The stupidness of my library never ceases to amaze me...

[angela in ohio]

We have a dozen copies for the county, a few Spark and Cliff Notes, several audio versions, and a few books about the book. This is a small Midwest county library system.

[kalanamak]

"Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spider-webby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest—FST! it was as bright as glory, and you’d have a little glimpse of tree-tops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you’d hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs—where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know."

[Bearcat]

Different libraries have different goals when it comes to their collections. One of my local library systems has a crazy large selection of DVDs and Blu-Rays and tons of computers. Not a single copy of Huck Finn (or most classics for that matter). They also have a lot of programs and events at that library. We do the summer reading program at that one because they have better prizes. ;)

I am lucky to live somewhere with access to 3 library systems all within a few miles. So I use them all. Movies from one, obscure books from the one that is larger and most everything else from the small one directly across the street. It is rare if I can't find what I am looking for from one of them. But, if I lived where the only library available was mostly tech focused like the first one I mentioned I am sure I would be endlessly frustrated by the lack of available books.

[Caraway]

 

What else could I do? The books NEEDED me.

 

 

:smilielol5:

[Walking-Iris]

"Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spider-webby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest—FST! it was as bright as glory, and you’d have a little glimpse of tree-tops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you’d hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs—where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know."

 

 

Very few authors write like that anymore. And I find it sad. I'm rereading Wind in the Willows for the umpteenth time to my 4th grader and I know he doesn't understand all the vocabulary and allusions and metaphors...but the language and poetry hold him spell bound anyway. ;)

 

I have the same issues with our little local library. My ds wanted to check out Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (which he had checked out before) and he couldn't find it. I asked a librarian (well "circulation clerk") if it were checked out (our library rarely has things in any proper order which drives me batty) and she said I should check the young adult stacks. "Well, no... it's a picture book." In a very snobby voice, "well judging by the movie, it's more likely to be a chapter book." :001_huh:

 

I just politely said "never mind." And my book shelves are crammed with discarded books bought from the library. They clear out the picture books when they aren't getting checked out very often. Classic beautiful picture books!! No one is checking them out! I've always had the impression that few people in my town really use the library other than as a place to play on a computer or use the free wi fi. My dh and I have seen people sitting waiting for a free computer doing nothing, absolutely nothing. He says he would be ashamed of himself to be sitting in a building full of books doing nothing and looking bored like that.

[radiobrain]

Different libraries have different goals when it comes to their collections. One of my local library systems has a crazy large selection of DVDs and Blu-Rays and tons of computers. Not a single copy of Huck Finn (or most classics for that matter). They also have a lot of programs and events at that library. We do the summer reading program at that one because they have better prizes. ;)

I am lucky to live somewhere with access to 3 library systems all within a few miles. So I use them all. Movies from one, obscure books from the one that is larger and most everything else from the small one directly across the street. It is rare if I can't find what I am looking for from one of them. But, if I lived where the only library available was mostly tech focused like the first one I mentioned I am sure I would be endlessly frustrated by the lack of available books.

 

I have a feeling we live nearby each other. ;)