Besides fellow bloggers and readers, libraries are one of the best bookish buddies you can find. Use your library to discover new books or to take a chance on a genre you’re not sure you’ll like. If you love books, your library is the place to be. And the best part: libraries save you money. For those who know me, you know I recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of the Great Historical Romance Bender. In two years, I read 200+ books within the historical romance genre. Most of those came from the library. Should we put that into monetary terms? If every book cost me approximately $4.99 (I’ve paid more; I’ve paid less), 200 books would cost me about $1,000. Because in addition to the books I read, there were many I threw back to the library gods (my polite term for DNF books), and those weren’t counted toward my 200. The library has literally saved me a thousand dollars in the past two years alone. I don’t know, that seems like a pretty good deal, right? RIGHT! The library isn’t just a place to go, either. When I worked from home, I visited the library once a week because […]

Why The Library Rocks When You’re A Mom
by Kristilyn @ A Little Time To Read (@ReadingInWinter)
http://www.alittletimetoread.wordpress.com

Do you know what’s really great when you have a job and don’t have any children? Disposable income! I could spend lots of money on books and fill up my shelves whenever I wanted to (well, providing the bills were paid, that is!). I look back at my monthly blog posts pre-children and I can’t believe the stacks of books I would get!

Did you know the Brazoria County Library System (google bcls.tx, and do your “thang”) will put a hold on a book and a van will deliver it to the library near you? Did you know if there are no holds on your book checked out from BCLS, it automatically renews for another two weeks…I think for up to two times, that’s 6 weeks total you MAY be able to keep a book. Did you know all branches of the BCLS has book clubs and activities for every age from Toddler’s Lap Story Time to Adult Book Clubs. In Alvin, I am a member of the Third Tuesday Book Club with a fascinating mix of people.  The September “assignment” is a new book, THE AFTER PARTY, and after I read it, I will have my own copy to loan out. It received some interesting reviews in The Houston Chronicle and is about Houston elite society in the 50’s–should be a great “read.” Come join us on September21st to see if you would like to read the book, or come contribute if you have read it. Sometimes snacks are served…depends on how busy everyone is. This library was spotlighted by Rea over at PowerfulWomenReaders

When I was growing up, my family lived a distance from town—out in the sticks, not to put too fine a point on it.  A trip into town usually meant shopping of one sort or another, but it always included a stop at the library. My parents were both avid readers, and they passed that love of stories on to me, at first through bedtime stories. Later when I could read for myself, I got to pick out my own books. School library or town library, I always had a book going. It was at the library that I first discovered some of my favorite series that I still might pick up today when I’m feeling particularly nostalgic. I read and re-read the Little House series, the Black Stallion books, and that gateway into high fantasy, The Chronicles of Prydain. The library was like a vast room, packed floor to ceiling with the keys to all these worlds and more.  Each new book held the promise of unexplored vistas, or a reunion with old friends. An escape, of sorts, from the real world. I still use books as an escape, whether I’m reading them or, now, writing my own. When […]

A huge thanks to Felicia for continuing to celebrate our libraries and letting me jump in with a post! I was supposed to share this last year, but time got away from me… better late than never, right? Using WorldCat to rock your library cards! If you’re at all like me, you’re sporting more than one library card. Maybe you have *ahem* seven. If you have even two, though, you need to know about and use WorldCat. As a former historian, I learned to use WorldCat to teach down books from all over the world that I need for my research. And I think that most people use WorldCat for academic purposes. And I think that’s why many readers don’t know about it. But believe me, using WorldCat will help you rock those library cards! What is WorldCat? Sorry cat lovers, WorldCat has nothing to do with cats. The “cat” is short for catalog. As in the World Catalogue of library books. That’s right, it’s the home of ALL THE LIBRARIES! Every library that has a catalog (which should be all of them, minus probably public schools) reports it’s catalog to WorldCat. Universities are definitely in there and I’ve used […]