow MMM'ers, for the face-punch). There tends to be a queue for most of the books I'm interested in, but that really isn't a big deal for me.

[teen persuasion]

Another librarian here, and my bookjunkies (AKA the kids) are always coming to work w/ me. 

My Summer Reading Program is in full swing and we've got weekly programs for elementary school age children and their families: last week the city science museum visited and brought dinosaur fossils for the kids examine firsthand.  Next week the Zoomobile is bringing animals to see and touch.  A local science teacher is doing a program on the science of bubblegum & ice cream.  A theater group will get the kids involved in impromptu storytelling and acting.  All sorts of fun & free things going on in our little rural library.

Our patrons love the ILL, since it expands our relatively small collection to the entire collection of our 3 county system.  If you have a computer and internet connection, you can request books and renew directly online.  If you don't we will gladly place the holds and renew for you, even by phone.

I've got a kindle keyboard, and I was thrilled when Overdrive added Kindle ebooks (probably was the other way 'round).  Part of the limited selection of ebook titles is because some publishers refuse to publish ebooks, or refuse to sell ebooks to libraries.  I agree w/ another poster about the archaic treatment of ebook lending as if it were a physical book (one copy out at a time); it is ironic that libraries get a publisher discount for paper books that can be circulated unlimited times, but pay a premium for ebooks (as much as $100 per copy) that "expire" after 26 circs.

[2527]

The key to using the library is know if it has and knowing how to use its Interlibrary Loan Program.  With our library's program, I can get any book I want.

[oldtoyota]

I love the library!

Overall, I'm not interested in paying for a device when I could read a paper book for free. For now, I'm a paper person when it comes to books. They are more convenient for me.

Some libraries had issues with publishers that wanted to charge more for digital books when they never would have done that for books on paper. Weird.

As for books, I'm enjoying An Everlasting Feast and Joan Didion's Miami right now.

Happy reading!

[Osprey]

Haha. So I live in a developing country. My local library is within walking distance. It consists of a shed-like structure with Mills&Boon type things from the eighties, a bunch of outdated textbooks on computers and for some reason agriculture (why??) and old VHS videos about wildlife. No joke! :D
Although, to be fair there's a library in a neighbourhood 5km away that's pretty good.
I'm beginning to talk about neighbourhoods in terms of better libraries the way some people talk about neighbourhoods with better schools!

[Rebecca Stapler]

Over the last few months I've become very...promiscuous with my library usage.  I already had a membership with the Salem public library (only three blocks away from home!) and once I learned that MA residents can join any public library system in the state, I've been having a blast.  I've signed up with the Boston Public Library (I don't get into the city too frequently these days but I use it to check out Kindle books).  Next I joined the Lexington library which is close to where I work.  Between these three networks I have ILL access to most of eastern MA!  From the Lexington network I've been checking out CDs from the Great Courses series to listen to on my commute.  I just finished an awesome series on the symphonies of Beethoven (all nine of 'em) and have checked out another course by the same instructor that I'm really enjoying.

This is fabulous news, because our local library closes on the weekends during the summer. I had been taking my son to the library, but now they're not open when I'm home. I chalk it up to being yet another not-working-parent-friendly institution. I'm going to take my "business" elsewhere ;) Bedford has a great children's library, and I hear good things about Reading too.

I am, however, extremely guilty of reserving a book I want to read and only stopping by the library to pick it up on my way to do other errands. My library has books and DVDs for rent -- $1 per week -- for the popular books, and they're always out front, so browsing will actually get me in trouble; I'll wind up paying for a book. I guess the weekend closures and the book/DVD rental is a sign that my town doesn't quite prioritize the library.

[mikefixac]

I have the Galaxy Note II and because of the large screen, I've downloaded the Kindle app and have started to read books on my phone.

My favorite Kindle is the Paperwhite. Can read outside in the daylight and also at night.

[avonlea]

I love my local library.  We visit it at least once a week.  I especially like  that I can search for titles and reserve items at home. Yea for 21st century technology!

A couple of years back, there was a period for about 3 weeks when I would only pick up and drop off items at the drive thru window.  This conversation is why:

Male behind the library desk:  Can I help you?

Me:  Yeah.  I have an item on my holds request list that I checked out a couple of days ago, but it still shows up on my account as being reserved.

Male behind the library desk:  Oh really?  That's strange.  Let me pull up your account. (He does.) Which request are you talking about?

Me:  I've Loved You For So Long.
(Male's head jerks up quickly.  Other patrons turn heads in my general direction.  Silence.  My eyes widen as I realize what just came out of my mouth.)

Male behind library desk (makes cursory glance at his computer screen): Oh yeah.  I see it right here.  OK, it's marked as checked out, due in 7 days.

Me (sheepishly): Thanks.

I made it back indoors eventually.  It would have been nice if an error had been made with a movie without such a stalkerish title.

[2527]

From what I've seen public libraries are one thing the United States really well.  I'd love to hear from other countries that have libraries and how they work.

[Paul der Krake]

From what I've seen public libraries are one thing the United States really well.  I'd love to hear from other countries that have libraries and how they work.

I've been a library-goer in a bunch of western european countries and honestly there isn't much difference, aside from the fact that there are often a lot more children hanging about than in the american libraries. The quality varies with how much effort and funding the town is willing to put into it.

Some are brand new with the latest electronic gizmos, some still use paper cards. There's usually a kind old lady, a group of teens giggling by the CD section, and staff struggling with 'this new IT system we just got'.

[2527]

That's good to hear.  Maybe I was just at libraries in small towns. 

From what I've seen public libraries are one thing the United States really well.  I'd love to hear from other countries that have libraries and how they work.

I've been a library-goer in a bunch of western european countries and honestly there isn't much difference, aside from the fact that there are often a lot more children hanging about than in the american libraries. The quality varies with how much effort and funding the town is willing to put into it.

Some are brand new with the latest electronic gizmos, some still use paper cards. There's usually a kind old lady, a group of teens giggling by the CD section, and staff struggling with 'this new IT system we just got'.