In Praise of the Public Library

Since money has become tighter for me I have decided to forego buying new books and have rediscovered the public library. I can search for a book on the computer, find it on the shelf or, if it is not "in stock", can put my name on a waiting list for it. Then the library computer calls me to tell me when they have it and I go to pick it up, find it on the "hold" shelf, scan my card, set the book on the check-out pad, a ticket is printed and off I go--never interfacing with a real person. No more daunting card catalog drawers. No more waiting in line for the librarian to pull and stamp the check-out card with the due date. When I return the book I just stick it on a conveyer belt outside the library that again reads the title and other information and checks it in. No real person to deal with. What a shame.

My father's sister Antoinette (called Tony) was a librarian. For a number of years she was the head librarian in Davidson County, living and working in Lexington. She was supposed to discard old books, but she broke the rules and brought many of the children's books to us when we were young. Even though we visited the Greensboro library often, her gifts were treasured reading material. One of my favorites was Dr. Seuss' "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street". It still is.

I hate to see library funding cut. It should be increased and people encouraged to make use of its many services. There needs to be more, not less, outreach like bookmobiles. There needs to be more encouragement for people to use the library, especially for reading.

I will check out a couple of books on tape/DVD for Preston and me to listen to while going to and from the beach (since grandson Will and his friend will be playing games and watching DVDs in the back seat). I also have a couple of books on request, but if they are not in I will find some fun mysteries or perhaps ask a real live librarian to recommend a book. That way he or she will have something to do.