I Don't Buy Books, Thank You Libraries!

It has now been about a decade since I discovered that sharing books through a public library keeps money in my pocket and less heavy clutter in my life.  Since my conversion to the public and academic libraries and the wonderfullness of their existence, I visit at least 1 day per week.  When is the last time you visited your local library?  Read an actual book?  Touch and smelled the pages of a good read?  May I suggest you give it a whirl.  Find your local library.  Walk, bike, drive to it.  Walk the isles and peruse the possible books to read.  Try a new genre.  If you don't have 3 -10 books as possible reads at the end of your visit, look a little harder and the library will deliver.  Pay your $10 fee for a card.  Take them home and dwell in happiness as you expand your own mind.  I also discovered the art of books on CD which are also available from the library.  I know, I know, kinda old school with podcasts, Kindles, and other electronic devices but you can't beat the smell, touch and enjoyment of a good, physical, delightful read.

If you live in Toronto, you may want to jump on the rescue project to save public libraries as their budgets are about to be cut and a petition has started.  Keep in mind, what happens in major cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver often become the trends seen in less large cities in a few years.  Therefore, people in Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Halifax, etc will want to start visiting their local libraries if you love libraries and want to continue seeing them as part of the public spaces available to citizens.

I do enjoy electronic media and it is important to acknowledge change and progress but I don't want to cuddle up with a Kindle, I want paper, printed words and a cover I may or may not have judged well.