Troy Library's Book Burning Party to Save the Library

Don't ask.  Just watch the embedded video and see one of the best campaigns to save a library, ever.

Financial Web Site Plugs the Library

My husband and I follow the blog The Simple Dollar, a website with financial advice for everyday people.  Trent Hamm runs the site and you can read about him and his work here.

Trent has always been a big proponent of the public library as a great value for entertainment.  On Sunday, he featured the library.

I have posted his article here today.

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Check Out the Library--Not Just For Books

The public library is my single favorite “free” resource in my community. In fact, I value it so much that I actually posted a visual tour of the local library I use the most on this site a few years ago.

(It’s worth noting that libraries aren’t truly free. While you don’t have to pay any money immediately to use the resources, libraries are usually funded by a mix of taxpayer dollars, grants, and donations. However, the value that most people get out of the library, if they choose to use it, far exceeds what goes into the library.)

A good library isn’t some unique resource that you’ll just find in certain towns. Most towns have a library, even small ones like the one depicted below.


What value can you get out of your local library? I’m going to reiterate some of the items mentioned in my “tour” post above, along with some other value that libraries contribute.

Books Yes, libraries are a warehouse of books that you can check out for free. You can also find magazines, newspapers, tax documents, and other such printed material at the library, too. Beyond that, most librarians are quite happy to share their expertise in helping you find the right book for your needs and interests.

Music Most libraries have a collection of CDs that you can check out for your own enjoyment. Larger libraries even have musical discovery programs to help introduce you to new kinds of music that you may never have known about before.

Films Many libraries have DVDs that you can check out. Some libraries carry this further and show films at the library. Larger libraries even have a small auditorium which goes a long way toward creating a theater-like experience for free.

Cultural events Libraries often host muscial groups, speakers, and presenters of all kinds for the public to enjoy. At my own library, I’ve heard authors speak and bands perform. I’ve seen jugglers juggle and movie directors present their work.

Audiobooks Going on a trip? Your library likely has a good collection of audiobooks to check out that will make your travel a lot more enjoyable.

Meeting places Many libraries have rooms that can be used for meetings of community groups. I’ve participated in gaming groups and book clubs at libraries, and I’ve seen everything from gardening clubs to jester training (yes, jester training) at libraries.

Children’s resources Libraries often have abundant children’s resources. For example, right now my children are involved in a robust reading program that rewards them for summer reading with new books and other items, plus there’s a weekly storytime and other activities at the library for them.

Internet access Almost every library today offers computer use with internet access for those who do not have access to the internet at home. Many libraries offer wi-fi access for people who bring in their laptops and other devices.

Teen resources Many larger libraries offer teen programs, including rooms where teens can hang out together in a safe yet private environment. They also offer book clubs targeting teenagers.

Additional community resources Some libraries offer additional services beyond these. For example, some local libraries offer battery recycling. One local library near us offers free paper recycling for people who don’t have home pick-up.

Your local library has a wealth of resources right there for you to take advantage of. All you have to do is walk in the door.

This post is part of a yearlong series called “365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),” in which I’m revisiting the entries from my book “365 Ways to Live Cheap,” which is available at Amazon and at bookstores everywhere. Images courtesy of Brittany Lynne Photography, the proprietor of which is my “photography intern” for this project.

My New Boyfriend

No not really, but if I was looking for one it would be Gregory Karp. On Sunday he published this essay entitled "You Can Get That at the Library."

This is a great column (from the Business Section!) about why people should care about the library.  Karp goes through things you can get at your library like e-books, museum tickets, live shows, and Kilowatt meters to name a few.  [By the way, every thing he mentions is available at the BPL.]

But the main reason he has me smitten is his final comment:

Librarians. Perhaps the greatest resource of all is free access to an information expert, your local librarian, who, coincidentally, can turn you on to all the new offerings the library has.

Finally, the respect we deserve.  Thank you.

PS: For the record, my husband is the one who gave me the article.

New Intro to Nickel and Dimed

Later this week I will have my report on my book club's discussion of  Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, but in the meantime I saw this article in The Millions talking about one of my book group's all time favorite titles, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich.

With the recession in mind, Ehrenreich has written a new introduction to this powerful investigative journalism book. She went undercover and got minimum wage jobs, tried to live off her wages alone., and wrote about the experience.  The book elicited one of the most memorable comments from my group in its 10.5 year history, "Every 8th grader in America should be required to read this book."

Have you read it?  If not, head on over The Millions which has the link to text of the new introduction, read that and then head to your local library and check out the book.  If you have any interest in implications and consequences of the modern American service driven economy, you will not be disappointed.

Book Pricing Wars

If you like to read I am sure you are aware of the current price war between Amazon, Walmart, and Target. They are pricing new bestsellers as low as $9 for hardcovers.

I felt the need to comment here to remind you that you can get those same books for FREE at your local public library. But you can't wait you say. At BPL we make sure that there are no more than 3 people waiting for each book at a time. That means we have 10 copies of The Lost Symbol right now. People are keeping it for about 10 days each. So, the average waiting time for this bestseller is less than a month.

While you wait, I have literally thousands of titles on the shelf that you can read and enjoy...again, for free.

So to recap...$9 or Free...you decide. We will be waiting for you at your local public library.

Library Lovers Unite to Save Ohio Libraries!

As reported on the 23rd in Early Word, Ohio Libraries (which unlike most public libraries in the country, get the majority of their budget from the state) are facing a 50% cut in funding.

A blog called, Save Ohio Libraries has been set up. Go on over there to see how you can help.

Ohio, along with my home state of Illinois, is known for having some of the best public libraries and public library services in the country. In these tough economic times, the library is one place where funding needs to at least stay the same.

Click here to see my past posts about how the economy is effecting library service.

Please go to their blog and help as best you can. Just adding them as a friend on Facebook will help. No matter where you live, if you believe in the value of public library service, they need your help. Spread the word.

NYT Editorial About Zombies

Think I was kidding yesterday when I posted about the popularity of zombies. Yesterday, The New York Times also had zombies on the brain as they ran this editorial about the popularity of zombies and their importance as a symbol in these tough economic times.

Speaking of zombies, I am about to begin Jonathan Maberry's brand new "supernatural thriller" Patient Zero, which takes the current zombie craze one step further, by combining it with a terrorism plot line. I can't wait.

NYT Reports: Romance Sales Are Up!

In shocking news, today's New York Times has an article about a surge in the sales of romance books. Apparently, the happy-ending, escapist nature of these novels is the perfect antidote to our current tough times.

What is shocking is not that romance novels are flying off the shelves (they outstrip sales of all other books in most years; click here for proof), rather, I am shocked that the NYT is giving the often unfairly ridiculed genre its due. Well, better late than never.

Thank you romance readers for propping up the book industry in these tough economic times. All book lovers owe you some thanks. But don't forget, we are also buying romance novels in large quantities at your local library.

Public Libraies and the Economy: Part 3

I have had a few posts about how much money using your public library can save you, but now I have proof.

The North Suburban Library System (who do frequently employ me as a consultant) have posted a "Return on Investment Calculator For Library Users."

Fill in the blanks after your next library visit with the number of titles and/or DVDs you checked out and also include you Internet hours used, and this calculator will show you how much money you saved.

Also, here is a post from The Simple Dollar, a blog which has "financial talk for the rest of us." In this post, readers commented on their 25 Best Actions for Saving Money, and guess what came in first....that's right, your local library! (Thanks to my husband, an avid reader of this blog for the link)

What better reasons to use your local public library can I give you? Now come by and see us.

Esquire Magazine Endorses the Public Library

For their November issue, Esquire Magazine did endorsements. On page 32, in the bottom left-hand corner there was a small box by Meryl Rothstein stating that "Esquire Endorses The Public Library." Here is the 1 paragraph they wrote:

"Every book. Every movie. Every album. It's like Borders, Netflix, and iTunes combined-- for free. And it's so easy: You can go online and have the newest stuff sent to your local branch. Why you would leave this complimentary emporium to students and grandmothers is beyond me. Plus, a librarian is like Google that actually find what you're looking for and never clutters your screen with porn."

Couple this with the Boston Public Library Campaign I wrote about here, and it has been a great few weeks for public library PR.

Thank you Esquire and thanks to my husband/Esquire subscriber for showing me this endorsement.

Public Libraries and the Economy-Part 2

On July 28th I wrote here about how public library traffic picks up during an economic downturn. Well, a few days ago The Chicago Tribune posted this article entitled, "New Fans Check out Libraries," which gives some hard facts about the increase in public library usage here in Chicagoland.

A point to note that differ from my last post on this subject is the argument that the public library is not only a free source of entertainment but a close one, meaning less gas (if any) is used. This point is further underscored at my local library where we received many requests for more bicycle racks this summer.

Public Libraries and the Economy

Public libraries in American are a wonderful resource for recreation as well as information. When the economy is not doing well, people flock to the library. We are experiencing this now in Berwyn and I know we are not alone.

Check out this list by MG Reader, a public librarian, listing 7 ways the library can help you during tough economic times.

What I like best about this list is that it highlights all of the opportunities at your local library besides checking out books. I am happy to say we offer everything on this list (and more!) here at the Berwyn Public Library.