Woman Shares 28 Things She’s Learned About The General Public While Working At The Library And People Love Her Insights
There’s something almost magical about libraries. Maybe it’s the silence or the incredible amount of knowledge, but the place certainly has a special vibe. And most of us spend too little time there to get to the bottom of it. Luckily, a librarian from Scotland named Mel (@grumpwitch) has decided to lift the veil off of these secrets, sharing some of the industry insights that she has learned on the job. (Facebook cover image: charlotte henard)
Image credits: Robert Gray
However, becoming a librarian wasn’t something she had planned. “I’ve had a lot of jobs over the years but I became quite unwell about five years ago and had to leave my product design engineering role and course,” Mel told Bored Panda. “I was gutted but I knew that recovery would take a while. I’ve always been a bookworm so I started looking for jobs in libraries and other environments to do part-time while I recovered.”
For the last two and a half years, Mel has been a library assistant and she hasn’t looked back ever since. “I love it so much that I hope I can keep working in libraries permanently.”
“I was waiting for the kettle to boil while I made dinner one evening and I’d been chatting with my colleague about the strange and random things we’d learned in this job,” she said. “So I started tweeting them out without any sort of thought about order or structure, just as they came to my head. I figured a few of my fellow library assistants would relate. If I’d known how big it would become, I’d have proofread them first!”
Image credits: grumpwitch
All things considered, Mel remains an optimist when it comes to the fate of libraries. She does, however, believe that some changes need to happen. “I think libraries need to be advertised. The world is so commercial and every brand is vying for people’s attention, especially on new technology that I think libraries miss out on being part of the conversation. They’re sometimes seen as a relic of the past and very few people realize just how much they do. We need advertising campaigns and reminders that libraries are still here.”
But there are obstacles libraries must overcome before they start investing in a brighter future. “Budget cuts are definitely the biggest threat,” Mel said. “Local councils and other bodies are having to stretch smaller budgets thinner and thinner and unfortunately, libraries often take the hit. It’s all the little things we need to do but can’t, like fix a broken piece of equipment or run classes with better materials that make us lose library users. If a printer stops working, people go somewhere else to print. If the children’s activities at a sports center are more involved because there are more staff on hand, people will take their children there instead.”
Luckily, there are thoughtful and dedicated people like Mel who, I believe, are the assets libraries need to treasure most.
People were really surprised to learn all of these things
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Thank the stars for librarys! #1 "can't read a regular clock" That is sad. But I know several 20-30ish folks that can't read cursive writing. That's even sadder.
I live in U.S, am under 20, and can both write/read in cursive and read analog clocks.
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The old librarian in my town had a photographic memory. I moved to Georgia in 2003 and move back in 2011 and when I walked into the library, she greeted me by name like I hadn't even been gone. She even remembered the last book I borrowed before I moved away because she saved it for me when it came out. It was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I got to read it the very day it came out because the library had ordered 10 copies.
That's very sweet. Reminds me of Mr. Ollivander's photographic memory of people and their wands :)
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I miss books. Y'know. Solid objects. Not community meeting spaces, children's playtime spaces, computers for internet spaces... Local library system sold off something like 10,000 books from its various branches to make room for non-books, and it now smells more like a Starbucks than a library. I really miss books....
A lot of public libraries in the US rely on federal funding which rewards libraries with more computers. Voice your complaint to the library in writing. Don't feel like you're just one person. What the community says matters and does influence how we allocate funds.
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There‘s a huge difference between public libraries and academic libraries. I work in an academic library (which still is open to everybody, not just students/profs), and most of these don‘t apply to academic libraries. So please understand if an academic library can’t help you with your ebay orders (I‘m not making this up). That said, one thing applies to all librarians: We‘re there to help you get the books you desire. I see so many people who‘re shy and don’t dare to ask for help, or even apologize because they don’t know how our lending machines work etc.. Believe me, it’s fine! Nothing gives me more joy at work than someone being all smiles after I attended to them :)
I am actually googling "library near me" right now. Thank you for this post!
As a librarian myself, I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who don't know how (or think) to do a basic Google search for simple questions. I'm not talking older people; I'm talking Millennials and younger.
Librarian here! Here's a little addition to what the original poster wrote: 1 - The vast majority of people don't realize how much the library offers beyond books, especially when it comes to programs, which are usually free and often very neat. (We hosted one on roasting your own coffee. And of course we set out our best coffee-related books to check out.) 2 - As an American librarian, I've had an entirely different experience regarding budget. Library use has only gone up since the recession, and we're generally not at all struggling to keep the doors open. 3 - Case in point: My library district bought a failed Borders book store and moved in. It's now a very nice library with a café inside. 4 - It's our very rural communities that often have a hard time keeping libraries open. 5 - #16 is so true. I'd like to add that any librarian worth her salt is eager to help every patron, especially the ones who might feel like they're being a bother. We genuinely want to help you!
6 - ... Unless you're watching porn on the library computers. Then you're being a bother. 7 - Librarians don't just read all day at work. We're too busy, and if we're at the front desk it makes us seem unapproachable. We want you to ask us questions - it's why we're there! 8 - Librarians are tireless advocates for intellectual freedom. At my library, we refused to keep records of what our patrons have read because it means those records can never be subpoenaed. 9 - We're not judging what you read. 10 - Many library workers have a master's degree in librarianship
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The local library was my lifesaver as a teenager with an abusive home life. I was there until closing every day and without it I don't know where I'd be. Long live libraries and librarians!
I used my school libraries pretty much every day from Primary to Secondary School - I hardly use them anymore as I mostly buy my books from bookstores. Now, I only visit the library is I need to print something out; I say that I need to go to the library for some peace and quiet but it never happens...
True. I like libraries, but sadly, I no longer pursue them as I used to when I was a student. Libraries are available to students more than to... Office workers... Mainly because we have no time and, here where I work, there's basically just offices and shopping centres, and no libraries nearby. But yeah, I do purchase lots of books. And read them mostly while commuting or in the office, if I have done all the work early, but still have to stay to fill in the required working hours quota.
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A few comments from people complaining their library is too loud and doesn't have enough books. I get it. I worked in a public library for 9 years and toward the end of that time we had a massive book cull to compact our shelves and make more seating areas. We didn't WANT to do it, but our funding 100% relied on people actually coming in. Libraries have to stay relevant to the community or they can't remain open. We chose to discard our least used books in order to make space for groups. It wasn't fun, but it meant we could stay open, keep getting funding and continue to be a useful space in the community.
The one about e-mails remind me that I have to change my phone number to my name. I was keeping it on my husband's name because it was much simpler, since I'm an immigrant and he's not. Now things are getting more uncomfortable when we need my phone number for personal identification reasons.
Old ladies who read. And who read at terrifying speeds. We shall take over the world... Oh wait, we have. Shhhh don't tell anyone....
This post made me go back to the library in my childhood. I used to go there every day and I even knew one of the staff members outside of work because she lived nearby and she had a lovely dog. She even remembered me when years and years later (I had grown up, moved away and was visiting my parents).
Digital may be easier and popular, but let me hold a book in my hands any day.
I'm one of those people who have trouble reading face clocks 😁 There were none in my house when I was a kid, and while I did learn how to do it later, I'm still blanking out for 10-15 seconds whenever I look at one. I used to wear a wristwatch to try and get quicker, but once a guy on the street asked me what time it was, and I freaked out and couldn't figure it out 😂
How frustrating! Maybe if you practice a little every day, it will become easier.
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I absolutely love libraries! Our local one has got like a 1,000 funding or something, so they're gonna we do it! This means I can go to that one more often instead if the one the next town over, which is AMAZING!! I've also been considering trying to become a helper if something for a summer job. Is that a thing?
A lot of libraries take summer volunteers or, if you're looking for a job, entry level positions are usually called "assistant", "page," or "clerk." You'll need to be friendly with the general public and able to shelve books in an accurate order. Good luck!
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The library here threw out most of its books to expand "interactive community space" and the librarians are now "community service specialists". Noisy, unpleasant, I have visited just once in the past three years.
Such a shame - they forgot what a library is!
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Libraries are the one place where you cannot expect peace and quiet to sit and read. That's why I don't go to my library any more. It is not a pleasant experience when even the librarians shout across the room to each other. What about school children and students, who have to reply on the reference library to get books to study, but cannot take the books home? How can they work when everyone around them is making as much noise as possible? The last time I went, I had to sit in the archives study room just to get some quiet. Yes, it's nice that the bad old days of not being able to make a sound are over. But there should be some provision for people who want, and need, quiet.
A lot of libraries have started to keep "Silent Reading Rooms" for exactly this reason. If your local library doesn't already have one you can make a suggestion. You never know, they might designate a certain area once you make the request.
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We really take our libraries for granted. I will admit, though, I laughed at the automatic door one.
My husband and I decided very early in our marriage that we had to use libraries instead of visiting bookstores so often. I'm sure it's saved us many bankruptcies over the years.
I spent many cool hours at my library as a child. It was air conditioned! and home was not. I read everything but loved the fairy tales and the horsey books. I read my first science fiction story one summer there. Eternally grateful.
I loved going to my local library when I was a kid, devoured their sci fi section, then I ended up working there when I left school, for 4 years! Then 5 years in the music library. Librarians use skills that no one else has or even knows that they need or exist., a combination of research and working out what people are actually looking for as opposed to what they are asking for :)
I am officially going to look for a librarian job!! I have always loved going to my library and I love the staff there but I'm 100% going to at least try to volunteer there as much as I can, if I can't find a job there lol
#8! please be someone that turns into an 'old' person that loves to read! no matter what you read, it opens so many doors in your life. you can learn SO many things by reading. we read because back in the day, many times that was the only thing to do to occupy our time--we didn't have all the modern conveniences & technologies of today. #13--my nephew (in his 30s), while computer literate, just recently got an email address, and ONLY because he 'needed' it for filling out job applications. Seriously? Phones are literally EVERYWHERE, as is voice mail! I love my local library--there are so many things to do besides just check out books! When my computer was down, I used it to check email, when I wanted something to do, I checked out some classes (free!). I taught myself how to knit when I was a teenager, by reading a book--LONG before YouTube! Libraries, and the people that work there, ROCK!
My family used to visit the library every Thursday and I'd get as many books as permitted. One time I went in with a query regarding an excerpt of verse I'd heard on television and the young man behind the desk lit up, said he knew it and disappeared. He cycled home to get the book to show me, 'And the fire and the rose are one,' The last line of T S Elliot's poem The Little Gidding from the Four Quartets.
I love my library & am so grateful to access digital content through my library, I rarely go. Will have to make a point to visit. Best smell in the world... Books.
We visit our library at least once a week. Both my children have library cards. We love it in there. The staff know us know and are absolute stars.
I volunteer at my local library. I am constantly amazed at what services are provided. I've met some incredibly fascinating people. Right now, people can pay their overdue fines with food donations. They had an Angel Tree for people who use home health care. They can be the heart of a community.
I'm 12, I can read an analog clock, I know how to spell 'library', I was raised to be quiet in libraries. Am I the only one?
we have never had limits to library sections by age.. there are different sections but they are just a recommendation and you could borrow an adult book as a teen if you just wanted to :P
Seattle is the top city in the country for libraries! The number of books read turned out to be NINE BOOKS PER PERSON. and there's lots of nonreaders out there. I am a regular, I currently have about 12 books on my to-read pile. I get recommendations from the newspaper and from a couple online sources. Hooray for books!
Some of these don't even make sense to me. I find it hard to grasp children not knowing how a library works. (But, to be fair, I've spent all my free time in libraries ever since I could read.)
Our local library had to close on Sundays because of funding. We need a new library but the people in this town don't seem to set much store by books. It's been voted down every single year. They (city/county) say not enough money to build it. They now have to pay for security guards because there are so many homeless hanging out there who can sometimes cause lots of problems/noise! But, I know most are there to get warm, read and use computers, everyone is expected to have an email if looking for work and most job offers are on-line. Not everyone has a email or even a place to live. Awful.
I love my libraries, my city has over 20, and I can go to several neighboring cities (I usually just order the books, v though) I have nearly unlimited amount of books to read. My family and I go several times a month and it's not unusual for us to have 20-30 books it at a time.
I always loved to read novels but I was poor and could not afford even the cheapest books. I'm so grateful our small village had a public library! I read so many books thanks to it!
As I belong to the baby boom generation there was a problem with classrooms and so, for the first two years three years, my class was housed in the library of the local college. They added some children's books to it but I cannot remember ever having borrowed a single book there. I went to the "real" library instead and brought home a bagful of books every week. Bliss. Some of my favourite books must have come back home with me ten or twenty times and I can still remember the "feel" of some of them. And I must add that I have not ever liked a movie version of a book I have read better than the version the book itself played in my head.
When we had a fires near here, the radio said go to the library for a break from the smoke. ....and shopping center. The only person at the library was the boss. She sent the other workers home. cos it was not safe. But she stayed to help people find better places to be. ( the library does NOT have air conditioning and was full of smoke, but she stayed to help people )
Our city just recently built a brand new two story library with tons of sky lights and windows and open space. It’s nice but I miss the old tiny one sometimes. It had the vibe you’d be stabbed or go missing possibly but it was still cool
I don't get the "can't read a regular clock." I'm under 20. I can read a clock. Everyone I know can. All the classrooms at school have regular clocks, not digital clocks. In first grade we learned how to read a clock, and some of my classmates already knew how. Do people just stop learning? It's not that hard. This is kind of sad. And also, if they can only read digital clocks, do they hang digital clocks up? Or do they just not have clocks and just look at their watch or phone or something?
I loved the library, but mostly for the comics they had. I wasn't that much of a reader back in the days. Now i want to have my own library at home when i get rich.
I'm mind-blown by some of these! Interesting and a bit altruistic in a way.
The only beef I have with libraries is that I like reading series novel and while the whole library system may have the series, each branch doesn't. So I'm either requesting intrabranch transfers or running around town to different branches to find number 3 in the series. I've solved it by signing onto Kobo and downloading the series. Sorry libraries
I have learned a great amount of important issues from this post, most important are the many things that I will pass on to my grandchildren, things from my school days that the kids today must learn, such as the clock , lost the good old days !!!
Sounds a lot like a coffee shop. You should sell coffee and such to raise more money for all the services that you provide, but only serve them in those spill proof mugs that should be returned when the person is finished with their drink - like silverware in a restaurant.
I would charge anyone who thinks that borrowing a book at the library costs money. They should learn as soon as possible that stupidity can be costly.
What is that about "graduating from young adult to adult and suddenly the whole library is open to them"? Are there restrictions in US libraries? I remember when I was a kid I could go anywhere I wanted in our library. And I loved the adult books. I was always very curious and would get history books and what not.
The librarian once tried to dissuade me from borrowing the "Tarzan" graphic novel, until I told her I'd already read it about ten times.
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I used to work in the school library for an elective period during middle school and I really enjoyed it. That was DECADES ago and I still kind of want to work in a library for real. Sadly I don't think my local library ever really hires, or even really is that active...
I'm so sad I don't have the attention span that I did when I was little, when I could disappear into books for hours on end. I try, but between brain fog and some other issues it's very difficult to get myself to focus without my attention flitting away between sentences. There's also the flip side, when I'm hyperfocused and suddenly it's morning and I never even tried to sleep.
Are libraries in the US completely free? In Germany you have to pay an annual fee.
No we do pay for our libraries via state taxes, and not complaining
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YA books are written for younger people (through their teens) who aren't quite mature enough to handle the books in the Adult section (and NO, when we say Adult in this context, we are NOT talking porn!).
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The library near me is staffed only at certain times of the day or on certain days otherwise you have to do an 1hr course called an open access course with them so you can gain access when no one is around I hate it makes me so sad :'(
I love my library by my house, but now I mainly go to the bookstore. The library is still a peaceful and quiet place
I stopped going to the library after I brought bedbugs home in a book. Now I borrow ebooks from my library.
I bet a lot can't even carry on a lengthy conversation either.
As to the cursive writing, I have one question: How do you sign documents? I mean paper documents, not online ones. With a pen in your hand, not a keyboard under your fingers. Do you actually just print your name? Because your signature is supposed to be unique, not a replica of those alphabet cards lined up above the blackboard in grade school. Sorry, it's whiteboard now.
Wow. The dumbing down. At least they can look up stuff online. Without that, they will be in trouble.
Yeah a great day you've had, all the bashing and vitriol must be your secret to happiness right
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All sounds spot on to me. I've used libraries a lot and know a lady who used to be a full time librarian but when she retired she volunteered to take books to housebound people who can't get to the library any more. She's told me lots of stories of things that have happened and they match what this person had to say.
Load More Replies... Thank the stars for librarys! #1 "can't read a regular clock" That is sad. But I know several 20-30ish folks that can't read cursive writing. That's even sadder.
I live in U.S, am under 20, and can both write/read in cursive and read analog clocks.
Load More Replies... The old librarian in my town had a photographic memory. I moved to Georgia in 2003 and move back in 2011 and when I walked into the library, she greeted me by name like I hadn't even been gone. She even remembered the last book I borrowed before I moved away because she saved it for me when it came out. It was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I got to read it the very day it came out because the library had ordered 10 copies.
That's very sweet. Reminds me of Mr. Ollivander's photographic memory of people and their wands :)
Load More Replies... I miss books. Y'know. Solid objects. Not community meeting spaces, children's playtime spaces, computers for internet spaces... Local library system sold off something like 10,000 books from its various branches to make room for non-books, and it now smells more like a Starbucks than a library. I really miss books....
A lot of public libraries in the US rely on federal funding which rewards libraries with more computers. Voice your complaint to the library in writing. Don't feel like you're just one person. What the community says matters and does influence how we allocate funds.
Load More Replies... There‘s a huge difference between public libraries and academic libraries. I work in an academic library (which still is open to everybody, not just students/profs), and most of these don‘t apply to academic libraries. So please understand if an academic library can’t help you with your ebay orders (I‘m not making this up). That said, one thing applies to all librarians: We‘re there to help you get the books you desire. I see so many people who‘re shy and don’t dare to ask for help, or even apologize because they don’t know how our lending machines work etc.. Believe me, it’s fine! Nothing gives me more joy at work than someone being all smiles after I attended to them :)
I am actually googling "library near me" right now. Thank you for this post!
As a librarian myself, I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who don't know how (or think) to do a basic Google search for simple questions. I'm not talking older people; I'm talking Millennials and younger.
Librarian here! Here's a little addition to what the original poster wrote: 1 - The vast majority of people don't realize how much the library offers beyond books, especially when it comes to programs, which are usually free and often very neat. (We hosted one on roasting your own coffee. And of course we set out our best coffee-related books to check out.) 2 - As an American librarian, I've had an entirely different experience regarding budget. Library use has only gone up since the recession, and we're generally not at all struggling to keep the doors open. 3 - Case in point: My library district bought a failed Borders book store and moved in. It's now a very nice library with a café inside. 4 - It's our very rural communities that often have a hard time keeping libraries open. 5 - #16 is so true. I'd like to add that any librarian worth her salt is eager to help every patron, especially the ones who might feel like they're being a bother. We genuinely want to help you!
6 - ... Unless you're watching porn on the library computers. Then you're being a bother. 7 - Librarians don't just read all day at work. We're too busy, and if we're at the front desk it makes us seem unapproachable. We want you to ask us questions - it's why we're there! 8 - Librarians are tireless advocates for intellectual freedom. At my library, we refused to keep records of what our patrons have read because it means those records can never be subpoenaed. 9 - We're not judging what you read. 10 - Many library workers have a master's degree in librarianship
Load More Replies... The local library was my lifesaver as a teenager with an abusive home life. I was there until closing every day and without it I don't know where I'd be. Long live libraries and librarians!
I used my school libraries pretty much every day from Primary to Secondary School - I hardly use them anymore as I mostly buy my books from bookstores. Now, I only visit the library is I need to print something out; I say that I need to go to the library for some peace and quiet but it never happens...
True. I like libraries, but sadly, I no longer pursue them as I used to when I was a student. Libraries are available to students more than to... Office workers... Mainly because we have no time and, here where I work, there's basically just offices and shopping centres, and no libraries nearby. But yeah, I do purchase lots of books. And read them mostly while commuting or in the office, if I have done all the work early, but still have to stay to fill in the required working hours quota.
Load More Replies... A few comments from people complaining their library is too loud and doesn't have enough books. I get it. I worked in a public library for 9 years and toward the end of that time we had a massive book cull to compact our shelves and make more seating areas. We didn't WANT to do it, but our funding 100% relied on people actually coming in. Libraries have to stay relevant to the community or they can't remain open. We chose to discard our least used books in order to make space for groups. It wasn't fun, but it meant we could stay open, keep getting funding and continue to be a useful space in the community.
The one about e-mails remind me that I have to change my phone number to my name. I was keeping it on my husband's name because it was much simpler, since I'm an immigrant and he's not. Now things are getting more uncomfortable when we need my phone number for personal identification reasons.
Old ladies who read. And who read at terrifying speeds. We shall take over the world... Oh wait, we have. Shhhh don't tell anyone....
This post made me go back to the library in my childhood. I used to go there every day and I even knew one of the staff members outside of work because she lived nearby and she had a lovely dog. She even remembered me when years and years later (I had grown up, moved away and was visiting my parents).
Digital may be easier and popular, but let me hold a book in my hands any day.
I'm one of those people who have trouble reading face clocks 😁 There were none in my house when I was a kid, and while I did learn how to do it later, I'm still blanking out for 10-15 seconds whenever I look at one. I used to wear a wristwatch to try and get quicker, but once a guy on the street asked me what time it was, and I freaked out and couldn't figure it out 😂
How frustrating! Maybe if you practice a little every day, it will become easier.
Load More Replies... I absolutely love libraries! Our local one has got like a 1,000 funding or something, so they're gonna we do it! This means I can go to that one more often instead if the one the next town over, which is AMAZING!! I've also been considering trying to become a helper if something for a summer job. Is that a thing?
A lot of libraries take summer volunteers or, if you're looking for a job, entry level positions are usually called "assistant", "page," or "clerk." You'll need to be friendly with the general public and able to shelve books in an accurate order. Good luck!
Load More Replies... The library here threw out most of its books to expand "interactive community space" and the librarians are now "community service specialists". Noisy, unpleasant, I have visited just once in the past three years.
Such a shame - they forgot what a library is!
Load More Replies... Libraries are the one place where you cannot expect peace and quiet to sit and read. That's why I don't go to my library any more. It is not a pleasant experience when even the librarians shout across the room to each other. What about school children and students, who have to reply on the reference library to get books to study, but cannot take the books home? How can they work when everyone around them is making as much noise as possible? The last time I went, I had to sit in the archives study room just to get some quiet. Yes, it's nice that the bad old days of not being able to make a sound are over. But there should be some provision for people who want, and need, quiet.
A lot of libraries have started to keep "Silent Reading Rooms" for exactly this reason. If your local library doesn't already have one you can make a suggestion. You never know, they might designate a certain area once you make the request.
Load More Replies... We really take our libraries for granted. I will admit, though, I laughed at the automatic door one.
My husband and I decided very early in our marriage that we had to use libraries instead of visiting bookstores so often. I'm sure it's saved us many bankruptcies over the years.
I spent many cool hours at my library as a child. It was air conditioned! and home was not. I read everything but loved the fairy tales and the horsey books. I read my first science fiction story one summer there. Eternally grateful.
I loved going to my local library when I was a kid, devoured their sci fi section, then I ended up working there when I left school, for 4 years! Then 5 years in the music library. Librarians use skills that no one else has or even knows that they need or exist., a combination of research and working out what people are actually looking for as opposed to what they are asking for :)
I am officially going to look for a librarian job!! I have always loved going to my library and I love the staff there but I'm 100% going to at least try to volunteer there as much as I can, if I can't find a job there lol
#8! please be someone that turns into an 'old' person that loves to read! no matter what you read, it opens so many doors in your life. you can learn SO many things by reading. we read because back in the day, many times that was the only thing to do to occupy our time--we didn't have all the modern conveniences & technologies of today. #13--my nephew (in his 30s), while computer literate, just recently got an email address, and ONLY because he 'needed' it for filling out job applications. Seriously? Phones are literally EVERYWHERE, as is voice mail! I love my local library--there are so many things to do besides just check out books! When my computer was down, I used it to check email, when I wanted something to do, I checked out some classes (free!). I taught myself how to knit when I was a teenager, by reading a book--LONG before YouTube! Libraries, and the people that work there, ROCK!
My family used to visit the library every Thursday and I'd get as many books as permitted. One time I went in with a query regarding an excerpt of verse I'd heard on television and the young man behind the desk lit up, said he knew it and disappeared. He cycled home to get the book to show me, 'And the fire and the rose are one,' The last line of T S Elliot's poem The Little Gidding from the Four Quartets.
I love my library & am so grateful to access digital content through my library, I rarely go. Will have to make a point to visit. Best smell in the world... Books.
We visit our library at least once a week. Both my children have library cards. We love it in there. The staff know us know and are absolute stars.
I volunteer at my local library. I am constantly amazed at what services are provided. I've met some incredibly fascinating people. Right now, people can pay their overdue fines with food donations. They had an Angel Tree for people who use home health care. They can be the heart of a community.
I'm 12, I can read an analog clock, I know how to spell 'library', I was raised to be quiet in libraries. Am I the only one?
we have never had limits to library sections by age.. there are different sections but they are just a recommendation and you could borrow an adult book as a teen if you just wanted to :P
Seattle is the top city in the country for libraries! The number of books read turned out to be NINE BOOKS PER PERSON. and there's lots of nonreaders out there. I am a regular, I currently have about 12 books on my to-read pile. I get recommendations from the newspaper and from a couple online sources. Hooray for books!
Some of these don't even make sense to me. I find it hard to grasp children not knowing how a library works. (But, to be fair, I've spent all my free time in libraries ever since I could read.)
Our local library had to close on Sundays because of funding. We need a new library but the people in this town don't seem to set much store by books. It's been voted down every single year. They (city/county) say not enough money to build it. They now have to pay for security guards because there are so many homeless hanging out there who can sometimes cause lots of problems/noise! But, I know most are there to get warm, read and use computers, everyone is expected to have an email if looking for work and most job offers are on-line. Not everyone has a email or even a place to live. Awful.
I love my libraries, my city has over 20, and I can go to several neighboring cities (I usually just order the books, v though) I have nearly unlimited amount of books to read. My family and I go several times a month and it's not unusual for us to have 20-30 books it at a time.
I always loved to read novels but I was poor and could not afford even the cheapest books. I'm so grateful our small village had a public library! I read so many books thanks to it!
As I belong to the baby boom generation there was a problem with classrooms and so, for the first two years three years, my class was housed in the library of the local college. They added some children's books to it but I cannot remember ever having borrowed a single book there. I went to the "real" library instead and brought home a bagful of books every week. Bliss. Some of my favourite books must have come back home with me ten or twenty times and I can still remember the "feel" of some of them. And I must add that I have not ever liked a movie version of a book I have read better than the version the book itself played in my head.
When we had a fires near here, the radio said go to the library for a break from the smoke. ....and shopping center. The only person at the library was the boss. She sent the other workers home. cos it was not safe. But she stayed to help people find better places to be. ( the library does NOT have air conditioning and was full of smoke, but she stayed to help people )
Our city just recently built a brand new two story library with tons of sky lights and windows and open space. It’s nice but I miss the old tiny one sometimes. It had the vibe you’d be stabbed or go missing possibly but it was still cool
I don't get the "can't read a regular clock." I'm under 20. I can read a clock. Everyone I know can. All the classrooms at school have regular clocks, not digital clocks. In first grade we learned how to read a clock, and some of my classmates already knew how. Do people just stop learning? It's not that hard. This is kind of sad. And also, if they can only read digital clocks, do they hang digital clocks up? Or do they just not have clocks and just look at their watch or phone or something?
I loved the library, but mostly for the comics they had. I wasn't that much of a reader back in the days. Now i want to have my own library at home when i get rich.
I'm mind-blown by some of these! Interesting and a bit altruistic in a way.
The only beef I have with libraries is that I like reading series novel and while the whole library system may have the series, each branch doesn't. So I'm either requesting intrabranch transfers or running around town to different branches to find number 3 in the series. I've solved it by signing onto Kobo and downloading the series. Sorry libraries
I have learned a great amount of important issues from this post, most important are the many things that I will pass on to my grandchildren, things from my school days that the kids today must learn, such as the clock , lost the good old days !!!
Sounds a lot like a coffee shop. You should sell coffee and such to raise more money for all the services that you provide, but only serve them in those spill proof mugs that should be returned when the person is finished with their drink - like silverware in a restaurant.
I would charge anyone who thinks that borrowing a book at the library costs money. They should learn as soon as possible that stupidity can be costly.
What is that about "graduating from young adult to adult and suddenly the whole library is open to them"? Are there restrictions in US libraries? I remember when I was a kid I could go anywhere I wanted in our library. And I loved the adult books. I was always very curious and would get history books and what not.
The librarian once tried to dissuade me from borrowing the "Tarzan" graphic novel, until I told her I'd already read it about ten times.
Load More Replies... I used to work in the school library for an elective period during middle school and I really enjoyed it. That was DECADES ago and I still kind of want to work in a library for real. Sadly I don't think my local library ever really hires, or even really is that active...
I'm so sad I don't have the attention span that I did when I was little, when I could disappear into books for hours on end. I try, but between brain fog and some other issues it's very difficult to get myself to focus without my attention flitting away between sentences. There's also the flip side, when I'm hyperfocused and suddenly it's morning and I never even tried to sleep.
Are libraries in the US completely free? In Germany you have to pay an annual fee.
No we do pay for our libraries via state taxes, and not complaining
Load More Replies... YA books are written for younger people (through their teens) who aren't quite mature enough to handle the books in the Adult section (and NO, when we say Adult in this context, we are NOT talking porn!).
Load More Replies... The library near me is staffed only at certain times of the day or on certain days otherwise you have to do an 1hr course called an open access course with them so you can gain access when no one is around I hate it makes me so sad :'(
I love my library by my house, but now I mainly go to the bookstore. The library is still a peaceful and quiet place
I stopped going to the library after I brought bedbugs home in a book. Now I borrow ebooks from my library.
I bet a lot can't even carry on a lengthy conversation either.
As to the cursive writing, I have one question: How do you sign documents? I mean paper documents, not online ones. With a pen in your hand, not a keyboard under your fingers. Do you actually just print your name? Because your signature is supposed to be unique, not a replica of those alphabet cards lined up above the blackboard in grade school. Sorry, it's whiteboard now.
Wow. The dumbing down. At least they can look up stuff online. Without that, they will be in trouble.
Yeah a great day you've had, all the bashing and vitriol must be your secret to happiness right
Load More Replies... All sounds spot on to me. I've used libraries a lot and know a lady who used to be a full time librarian but when she retired she volunteered to take books to housebound people who can't get to the library any more. She's told me lots of stories of things that have happened and they match what this person had to say.
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