Comments on: doing what we can do

By: laura

laura — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 03:15:34 +0000

Edith, yes, many libraries belong to regional or state-wide groups that make it easy to borrow books from other libraries. The whole state of Wyoming is like that, but it’s not true everywhere. It sounds like you’ve got a pretty good setup, though!

By: Edith Houdek

Edith Houdek — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:30:52 +0000

I live in a small Wisconsin town (1000 pop.) with a small library but a very active turnover in books, tapes, cds, etc. through the library resources we can use through a home computer. I can search for a book and then request it, and usually have it in less than a week. If I can’t find it in my area libraries, I can use Wiscat and search all of Wisconsin. This is also available in Florida and Missouri, but I don’t know if it’s available in all the states. But it certainly is a great benefit for library patrons that I have found.

By: laura

laura — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:50:15 +0000

Thanks–and I love your line about the cable company. I plan to employ it frequently! (crediting Nonanon, of course )

By: Nonanon

Nonanon — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:22:45 +0000

Great post. I’ve lost a lot of my library faith over the years, but I maintain that, if absolutely nothing else, we still offer one place where people can go for help or commiseration or materials where they don’t have to pay for our time by the second, or subscribe to us before we’ll help you. It’s getting more rare to find that. I may not always have the best tech answers for you, or the most up-to-date computers for you to use, but I will try to help. I’ve seen the alternative, after all, and it’s called the cable company, the phone company, the wireless company, etc. Pay through the nose at all of those places and you know what? They can’t always help either! (And yes, I know, we’re not free, you pay good money in taxes for us. Still a good deal, frankly, and all the more reason to go in and get your share of the resources.)