I love to read! The house could be falling down around me, but, as long as I have a good book I'm fine. I love the way a book feels in my hands, the smell they have and the satisfaction of turning the page. Books are wonderful.
When I was newly married I would run out and buy books brand new. I was impatient to read the stories and the library was not yet part of my life. Growing up in rural Ontario, the closest library was 20 minutes away, by car, and was really puny. My house basically was a library. Books lined the walls and their was actually a room that we referred to as the library. There was so much choice, I had no need for any other kind of library. So when I started living in the city I never really thought about the library, or at least not the public one, I lived in the university one for much of my undergrad.
When my husband and I got serious about budgeting I was gobsmacked to learn how much I was spending on books. Especially when I would read them once and, for the most part, never read them again. That is when I got a library card and a whole new world of FREE awesomeness opened up to me.
Libraries are no longer places to sit quietly and be shushed by a matronly librarian. They are truly a gathering place, a place of discovery and fun. Through the library you can download free ebooks and audiobooks. You can learn how to use various technologies in workshops. There are children's programs that are fantastic and all FREE! You can get movies, c.d.s, magazines as well as books. I discovered lots of books with great ideas I could incorporate into my so called simple life. You get to meet people of similar mindset at the library book clubs (where I met 3 of my best friends), children's concerts and more.
It used to be just me and the kids that would traipse into the library every week. Now my husband joins us, usually checking out what action flick is available. It is nice to go as a whole family, to share in the joy and excitement of the library. It sure beats buying our own books and movies and adding them to our already overburdened shelves. There are some books that I have bought after I got them from the library. That's o.k.. I'm not saying you have to go on a book buying hiatus, but, there are some books we don't need everyday and those are the books we can get from the library. As well, it always nice to peruse something before buying.
I do like a look of books on a shelf and I do have an attachment to the written word, but I bit the bullet and got rid of books I absolutely didn't love or books I could easily get at the library. Less stuff to worry about.
So if you haven't been into your library recently, GO! If your library isn't meeting your current needs, get involved, make suggestions. The library is there to serve you and they have the resources and ability to run the workshops you need and get the books you want.
The new library is truly for everyone.
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