A couple of council libraries near me operate almost as centres for young migrant mums. The mums bring their preschool kids in. The mums chat quietly in a multiplicity of languages in air-conditioned comfort. The kids are brought together for fun english language book activities run by the library staff. It’s pretty nice.
Our young child is an avid reader, and borrows from local library as well as school library. About once a week we have to push him to go around the house and collect up the stacks of books lying around in various reading nooks and crannies. He’ll invariably have about 3-4 books on the go at any one time. We even had a family signal chat going as we’d find him in an odd / awkward reading pose, share a photo and his uncle would try to emulate it.
Oh yeah, the point… Our local library has recently gone digital with library ‘cards’. We still have physical cards, but now they’re a profile that you have on the library app. But we still go in to say hi & have a chat to the lovely woman who runs the village library.
Another option is to borrow audio books for the long drives in that shiny big new set of speakers on wheels. Yes, I’m making a sweeping assumption about the audio capabilities of the EV based on nothing more tenuous than I believe the Tesla’s (makes sign warding against the beast) can be described as speakers on wheels.
At the very least it’ll get you out of the house 😁
Overheard in the library: "you have 15 books! 15! We are coming back later this week, it will be okay." 9 year old girl: "You don't know that. Something could happen. These are my emergency books." -@lizinthelibrary.
Our son occasionally complains of sore back. Then we look in his school bag and point out the 4 x 5-10cm thick books in his bag, plus the stuffed pencil case, plus the growing number of match-box cars etc.
He likes to put things in, doesn’t think to pull things out…
Welcome to the library clatch - it's cool we have Tee-shirts. The ability to borrow library books is one of the reasons I chose a Kobo after leaving the kindlevrse. I been going to my with_in_walking_distance library ever since I started stress reading the early days of Sars-Covid-2.
One thing you may notice is most public libraries have expanded what they offer, a qucik glimpse at their home pages can reveal a breath of services, events and help. My local library is one of the reasons I check my councils agenda each month. Ever since a few years back when Victorian Senator Babet decided to target our libraries Rainbow reading program and tried to crash a council meeting to ban it.
You can take public libraries when they pry them from my cold dead hands.
Good call on the Kobo. I'm a Librarian, and they are what I recommend for accessing our collections. Being able to use epub and mobi files opens up a universe of options.
I can't quite live up to the often-one-uppy rigours of a book club, but I love the random book chats/connections as I slowmotion pinball around my local library.
I've had a library card since forever, but discovered the joys of their ebooks only a few years ago, & became a convert to the convenience of being able to borrow (or return) books at 10 pm while sitting on the couch. I have a basic Samsung tablet, & use the library's Libby & BorrowBox apps.
My daughter takes her kids to the local library weekly for a mixture of books and Switch games. It's normalising the library for them and they're both avid readers. They even signed up for the library around here, for when they visit.
For me, libraries made for a remote work space while I was occasionally following ms insomniac around for work.
I've been a bit on/off with local libraries over the years...very 'on' when I lived in a country town and had little money to buy books. "On' again pre covid when I discovered the Cliff Hardy series of hard boiled detective stories (not a genre I've continued with). Kind of 'off' at present, having been gifted a Kindle a while back by the family. Still have loads of books though despite lightening the load when moving home over the last year (two moves so far....). Being married to a qualified librarian also means many books!
I might still have my Sunshine Coast Library Card™ in my wallet somewhere; I'm not sure I've set foot in the library since the pre-Covid times. Now I own a bookshop and have access to pretty much all the books I could shake a stick at. Still, from time to time I hear the calling of the library with its air conditioning and different books to surround me and different chairs to sit in...
I have another reason for you to have and use your library card. I understand that in some countries the author gets a royalty. ChatGPT says, “with a PLR programme (e.g., UK, Canada, etc.), the author may get paid per loan (including some e-loans) under that scheme.” So, check out your own books early and often (like voting in a blue state).
I did it. I got a library card. I’m one of the cool kids now.
Congrats. 🥳You’ll have to put it on a lanyard around your neck.
Wait, sorry, scratch that. Lanyards are so 2010.
Current client I’m working at uses an app and Bluetooth to access the building.
And then their cyber training says to ensure Bluetooth is turned off when not in use.
I love Council libraries. Free books!!!
A couple of council libraries near me operate almost as centres for young migrant mums. The mums bring their preschool kids in. The mums chat quietly in a multiplicity of languages in air-conditioned comfort. The kids are brought together for fun english language book activities run by the library staff. It’s pretty nice.
You can watch films for free on Kanopy from most libraries.
Our young child is an avid reader, and borrows from local library as well as school library. About once a week we have to push him to go around the house and collect up the stacks of books lying around in various reading nooks and crannies. He’ll invariably have about 3-4 books on the go at any one time. We even had a family signal chat going as we’d find him in an odd / awkward reading pose, share a photo and his uncle would try to emulate it.
Oh yeah, the point… Our local library has recently gone digital with library ‘cards’. We still have physical cards, but now they’re a profile that you have on the library app. But we still go in to say hi & have a chat to the lovely woman who runs the village library.
Another option is to borrow audio books for the long drives in that shiny big new set of speakers on wheels. Yes, I’m making a sweeping assumption about the audio capabilities of the EV based on nothing more tenuous than I believe the Tesla’s (makes sign warding against the beast) can be described as speakers on wheels.
At the very least it’ll get you out of the house 😁
Can confirm that the speakers are very good
Overheard in the library: "you have 15 books! 15! We are coming back later this week, it will be okay." 9 year old girl: "You don't know that. Something could happen. These are my emergency books." -@lizinthelibrary.
LOL - oh that is gold.
Gotta love things kids say, and their logic.
Our son occasionally complains of sore back. Then we look in his school bag and point out the 4 x 5-10cm thick books in his bag, plus the stuffed pencil case, plus the growing number of match-box cars etc.
He likes to put things in, doesn’t think to pull things out…
When my son was going to school I didn't like to take stuff out of his bag, usually becasue of food, bugs or weird moss/lichen.
Oh, I've been there.
Welcome to the library clatch - it's cool we have Tee-shirts. The ability to borrow library books is one of the reasons I chose a Kobo after leaving the kindlevrse. I been going to my with_in_walking_distance library ever since I started stress reading the early days of Sars-Covid-2.
One thing you may notice is most public libraries have expanded what they offer, a qucik glimpse at their home pages can reveal a breath of services, events and help. My local library is one of the reasons I check my councils agenda each month. Ever since a few years back when Victorian Senator Babet decided to target our libraries Rainbow reading program and tried to crash a council meeting to ban it.
You can take public libraries when they pry them from my cold dead hands.
My eyes got all Dewey reading that.
Good call on the Kobo. I'm a Librarian, and they are what I recommend for accessing our collections. Being able to use epub and mobi files opens up a universe of options.
I can't quite live up to the often-one-uppy rigours of a book club, but I love the random book chats/connections as I slowmotion pinball around my local library.
Why are people talking about libraries like it's a new thing?
I've had a library card since forever, but discovered the joys of their ebooks only a few years ago, & became a convert to the convenience of being able to borrow (or return) books at 10 pm while sitting on the couch. I have a basic Samsung tablet, & use the library's Libby & BorrowBox apps.
My daughter takes her kids to the local library weekly for a mixture of books and Switch games. It's normalising the library for them and they're both avid readers. They even signed up for the library around here, for when they visit.
For me, libraries made for a remote work space while I was occasionally following ms insomniac around for work.
I tried the local library wifi once for work during COVID (under light restrictions).
It was not a good idea 😁
Thought I was on dial-up.
Local cafe wifi worked much better.
Thanks - didn’t think of switch games. Will have to check that out.
For our son…
I know what you mean about the wifi. I carry a dongle around now. 5G and 60Gb of data is sufficient for a year.
Nice!
I use hotspot on my phone.
4G is OK, 5G would be better (I need to upgrade from an iPhone 8+), but the 5G coverage maps are terrible for train lines around Sydney.
I used to see the phone switch back to 3G in some sections. Now it just cuts out 🙄
I've been a bit on/off with local libraries over the years...very 'on' when I lived in a country town and had little money to buy books. "On' again pre covid when I discovered the Cliff Hardy series of hard boiled detective stories (not a genre I've continued with). Kind of 'off' at present, having been gifted a Kindle a while back by the family. Still have loads of books though despite lightening the load when moving home over the last year (two moves so far....). Being married to a qualified librarian also means many books!
I might still have my Sunshine Coast Library Card™ in my wallet somewhere; I'm not sure I've set foot in the library since the pre-Covid times. Now I own a bookshop and have access to pretty much all the books I could shake a stick at. Still, from time to time I hear the calling of the library with its air conditioning and different books to surround me and different chairs to sit in...
Different chairs to sit in is a big thing
Bloody Palma 2, why don’t you make calls?! If it made calls I could justify spending that much on it!
I have another reason for you to have and use your library card. I understand that in some countries the author gets a royalty. ChatGPT says, “with a PLR programme (e.g., UK, Canada, etc.), the author may get paid per loan (including some e-loans) under that scheme.” So, check out your own books early and often (like voting in a blue state).
I recently joined the State Library of Victoria - but it doesn’t feel real until I get my card, oh wait 🧐do they still send out ‘real’ cards anymore 😳