Let’s Talk Bookish – Do You Use Your Local Library?

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

November 11:Do you use your local library? (Mikaela @ Mikaela Reads)

Prompts: Do you have a local library you go to often? Does your school/did your school have a library? What are your favorite things about libraries? Are there certain books you borrow from your local library more or less often than others?

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Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH everyone! Today’s topic is submitted by Mikaela, and it’s all about going to your local library. Libraries are great, as they are a resource that helps keep our shelves just a little bit tidier, but I’m sure there are good and bad things about them too. Can’t wait to see how you all make use (or not) of your local libraries!

Libraries I have recently gone less often, but mainly because of the pressure to read and return a book by a certain time. That is obviously still a viable option, but in terms of library I tend to like using my library app more! However, I do wander into a lot of second-hand bookshops, that’s somewhere where I’ll try and go often just to see if anything perks my interest. I do have a couple of libraries close by though, and I don’t often pass up the chance to go inside if I do happen to be in the area.

My school did used to have a library (both in high school and university), and while I could probably often be found in both, I rarely made use of my library (student) card to really check out books. I was literally there often enough that I could finish books in 2 (maybe 3) sittings if I just go back, so I never really felt the need to check out books. But I did go and read whenever I had the spare time, because why not?

My favourite things about libraries is that they’re quiet, and they’re often just full of possibilities. You can literally go in and read anything you want, from something you were looking forward to, to something you never expected. Either way there’s no expectations on you and you can really go with your heart’s desire. And because it’s so quiet, I find that my own thoughts can be quite loud and really helps to drive my own whims. There’s something nice about not being disturbed by others too just by virtue of being in a library. It just feels…safer? than reading somewhere like a park bench (though that of course has its own advantages too).

Like I said, I don’t often borrow books physically from the library anymore, though I do do a lot of e-borrowing. If the library (or even bookstore, really) is truly local to me and I can access it any time, I almost don’t feel the need to borrow anything; I can really just read it there whenever I want! Or at least that’s how I feel about it. I’ll borrow a book if I need it for a bookclub or something, but other than that I just default to online borrowing or reading on site a lot.

What about you all? How do you all employ your local library? Or are bookstores more your jam? Let me know in the comments below!