To The Library

There's no place I love more in this town than our library. People, our library rocks. You already know how much I love reading and how I feel about books in general, but our library takes things to a new level. With an art gallery, an auditorium, meeting rooms, a volunteer-run used bookstore, and a cafe, I could literally live in our library.

There are plenty of nooks for reading, tables with electrical outlets in the floor underneath, and wireless internet access. There are huge expanses of books for adult readers, an entire room devoted to large-print books for vision-impaired readers, and - this is the best - two huge areas for those under 18. The first room is for tweens and teens, with computers, Wiis and PS3s, board games, and marvelous books.

The second area is the size of most small town libraries and it's devoted strictly to those under 12. Books for the smallest ones are tossed haphazardly into a large wooden boat and an equally massive car, the better for those little ones to dive in to reading - literally. Shelves are stocked with books and movies and cds. Computers are everywhere, with restricted access so that parents don't have to worry about inappropriate sites. There's even an entire room of computers for toddlers, preloaded with games suited for short people. There are lego tables, puzzles to play with, and an aquarium stocked with Dory and Nemo.

There are always programs in progress at our library - lunchtime book clubs, local celebrity readers in the children's area, classes on geneology or computer use, chess instruction happening in the youth rooms... And in the summer? Our library goes all out, offering summer reading programs not just for the elementary students, but for the teens and adults, too.

And then there are the book sales. Each fall, volunteers organize hundreds of thousands of books, cds, movies, games, and more. They stock an entire hall and, for three days, people come from miles around to haul out bags full of goodies - most of which are priced under a dollar. N and I have been going to that book sale every year since we moved here (that would be seven years, thankyouverymuch) and never fail to walk out with more bags than we can comfortably carry for less than $40. Today, the library held a mini sale in the auditorium and I was just in time to pay $5 for a brown paper bag, which I then stuffed with as many books as I could pack in. What. A. Deal.

Once I'd ensured myself a supply of reading material for the next couple of weeks, I grabbed a few movies for the girls and then met a friend for a leisurely latte in the cafe. After what seems like weeks of confinement thanks to the weather and the flu, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect couple of hours. Thanks, Library. To know you is to love you.