Falling in love with libraries all over again

Post 00021 | October 20th, 2022

I've been really enjoying talking walks this past month. It's pretty relaxing just wandering about town with little to nothing on my mind. An added side benefit is that I get to explore the city I live in. Turns out we have quite a few parks here, all fabiously dressed in autmn colours these days.

The park in the center of town is the biggest. Today I tried walking straight across it from the entry path closest to my home just to see where I end up. After about five minutes of wooded area the park welcomes to an open area with a bridge over tranquil lake. Some ducks said hi. Turns out the path leads straight to the recently built library.

I've passed it many times. The building also serves as my polling station and it is also there I got my covid vaccine shot. I never bothered to stop by and check it out though. Today though I decided to check it out. I think part of what has held me back is the fact I don't have a library card. There weren't many people there and the librarian had enough time to greet me with a smile so I figured I wouldn't be to much of a hassle asking her for help applying for one. Turns out I don't need one; You just use the same social security card you would use the doctor's.

Also, the place is HUGE. There are many sections where you can sit and read if you so desire. Also, the place it pretty nicely laid out; It's easy to find something if you know what you are looking for but you can also get lost if you want to. I used to have an after-school job as a library page so I found it pretty easy to see what they were going for.

I was also amazed by the wide selection of material. They had an entire bookcase dedicated to Franco-Belgian comics. I picked up the first volume of Yoko Tsuno which I have been meaning to read for a while. I also saw 428: Shibuya Scramble hiding among the PS4 games. It's a great game from what I hear but not something I'd expect to find in a public library. They really do seem to cater to every taste. In case you can't find what you are looking for, you can order material from other libraries from PC terminals or from your own PC at home. You can then pick it up the next day.

In the end I borrowed a Björk live DVD, Spinal Tap and Amélie on bluray, a book on the war of 1864, as well as the aforementioned Yoko Tsuno comic.

I don't know why I'd forgotten how great libraries are. I have a cellar full of DVDs I have watched once and never plan on rewatching. Imagine all the money and space I would have saved if I had just borrowed them from the library instead. It has also made me question the point of streaming services. It seems you are being asked to pay for something you are already paying for with your taxes.