I once wrote about an addiction I had to the library. It’s a serious addiction; I can’t seem to stay away from the library catalogue for more than a few days. I was speaking with a librarian last week (from a safe social distance, of course) and she commented that many people find the catalogue difficult to navigate, though she always found it pretty easy to use. It represents to me an endless siren song, inviting me to further knowledge; more knowledge than I even have time to attain.
You can imagine, then, the dismay I felt when the library announced in March that it would be closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was not that I didn’t have enough books to read or movies to watch. I had nearly thirty items already at home. The library had sent out an email saying all patrons could keep the borrowed items until the library opened up again, which gave me time to read some of the longer books.
So it wasn’t lack of reading material that was my problem. It was my addiction to the library catalogue itself, which was still up and functioning. I couldn’t stay away. I even thought of topics I wanted to look up while lying awake at night. It wasn’t very fulfilling, though. Half the fun is actually picking up your library holds.
When the library finally opened for curbside pickups, there were over forty-five items for me on my hold list, and that was after I did some ruthless pruning. There was an avalanche of books coming my way.
It must have been an avalanche for the librarians, too. The librarian I spoke to said things have been very hectic, since patrons returned all their books at the same time. And the power was out at their building.
The library has now been open for several months for curbside pickup. The librarians sit outside under a tent with a table filled with bags of books and DVDs. The patron makes an appointment, drives up at the appointed time, rolls down their window, and receives their bag of goodies. It’s actually rather fun.
However, many patrons have, understandably, missed the experience of entering the building and browsing the bookshelves for themselves. My local library has offered a delightful solution, though. It is called Book Bundles. There is an online form you can fill out about the kind of material you are looking for and the librarians will select three to ten items for you that match your criteria.
I am already submerged in books that I might not have time to read, but could not resist trying out the book bundle. I asked for western novels, with an emphasis on novels written before the 1990s, as opposed to after. I wrote that so far, my experience does not go beyond a few Louis L’amour stories. I’m excited to see what books they come up with. I know I won’t be able to read them all, but can always share my books with other members of the family so they can tell me about them.
I am always grateful to librarians, but this summer has reminded me even more how much librarians are to be appreciated. Life without them is dismal. Huzzah for librarians and the hard work they have done and are doing.
How has your lockdown been without libraries? Do you use libraries at all?
Christina Wehner 