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Do People Still Go the the Library?

MULTIZ321

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Library_4467514053_0a23d1643d.jpg

'The Reader Girl' - at Manchester Central Library, UK

With eReaders and the Internet, do people still go to the Library?

Sure they do, although some may visit electronically. Two-thirds of all Americans have a Library card. The American Library Association calls it "the most important school supply of all."

September is National Library Card Sign-up Month.

And Libraries aren't just about books. Many also loan
audiotapes, videotapes, computer software, CD;s, DVD's, puzzles, games, and toys.

This year's library card campaign spokesperson is NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Dwayne Wade.

Carl Rowan once said, "The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history."

Richard
 

Lawlar

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Yes and no

I use to go to the library about once a week. We have a beautiful library in Santa Barbara. It is an archietectural wonder.

But then I bought my Kindle. Reading on a Kindle is so much better than standing in line to get an old dusty book. I can change the print size. I can look up instantly the meaning of a word, with just one click. I can get many classics for free. There is no return date.

I can go on and on. But once you start reading on a Kindle, you won't be spending much time at the library. In time those old buildings will be museums and shelter for the homeless. Maybe they already are.

Sadly, I think my Kindle will soon be a relic. The IPAD is a thing of beauty. It's on my wish list.
 

jme

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In the college town of Athens, Georgia, where the University of Georgia is located, there's a popular bar called The Library, and it's packed every night.

so, I'd say YES. (I can hear it now...."Yes, Mom, I spent the whole evening at THE LIBRARY....")

Behind the scenes, the whole story...... UGA just recently received the dubious honor of being the "#1 Party School in America" by The Princeton Review, of which i'm not proud (and still don't believe). My daughter's a junior pre-med/pre-dental student there and it's a tough school to get into.......have to have a 3.6+ and at least 1300 SAT (long story, but basically due to the HOPE Scholarship program, which covers 100% tuition for any student maintaining a 3.0 average). That tends to drive up credentials/grades of entering freshmen, so I don't get it. There are a ton of really bright kids there....and we know many smart kids who didn't get in.

Maybe they DO spend a lot of time in the "REAL" library, and need to unwind, some to their detriment.

So, the answer to THAT Library is still a resounding Yes, at least in a college town...... (to stay "on topic" for this post)
 

Passepartout

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We definitely use our library. Especially for reference material and DVDs & audiobooks to take on RV trips.

Some recreational reading may change over to Kindle as I just got one, but we'll still use the library.

Jim Ricks
 

wauhob3

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Library's offer many books you would never want to purchase or be able to afford to purchase. For students and adults needing to research they offer the help of research Liberian and a variety of material. They are free (or not per the overdue list I just got regarding my daughter's last check out) Libraries are so much more then just reading for pleasure and for those unable to afford Kindle etc and want to read current bestsellers they will continue to use libraries as will those that even if they can afford to spend $9.99 for each current bestseller they want to read but are budget conscious will continue to do both. Also I can't see Kindles and the like replacing library usage for children.

Libraries offer many more services then just books to read for entertainment.


I think for many adults reading for pleasure that Kindles and the like offer ease and will greatly lower the amount of time they spent in a library to get books to read for pleasure.
 

pkyorkbeach

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Go to the library, in fact have four books due on Tuesday

Daughter goes ALL the time too!!!!!!!


:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
 

rapmarks

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go to the library 2 or 3 times a week.

They had an adult reading event at the library and I read 28 books during the summer. they were all current books by my favorite authors. My husband reads just as many. we would be out of a lot of cash if it weren't for the library, plus we get cd's and movies too. All you have to do is put in a search for a book and get your name on a list, you get notified by phone or email when it is in. You don't have to wait in line for a dusty old book.
 

geoand

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I get online and search for books, dvds, etc that I want to read. Then I place a request for them to be picked up at local library. I get email notification when they are available. I currently have 4 books at home and 4 on my want list.
 

siesta

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my town is about done constructing a mammoth of a library, the facility will be over 85,000 square feet once completed. They also just completed the new police station which is about 88,000 square feet and took $22 million to build. I think both are overkill, especially for a town of less than 50,000 people. But I guess when you look at the median household income and home values you realize the municipality has money to burn. After looking, I was surprised to see the median household income in my small suburban town of Glenview to be higher than Beverly Hills, but then look at the difference in median property values!

http://www.city-data.com/city/Glenview-Illinois.html
 
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I was fortunate to have a love of the library instilled in me at a young age. I still use it A LOT and love the convenience of search from home to order my selections, especially dvds of tv we don't get (Showtime, HBO).

Extra bonus points to our great librarians that are always willing to order something that they do not currently carry (I'm responsible for the entire run of 70s sitcom Soap being available).
 

rapmarks

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siesta, I am from Illinois and I don't regard Glenview as small. Now Wisconsin Dells, maybe 2500 residents, they are adding on to the library right now, it is always very busy and so is our library in Florida. My only problem with library in Florida, they only allow hold requests on 20 items, and I always am over that limit.

When we lived in Johnsburg Illinois we did not have a library for a long time. Residents kept turning down a library referendum and they finally gerrymandered our area out of the library district and managed to build a library. We had to bring in our tax bill and pay a yearly fee passed on our property value.
 

stmartinfan

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We just built a new, larger library in our community! Of course, it included many more computer terminals (for many job hunters and young people it can be the only computer access available). But I still go weekly for books to read. I have a Kindle and like reading on it especially when traveling - but it's still less expensive to get free all the new books I want from the library.

Ours is part of our large county library system, so it's easy to use its online access to search and request books, then pick them up at the library when I get the alert that they are on hold for me. We have access to such a huge selection of books, it's hard to find a title I can't get. I might have to wait a bit for the most popular titles, but it's surprisingly fast sometimes.

Yes - I expect I'll continue to use the library. Now if they just offered Kindle campatiable books to download it would be perfect. They've got e-books, just not Kindle versions.
 

MULTIZ321

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Yes - I expect I'll continue to use the library. Now if they just offered Kindle campatiable books to download it would be perfect. They've got e-books, just not Kindle versions.

StMartinFan,

In case you're not familiar with Calibre software -
Calibre is your friend for converting eBooks into
a compatible format for your Kindle.

http://calibre-ebook.com/


Richard
 

"Roger"

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In response to the original inquiry, out local library is an extremely busy place. People still use it.
 

pjrose

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Yes, I take out an armload of mysteries every few weeks - easily 8 books - and read myself to sleep till 2-3AM every night. I always have one with me in the car. When I have time I put books by my faves on hold, otherwise I scrounge through the new book shelves. We go to the library's used book wing for a pile of paperbacks before every vacation.
 

akp

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Yes!

We have a family tradition that the kids got their own library cards as soon as they became real readers. Youngest (age 6) got hers last week! It was a special event for each kid.

I also search online and put books on hold for me and the kids for pickup. Kids browse and pick by looks far more than I do.

Dh and I each have a kindle also, and the ebook experience far exceeds my hopes for it. I love that an ebook means that a world of books is always at your fingertips. On vaca and finished your last book? Just find some wifi and all is well.

In one form or another, we have books available at all times. It is a beautiful thing.
 

M. Henley

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I Do!!

The state capitol is a 4 hour drive for Rita and I, so we go by the library and check out books on CD for the long drive. We have a CD player in our condo there, and at night we listen to the book for awhile, saving about 3 to 4 hours for the drive home. Saves oiur sanity.
 

falmouth3

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I get online and search for books, dvds, etc that I want to read. Then I place a request for them to be picked up at local library. I get email notification when they are available. I currently have 4 books at home and 4 on my want list.

I do the same thing - for recorded books. I have 20+ on my request list, all of them suspended for now, and 2 ready for listening. I get all the current best sellers. I listen during my commute and while running errands.

Our library points out that it gets the most heavy use in bad financial times because people still want to read, watch DVDs etc. but may not have to financial means to buy them as they used to.
 

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Yes

I go to our local library all the time....I used to buy paperbacks at Walmart or BJ's but when I lost my job I decided to save money by using the library..I had been away from it for awhile. I take my 85 yr old monther also, she inhales books even more than I do!!! Many times the one librarian lets me know about books coming out that she thinks that I would like and I put them on hold and the library calls my cell phone with a recorded message when the book is in. But I still go to BJ's or Walmart to buy paperbacks when I go on my timeshare vacations, I don't want to lose or ruin a library book. Once , I dropped a library book into the pool when I was reading at the edge of the pool, and I told them and I paid for that book...ugh, that was a hard lesson. It was only water and it did dry, but they say that once a book gets wet it could grow mold.
 

cissy

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All the time. I used to buy books, but decided that the money I was spending could be put to better use. I still purchase a few hard cover books for gifts, and myself as a treat.
 

Patri

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Our library is one of the busiest places in town. The recession certainly plays a role, but the staff also provides many programs for people of all ages. I can't keep up with their activities. The computers are popular too.
I take the cassette tape audiobooks and paperbacks that are on the honor system. Don't even have to check out, just walk out the door, and return to the counter when done. For CDs etc. you have to check out and return within a certain time.
Movie rentals are a buck or two. Older, of course, but sometimes those are the ones you want to watch again.
The library plans to add on and has started a capital campaign. I hope it flies. I can't imagine a town without a library.
 

Chrisky

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Both DH & I are avid readers and always go to the library. Our problem is when we go on vacation and try to stuff books into our suitcase and carryon. Now that Ereaders have come out, I'll be looking into that for our 'travelling library' needs.
 

ricoba

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Not much anymore...

I used to go to the library quite often.

But anymore, since I have access to great libraries online and the internet, a library is a place that I don't go too often now.
 

MelBay

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I used to go to the library twice a week and everyone knew me by name. Then I got my Kindle and when I do go in it's like the Spanish Inquisition - "where have you been?" "Did you quit reading?" The librarians aren't big fans of the Kindle. However, we have a pretty good supply of computers at our library and there is ALWAYS a hoard waiting to take their turn on the next available machine. I see lots of movies being checked out and still plenty of books seem to come and go, but alas I'm not part of that anymore. One less stop I have to make, and I can now easily take 35 books on vacations with me.
 
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