Ode To My Childhood Library

This post first appeared on Book Bloggers International as part of Library Love. Unfortunately, my old library referenced below just closed for renovation until late January, so I'm about to take an adventure into a new library in the city. But we'll always have our memorieeeees.

I'm not going to lie; I have a thing for big, overwhelming monsters of libraries. But ever since moving back to Minnesota from the big city of Chicago, I've found myself falling in love with the cozy little library of my childhood again. Sure, it doesn't have every book ever. But it's so cute! And you recognize the librarians because you've seen them since you were 7! And I'm really lucky that the Hennepin County library system has an amazing selection of books. It's SO QUICK about getting all my hold books to me.

Their fiction section isn't quite as big as their nonfiction section, but the librarians are constantly highlighting great books. Recently I saw My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh and Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle displayed. I'm so grateful that there are librarians who are clearly paying attention to interesting new books that are out.

The library also does a ton of cool stuff for kids. Like this tent to read in?? I know I'm an adult, but... can I please have a tent too? There are so many cool reading and art programs. I distinctly remember as a child there being a program where kids could apply to display a collection in one of their glass displays. It brought me such a sense of pride and achievement seeing my collection of Beanie Babies (because what else did 90's children collect?) on display for basically the entire world. I'm sure it was equally as exciting for everyone else as it was for me.

Overall, my library is just a really welcoming place to hang out. The chairs are comfy and there are wide open spaces to work, use computers, or just read. One of my favorite things is going to the library with my grandpa after getting lunch together. I'll pick up my (enormous amount of) books on hold and he'll sit for a while reading the new periodicals or checking out the new nonfiction books on display. Browsing at my library is so soothing and it's always nice to see a friendly, familiar face.

And if you didn't believe me when I said enormous amount of holds... Here's half of them.

#ReadingMyLibrary Challenge Wrap Up

I told you guys I'd do it! I read six library books this month for the challenge AND I'm partway through a seventh. I know you were all placing bets. I had so much fun doing this and ended up reading three books I hadn't intended to read this month at all. I'm sad it's over, but thanks to Caught Read Handed and Read What I Like for starting such a great event!


How much money I've saved on books read:

In total, I've saved $143!

The last challenge is to tell you how often I visit my library. Normally I go once every one or two weeks. Basically whenever I have a hold book in. This month I've gone once or twice a week. It's been pretty great. I don't normally take the time to browse the books unless I know that something's there after looking into it online. I'm a child of the internet, what can I say. Doing this challenge (and especially the scavenger hunt) has definitely discouraged this kind of behavior, and I intend to try to start a new habit of wandering a little!

 

I loved participating in this challenge! How many library books did you read this month? How often do you visit?

 

#ReadingMyLibrary Challenge: Scavenger Hunt!

I am so into scavenger hunts where I don't have to be on a team or talk to anybody. Give me a list and let me cross things off of it PLEASE. For the #ReadingMyLibrary Challenge, apart from trying to read books from the library, you're encouraged to spend time in and explore your local library. I thought I knew my library well, but this scavenger hunt introduced me to a whole slew of cool, new things. It was a lot of fun!

The list of things I was supposed to find is here and I got ten of them! Well, I got a couple more than that, but they were pretty boring pictures. So I spared you. You're welcome.


My Library Scavenger Hunt Finds:

First things first, I'm the realest/here's my library card. It's not one of the fancier new ones, but that's fine. Also my name always always always rubs off. Any tips, librarians? 

Right away I really wanted to find an author with my initials, JQ. I didn't think it would happen, because my initials are super weird. But then it did! I found Julia Quinn here, who writes historical romance books. I didn't expect that from my name soulmate, but good for her.

Next I found a book with 8+ words in the title. So I have I Am Sorry to Think I Have Raised a Timid Son, which I just started reading and is also an amazing title. 

Then I had to look for a book with a number in the title. It would've been easy to go for Janet Evanovich, but I wanted a numeral. I have no idea what Galatea 2.2 is, but that cover's pretty fucking cool.

I found a travel book about Barcelona for a book with someplace I want to go on the cover. 

While I was looking for a green book, I found a book with a girl with a dress on the cover! Wondering if that's her braid or somebody else's. But I wasn't wondering enough to check out the book.

I found a picture book about a topic that interests me very, very deeply. 

I also found a set of encyclopedias. All about animals! I would have absolutely loved going through all of these as a kid. Or like right now. 

Then I started discovering parts of the library I really didn't know about. Like I knew there were encyclopedias and travel books, I just didn't know where. But I had no idea there were all of these physical audiobooks. There were two shelves-worth! 

And I didn't know we had graphic novels! They're strangely sorted into nonfiction, a land I rarely visit. I found Ghost World, and I took it home with me! It's been too long since I've read comics.

This wasn't for the scavenger hunt, but while I was in the nonfiction section I looked for and found Gender Outlaws by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman, as per Monika's recommendation on her post about tracking diversity and cisgender privilege. "Gender Outlaws includes essays, commentary, comic art, and conversations from a diverse group of trans-spectrum people who live and believe in barrier-breaking lives." Yes, please.

Have you made any cool discoveries in your library? Go explore!

 

#ReadingMyLibrary: Week Three Update

Ok, I'm going to pull my sneaky shit again and say I finished a book this week, just because I'm ALMOST finished. I would definitely be done with Burial Rites today, but it's for a book club so that's not allowed. UGH.

I also started Hammer Head by Nina MacLaughlin, which I am really into. It's only 200 pages, so it's going to be a fast read. I know so far I only have 2 library books under my belt and maybe technically April is almost over, but I'm still very certain I'm going to read 6 books by the end of this month. Just watch me.


How much money I've saved on books read:

Adding Burial Rites, which is a $26 hardcover, this month I've saved $56!

The challenge for this week is to tell you why I love libraries or why I love being a librarian. I am not a librarian, so I can't tell you why I love it (even though I TOTALLY WOULD). So I'll tell you about why I love libraries.

Obviously, I always went to the library as a kid from preschool to jr. high. My mom taught us a certain respect for books at a young age and going to the hushed library was always the best time of my life. Honestly, picking out books was almost better than reading them. As I got older, I'd end up just grabbing a bunch of stuff that looked interesting, never reading them, and returning them. I guess having access to free books was exciting, I don't know.

When I went to college, I had some trouble adjusting. I mean, I was fine, but I just hated my living situation and didn't really know what to do with myself. My school doesn't have a typical campus with typical activities. I was just kind of in the city of Chicago with a lot of free time on my hands between easy classes. So I ended up wandering over to the enormous, beautiful nine floor library after a few years of hardly reading outside of school.

On the first floor they have the "popular library" which is just new releases and dvds and whatnot. At the time, I didn't know anything about new books, so I just found myself wandering around. I picked up Swamplandia! by Karen Russell and a few others with covers and premises that interested me. And that was where my love affair with books slowly began again. I was just so happy to be excited about something again. I knew I loved words, because I was interested in linguistics. I had just forgotten my love of words in stories. SOMEHOW I found book blogs after that, but I can't piece together the chronology of that discovery at all.

Anyway, libraries are amazing places to be. They inspire you to learn some new shit and just be still for a while. It's thanks to the library that I am here talking to you lovely people today. And let's not forget: FREE BOOKS!

 

Why do you love libraries? Or, if you are one, why do you love being a librarian?

 

#ReadingMyLibrary: Week Two Update

I don't want to say I haven't finished a library book yet, buuuuut.... A Little Life is really really long, ok? I'm going to finish it tonight, don't even worry about it. So, you know what? I'll just count it as done. For the sake of this post and my dignity. What an ending, right?!

I did go to the library again this week, because I had to pick up an additional copy of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent for my boss. We're officially reading it for the now three-person book club, which is pretty exciting. Starting that tomorrow.

How much money I've saved on books read:

$30 wow!! And that's just one book so far! Libraries are actually the best.

The challenge for this week is to tell you what books I'd like to suggest to my library. And, the thing is, I'm actually always suggesting books to my library. Because I know what Chicago needs, obviously. So I guess I'll just list the things I most recently remember suggesting they buy (and they do actually listen to me. They haven't rejected me yet).

Science fiction about places that are not America and a reality tv show celebrity memoir. This list is actually very telling.

 

Do you suggest books to the library? What is your library lacking? 

 

#ReadingMyLibrary: Week One Update

Oh hey, guys. It's time to update you on my #ReadingMyLibrary Challenge! I went to the library both on Monday AND on Friday. The first time, I grabbed Dendera by Yuya Sato and Hammer Head by Nina MacLaughlin. It was very stressful, because I didn't actually have my library card. The second time I got I Am Sorry to Think I Have Raised a Timid Son by Kent Russell, Karen Russell's brother, and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Because I only read books by people with "Kent" in their name.

I totally didn't intend to grab Burial Rites this time. It wasn't in my plan of what to read this month. But I saw it and I was like fuck yeah, why not. And now it's decided that it will be the book for my now THREE person book club with my boss and a coworker. So now I just have to go back at some point to pick up two more copies.

Reading-wise, I've just been chipping away at A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I want to make some bigger progress with it this week, so I can move on to my other library books (even though I do love being in this very sad Little Life world). 

The challenge for this week is to tell you a little bit about my library. Now I used to go to a huge, monstrous library that was so beautiful. But I moved. So now I go to a modest, two floor library that I'm now very comfortable with. Even though it's small, it's in the Chicago Public Library system, so I can pretty much get whatever book I want. And I regularly suggest books for them to buy that they actually listen to!

The first floor is mainly children's books, computers, reference, the hold shelves, and a shelf with some new books. That's where the librarians hang out too.

When I'm not just dropping by to grab a hold book, I'm upstairs in the hyper-quiet reading room. That's where all the rows of fiction books are and some cds I think. In the center of the room there are tables for reading and working.

I'm not sure if the librarians recognize me yet, but they really should. I'm there pretty regularly. I just want to be their best friends, but I don't know how to approach them. I'm very intimidated. If you guys have any tips on how to befriend a librarian, please let me know!!

What's your library like?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Related Problems

The Broke and the Bookish runs this business.

This topic calls to me. I have a lot of problems, clearly. Here are ten of them.

1. I have this weird quirk where I read the last line of a book first. It's a big problem that I've been working on. I don't do it as much now. Before I start a book, I fight the urge to flip to the last page and read the last sentence of it. Most of the time the last line means nothing to me out of context, but I have ruined a good number of books this way.

2. My backpack destroys the bottoms of paperback books. The bottom of my backpack is a tire. Like on the outside it looks like a rubber tire and on the inside it's a rubber mesh. No protective lining or anything. The rubber just eats up paper, it's actually horrible. I just got a new backpack.

3. The library only allows for 3 holds!! I mean, you can be sneaky and have 9 (3 requested, 3 in transit, 3 ready for pickup), but that's still not enough! Luckily my roommate lets me use his slots.

4. Strangers don't approach me to compliment my extraordinary taste or request that I befriend them. I just don't understand why the book I'm reading doesn't spark conversation with strangers on the subway or in a bookstore or library. I guess it's a romantic notion that isn't realistic. Maybe 2 or 3 times has somebody commented on the book I'm reading, but it's never amounted to anything. Oh well, maybe one day.

5. Similarly, I coordinate my nail polish to the book I'm reading, but nobody notices.  

It looks black, but it's a DEEP BLUE with GREEN SPARKLES to represent the ocean. Get it? It's subtle.

 Ok, I don't do this all the time, but when I do I want it to count for something.

6. Most of my reading is limited to my commute. I've gotten better about making time for reading outside of commuting to and from school/work/internship, but sometimes I feel too guilty about homework to read. Reading on the subway is just a pain. It's not a long enough period of time and sometimes people don't let you sit down. Similarly to how senior citizens and pregnant women get consideration and seats near the doors, I think there should be a section of seats for people who are at a REALLY GOOD PART of their book.

7. I always end up with a huge mass of tiny scraps at the end of a book. When I'm reading, I use a receipt as a bookmark. When I see a sentence I like, I rip a little piece off of that receipt and stick it in the book. Once I'm done with the book, I go through to the tiny bookmarks. If I remember what it was on the two pages that I like, I write it down. If I can't find it, it clearly wasn't that good. It's a pretty good system for me, except for the pile of tiny scraps I end up with once I'm done.

8. I get really bad headaches from screens...which means ebooks. I don't know what it is lately, but I've been getting a lot of headaches making it impossible to stare at screens. That means I can't really do my homework, I can't really watch The Bachelor, and I certainly can't read my ebooks on my non-e-ink tablet.

9. We can't display ebook covers in a meaningful way. I amass ebooks and often just forget about them. I don't even want to display them to show them off to people. I just love looking at my books and moving them around and whatever. I'm just waiting for the day when there's a reasonable way to look at all these ebooks at once, because scrolling through them on my tablet isn't good enough.

10. I am constantly crying and it frightens my friends and family. Ok, not constantly. But I'm pretty likely to cry because of a book, if not just tear up. I remember when I finished The Killing Moon, I had one page left, but I was already sobbing. That one hit me really hard. And at that moment, there was a knock on my door. I opened it, tears streaming down my face, to find my horrified boyfriend. I couldn't say words, I just held up the book. I don't know if he was more or less startled.

What bookish problems do you have?

 

Strange Tales From My Local Library

I really would not mind living in my local Chicago library at all, except every single time I go there, something weird happens to me. Of course, that makes it like doubly exciting (as if a city block sized building full of books with ten floors wasn't enough to make me all hot and bothered), but I'm really afraid of breaking the streak of strange. And I go there a lot, so I'm already at risk of eventually having a normal outing.

Isn't it beautiful? If it weren't 11 pm, I would run there right now.

And now for my two strangest experiences in the Harold Washington Library.

1 So one day I was sitting at a table reading a book about lakes, because I wanted to write a novel about a lake that had nothing alive in it (and I did). I got very quickly distracted by someone who came and sat across from me at my table. Directly across from me. He had a lot of bags, and from one of them he pulled out a roll of fabric. I did what I could to keep my eyes on my lake book, but then I started hearing a strange and consistent clattering sound. I peeked up to see that he had unrolled the fabric to reveal a bunch of thin, wooden rods. Over and over again, he picked them up, threw them down, and took notes on them in a tiny book. What the hell?

After a while I got bored of secretly watching him do this, because it went on for like ten minutes. I went back to doing futile research. Eventually I noticed the sound had stopped and looked up to see why he wasn't continuing. He had fallen asleep in his chair. Someone later told me that he was probably doing some Chinese fortune telling. I would get tired of that too, man who wasn't Chinese.

2 This actually took place on my very first trip to this library and it remains one of my favorite creepy things that has happened to me. I walked into the elevator to go to the 7th floor where literature is and right before the doors closed, a man in a suit slipped in. We stood quietly next to each other in the grand, golden elevator until he broke the silence.

"This is what the inside of a coffin looks like."

WHAT THE HELL? I was naturally startled and all I could think to say was, "It's pretty spacious." Good one, past me.

He laughed and said, "Yeah, it's one of the pricier models." Then the elevator reached his floor and he slipped back out. I was astounded. I've told this story so many times that it doesn't even feel like it really happened to me anymore. But I'm so glad that it did.

Thank you, Harold Washington Library. Your book selection is wonderful (whenever I go to return one book, I end up with five new ones) and your people are even more wonderful. Don't ever change.


What's the best thing that's ever happened to you at a library?


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