Inspiration From The Distant Past

Inspiration From The Distant Past
Found note in an old book... warms the cockles of my bookish heart...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Oh, Library, Sweet Library

I am fortunate to live in a city that has not just one eh library, but nearly fifty! Wellll, one central, three special collections, and the rest satellite, mobile, and neighborhood branches.

And the best part, is that I can find any book or video that the library has, anywhere in the system, and have it sent to my neighborhood library. Too. Cool. I LOVE IT!

I don't often go to the library and browse, but I do online. I can look at the covers, the chapters, the summary, check any reviews by fellow Houstonians, and see all the other books by the same author or in the series. ON. LINE. Addicted much?

Anywho. As I said, I don't go to the library much, except to pick up my "order" (like fast food!). But occasionally when my nanny (or as she prefers to be called, Mom) keeps the little ones, I go to my favorite branch.

It's actually not in my neighborhood. It's in the nanny's. On my way to Einstein Bagels - which by the way has excellent chocolate filled croissants. Starbucks? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Ok, Les, FOCUS! Yes. I go to this branch. I don't even actually know the name of it. Ha. Ha. But I do like it. It's in this tiny little plaza, next to a British pub and a cute little coffee and sandwich shop. I think. Not really sure what they serve.


Anyways. I go there when I get the chance. The branch, not the suspect sandwich shop. It's all ivy covered, and quaint. Big windows. The inside is cozy too. With little reading nooks. The children's area is downstairs. It's brightly colored. Lots of reading spots - in the form of large stuffed animals and bean bags, cheerful rugs.

Well, my area - fiction - is upstairs. I could take the elevator, but I like the stairs. Unfortunately, they do NOT creak. I keep expecting them too. But...they don't.

The whole building should be creaky, but alas, it isn't. Also, there is no real parking. And if the crowded street is full, and you don't wanna walk a mile, there is only paid parking in a small claustrophobia-inducing garage. And guess what. It's $2.00 and it only takes...you guessed it - COINS! AND - AND (oh yes, that deserves a double "AND") - there is no CHANGE MAKER! Ya! I know! You gotta park the car and go back into the library or one of the XYZ cafes and get change. Cinder and ashes, Batman! (I think I may be getting that mixed up). It's soooo annoying!

Still, it's my favorite library. It's pretty.

What about you? Do you have a favorite library or bookshop?

9 comments:

  1. OH, I'm swooning... the southeast ok library system has 15 libraries--- puny in comparison! And your library is pretty-- most of the libraries here don't have much to recommend in the looks or charm department. Despite that, I do especially like my little county library... it is cozy and friendly.

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  2. I just cannot believe this! 50 is huge. We have one library in Colombo but its mainly students who patronize it because of the quiet. There is no fiction available which is dated after about 1960. There are no funds for this - we have school libraries but not anywhere on the scale you talk about.

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  3. What a gorgeous library! My local is uninspiring so I just duck in and out to grab my requests. Would spend a lot more time there if it looked like this ;-)

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  4. Beautiful library! I am lucky enough to live next door to a library so I'm always popping in and out. It's only a small branch and nowhere near as pretty as yours, but the convenience is fantastic.

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  5. Beautiful library! I am lucky enough to live next door to a library so I'm always popping in and out. It's only a small branch and nowhere near as pretty as yours, but the convenience is fantastic.

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  6. Beautiful library and just too cozy of a description. Almost makes me want to move here. Philadelphia has (what I want to call for lack of a word behind me) an engulfing library, one I used to visit often...and loved. When I used to walk in it felt like I was being swallowed by books. What a feeling.

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  7. My favorite part of the city.. beautiful. Nanny.. heheh.

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  8. Yes, I actually was surprised when I looked up the library's website! I didn't even know we had that many neighborhoods!
    My neighborhood's branch is ok. It does creak. But it really shouldn't. It's on the shabby side - not the quaint side. Still it has the books. So whaddya gonna do? Am I right?

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  9. Oh and yep, it's my favorite part of town as well...lots of neat little corners!
    Clark Gable's first wife lived near here and is buried in a beautiful cemetery nearby too. She's dead.

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