Anyway, I had to read the comments and saw several people mention "That's why I bought a Kindle - now I don't have to go to the library!" or "And that is why I don't go to the library!"
WHAT?!
We love the library. I can't imagine not going to the library! The kids are all gung-ho about the summer reading program and we check out piles of books each week. I grew up with a love for the library.
So you can imagine my surprise when I learned early into our marriage that my husband did not go to the library growing up. That he never had read a book willingly in his life. I was all "You're kidding, right?!" I just couldn't fathom a life without the library or a life without books.
I admit that those random things you find in books can be disgusting - squished bugs, dried boogers, strings of hair. It does make you want to shudder. But the dollar bills, random family photo, odd grocery list stuck in other books all make up for the grossness of "who was here before me and what did they leave behind" factor.
Do you or do you not frequent your own local library? Did you growing up as a child?
All the time! We rode our bikes and filled up our backpacks. We knew the librarians by name and they knew ours. That is pretty much the only thing I hate about living in the country. The lack of easy access to the library for my kids. I get several books a week on paper back swap and we visit the library weekly so they get their books. :)
ReplyDeleteThe other day I was on a plane with a library book (Honolulu by Alan Brennert - totally recommend this book about a Korean picture bride in the early 1900's!!) when the person next to expressed shock that I had a library book. He asked if "I actually went to the library and checked things out, you know, like back in the day!"
ReplyDelete*sigh*
It was a flight from Los Angeles....my only explanation.
I went frequently as a child and I take my children at least once a month. I do have a Kindle and borrow library books through that for myself. Easier to just focus on the kids section of the library for now!
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I spent much of my summers either in the library, or reading books at home. By the time I was in 3rd or 4th grade I had read all I wanted from the children's department. The librarian told me to go to the young adult section and even though I wasn't really old enough for those books, I was allowed to check them out. I found them much more interesting, especially the mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI can't imaging reading everything on a "tablet". I don't mind reading short articles electronically, but for longer reads I prefer printed books. And nothing smells better than a new book except maybe for new money!
Goodness, Melanie, that is so funny! Was it an older man or younger?
ReplyDeleteI boycott tablets. I just can not imagine reading a book on a screen...or paying for a book that stays "inside" a screen forever. I love the smell and feel of books (as long as there are no "chocolate stains!" and love the look of a full bookshelf.
He must have been a 50-ish, hipster type. He was a musician off to his next job. It was seriously said with zero irony or sarcasm. It started a wave of interest around our seats that I would actually use a library and even had a real live library book in my hands. I thought it was said jokingly at first. When I realized they were being earnest, then I was just sad.
DeleteFor shame, those representatives of LA...for shame!!! It's so embarrassing when you see your stereotypes in the flesh like that. : )
ps: I'm from SoCal, too.
I will give you the "other side". I do 75% of my reading on my Kindle. After a lifetime of piles of books everywhere you looked, I could no longer stand the clutter they created. I got rid of everything but my Stephen King collection, and a small handful of favorites, so there is no longer the mountainous stacks in every corner of the house. About half my Kindle downloads are from the "free" section of Amazon, and I have discovered some great new authors by trying titles and authors I have never heard of. I do not like having a time limit on my books, which is why I no longer visit the library. I was a perpetual late return and constantly had fines. I love the portability of my Kindle, and MOST importantly, I suffer tendinitis in both wrists, and the Kindle has relieved me from the frequent pain I felt holding a book open for long periods. As someone who reads daily, that was the number one thing that sold me on an e-reader. When I want that 'book smell" I can just go select something from Stephen King and take a big sniff. My kindle definitely allows me to enjoy reading much more than a paper book did.
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