Oop, I forgot to tell you a story. While we were at the film festival on Sunday, we visited the downtown public library. It spans five stories, and contains hundreds and hundreds of stacks. It was pure paradise. I haven't been in a library out of the county since I got my job, and I've forgotten what regular libraries are like. It was soooo quiet. People were required to shut off their cellphones, and they would get kicked out if they were too loud. It appeared like they never weeded anything, but there were so many gems tucked in the stacks that it would be so fun to work there and discover little treasures hidden there. They had so many art books and cook books. Their silver and pewter sections were bigger than our entire art section at my branch. How sad is that?
Our library is so loud and chaotic. People scream and talk on their cellphones, they order pizza and have it delivered at the library, and their kids run screaming around the branch on a daily basis. We weed everything if it doesnt circulate in six months or if it looks used. We only carry new releases, best sellers and very few non-fiction books. We may as well be a bookstore. Maybe someday I'll work in a regular library. In the meantime, I have to remember to visit them more often.