Down for OPL:
The citizenry of Pamie.com just conducted a drive of books, cash and goodwill for the Okland Public Library system which is in danger of closed branches and reduced hours and services if the city’s proposed budget cuts go through.
I got two warm feelings from reading this:
1) The web is a trememdous way to mobilize people quickly and efficiently for doing good. All you need is a high traffic site, a loyal readership and a pursuasive leader like Pamie with an itch. Also, the OPL made good use of their own web sites to indicate to members and concerned parties how they could best help out as well.
2) People love libraries but often take them for granted. On the one hand, have you ever met anyone who said “Eh, get rid of the libraries. I’d rather my tax dollars went to pothole repair?” I haven’t either. But, of that same group, how many of us actually set foot in your local library branch? Regularly? Me neither.
I discovered recently that the San Francisco Public Library will not only rent me classic movies for a week at no charge but will ship any book, movie or CD I want from any of the city’s branch to my branch, the one 3 blocks from my house. I’ve tried to get in the pattern lately of alternating between reading books I’ve got at home (and there are tons, with more arriving every week) and checking something out from the library. I may even start checking out books I own already. Its relatively painless and active library branches are harder to see as dispensible.
When did you last visit your library?
Reader interactions
8 Replies to “Down for OPL:”
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I always the visit the library a lot when I’m unemployed! I’ve always marvelled, ever since I was a child, that there was a place that would lend you books, for FREE! I still find that incredible.
I always the visit the library a lot when I’m unemployed! I’ve always marvelled, ever since I was a child, that there was a place that would lend you books, for FREE! I still find that incredible.
I love the public library. I go to one branch every Monday to teach literacy – a sometimes overlooked benefit of the library is free meeting space for this sort of thing. I also go to the branch down the street every week or two to read or write. I check out a couple of books every visit even though I know that I won’t necessarily read them. It’s a great risk-free way to check out new authors. I use the online stuff a lot too for grad school, esp. the Contemporary Literary Criticism database.
I love the public library. I go to one branch every Monday to teach literacy – a sometimes overlooked benefit of the library is free meeting space for this sort of thing. I also go to the branch down the street every week or two to read or write. I check out a couple of books every visit even though I know that I won’t necessarily read them. It’s a great risk-free way to check out new authors. I use the online stuff a lot too for grad school, esp. the Contemporary Literary Criticism database.
I live across the street from my branch library and work a few blocks from Chicago’s mammoth Harold Washington Library Center. So I can check out to my heart’s content and then return them a few hundred feet from my apartment.
Here it’s $1-2 for a week’s video rental, unless you’re renting free educational hits as “The Wonder of the Andes” or “Personal Hygiene 101.”
I live across the street from my branch library and work a few blocks from Chicago’s mammoth Harold Washington Library Center. So I can check out to my heart’s content and then return them a few hundred feet from my apartment.
Here it’s $1-2 for a week’s video rental, unless you’re renting free educational hits as “The Wonder of the Andes” or “Personal Hygiene 101.”
I’m a big fan of our library – it’s just down the street and I go often. The computer systems have been upgraded and I can locate books at any branch even from home now!
I use the library most for the books on CD. They tend to be very expensive to buy, so borrowing them is much more practical.
I’m a big fan of our library – it’s just down the street and I go often. The computer systems have been upgraded and I can locate books at any branch even from home now!
I use the library most for the books on CD. They tend to be very expensive to buy, so borrowing them is much more practical.