For someone who lives in a small town in rural Minnesota, I’ve been spoiled. For years, I’ve enjoyed the comfort of ordering books on-line from our library. A few clicks, my library card number, and I hit “send.”
Notification comes by e mail, and I’m excited when I receive that e mail, knowing the books I’ve requested from a library miles away will be delivered by the Bookmobile within a couple of weeks. Talk about convenient; it parks across the street from my day job.
How nice it’s been over the years, to request just about anything I want, to be greeted at the Bookmobile by a cheery face, and know that I have a month to savor the books.
Unfortunately, it’s all coming to an end. I want to stomp my foot, to scream “it’s unfair!” and to insist they can’t do this to me and all the other loyal, rural book-aholics. But they can, and “they” are. Yes, I understand these things called budget cuts, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Haven’t we, as a society, been greatly lacking in our children wanting to pick up a book to read instead of playing a video game, watching TV, or playing any other electronic device? Instead of losing themselves in a book… allowing their imagination to expand? Why make it harder for everyone to get their hands on books?
I feel like it is one giant leap backwards for mankind, and yes, maybe I’m just singing the “poor me” song right now. But I know I’m not alone. There’s a whole choir of us that are going to be singing the Library Loss song soon. And it’s not going to be pretty.
Notification comes by e mail, and I’m excited when I receive that e mail, knowing the books I’ve requested from a library miles away will be delivered by the Bookmobile within a couple of weeks. Talk about convenient; it parks across the street from my day job.
How nice it’s been over the years, to request just about anything I want, to be greeted at the Bookmobile by a cheery face, and know that I have a month to savor the books.
Unfortunately, it’s all coming to an end. I want to stomp my foot, to scream “it’s unfair!” and to insist they can’t do this to me and all the other loyal, rural book-aholics. But they can, and “they” are. Yes, I understand these things called budget cuts, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Haven’t we, as a society, been greatly lacking in our children wanting to pick up a book to read instead of playing a video game, watching TV, or playing any other electronic device? Instead of losing themselves in a book… allowing their imagination to expand? Why make it harder for everyone to get their hands on books?
I feel like it is one giant leap backwards for mankind, and yes, maybe I’m just singing the “poor me” song right now. But I know I’m not alone. There’s a whole choir of us that are going to be singing the Library Loss song soon. And it’s not going to be pretty.
I have wonderful memories of the Bookmobile back in the 60's & 70's as a teenager living in Outing Minnesota. For someone who has never been able to be without a book on hand..I too would have been lost without that source for feeding my need to read! I so remember climbing up into that "bus" and picking out my books to last me a few weeks at a time. It is so sad that you are going to lose this wonderful source. Times do change..but not always for the better.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's sad isn't it? That's what Don said... it's been around forever. I guess I've gotten spoiled! :(
DeleteJust curious - what library are you supposed to use?
ReplyDeleteOur bookmobile comes from the Brainerd library. There are others around too, but the problem is by the time I leave work at night and drive to any of them, they're closed! Grrrr...
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