Does the library scare you?

Plundered from book sutlers in various ports!
Originally uploaded by lunawhimsy

I was talking to one of my students the other day and she admitted that finding books in the library is a daunting task for her. I get that - unless you grew up using the Dewey Decimel System, it can be intimidating. In our technological world, what should be easy (finding a good book) often becomes a challenge of search engines and blinking cursors and hypertext links!

Honestly, call me old fashioned but books are tactile and meant to be handled, which is why I believe it's easier to find a good book if you employ a "hands on" approach. Personally, I like to find new books at bookstores rather than at libraries because to me, it's easier to come across a good read at a place like Barnes and Noble than it is for me to find something new at the EB Library. Having said that, I must admit that although I like to find them at BN, I like to obtain them from the library.

Why, you ask? Well, for one main reason - I don't like to buy a book for my personal collection unless it's a book I know and love. That's why I like to read it first for free and then decide if it merits purchase. Gift cards to BN are like gold to me and every time I get one, I take my time planning my purchases and 9 times out of 10, I purchase books I've already read!

From my email to that student who was having a hard time finding books at the library, here's a suggestion: go to Barnes and Noble and spend some time looking around. Look in the New Paperback section and the New Release section, plus, look in the teen section. Because Barnes and Noble encourages reading, you can grab as many books as you can carry and take them over to the cafe, order yourself a Grande Non-fat Caramel Machiatto with Extra Foam and sit back and read!

Explore the first few pages, read a couple of chapters, whatever - they encourage people to read before purchasing! Then, make a list of the books and authors you come across that you like and voila! Now you have a purpose when you go to the EB library!

It's much easier to find good books at the book store because they are displayed nicely but that doesn't mean you have to buy them there...