Connections

I have to confess that, as an avid read, I have not had a library card for years.  In the beginning it was the damn fines.  In the 1960's the late fees more than doubled from 2 cents per day per book to a whopping 5 cents per day per book.  There were times I forfeited my card as I simply couldn't afford to pay the fines.  I did keep an eye on library news though as there was often a day where you could simply return your books, no questions asked, no fines assessed.  If you missed the day, you were hooped.

There is also that other thing where I like to eat when I'm reading.  Libraries are not keen on their books coming back with chocolate and/or peanut butter splotches on the pages.  They also don't love dog-eared pages and notes in the columns (even if they are erased until the page starts shedding).  

I have many friends who read and are willing to share, but I am also careful about that.  I rarely borrowed from my friend Ingrid even though the books she read were inspiring.  Ingrid's books were in tip-top shape, hardly a spine cracked.  Not borrowing material for the likes of me!

A few weeks ago I was out for a walk and passed our local public library.  I went in and got myself a library card.  It sat in my wallet for a while but after Christmas I decided it was time to stop buying ALL the books I wanted and start checking some out from the library. This is not the library of the olden days.  Once you have a card there is very little need to interact with anyone at all.  This goes against everything I remember about the library.  Hi Terrill, you know that new book by. . . do you have it in and where would I find it?  She would tell me that Fran was still reading it but it should be back next Thursday.  I could put my name in a draw for any number of fund-raising shenanigans and catch up on the all of the local news.  I was never in that library when there wasn't a friendly, welcoming conversation to greet you at the door. I have not been coming to this particular library long enough to know if they even have a 'Crackles' type mascot to pique your curiosity and engage the young ones.

Once I decided which of my "to be read' books I wanted to buy and which I would sign out, I headed to the library.  I did my search online at a computer, scanned the shelves, signed those books out at a computer and headed to a quiet corner to do a bit of writing before I headed home.  I had not interacted with one person.  No one was curious about my reads.  That is, until Tony showed up.

Tony passed by my table and glanced down at the two books I had chosen.  He asked if he could take a picture of each title with his phone and then asked me why I had picked those particular books.  I had just finished reading The Correspondent (by Virginia Evans) and in her book she mentioned letter writing with the author Joan Didion.  While the Correspondent is a novel, the title character talks about books she has loved and authors she has written to.  More than once she mentioned The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion so this was one of the books I had on my library list.  As I was looking for this book I came across another book written by a favourite author of mine, Erica Bauermeister.  I have enjoyed her novels but her book, House Lessons - Renovating a Life, was non-fiction so I picked it up as well.  Tony had a few questions and I enjoyed the conversation.  I enjoyed his curiosity and I enjoyed the reflective thinking involved in why I had chosen those two particular books.

My disappointment at the lack of human interaction  was taken care of by a sauntering 'older man' and my judgement of the role of the public library was softened.  Thanks for that, Tony!  

I am planning on becoming a regular patron (if I can keep my messes off of the pages).  I don't know the fine situation any more but now that I am retired I have no excuses for not adhering to the due dates.  Perhaps in time I will learn the ebb and flow of this new place and start to recognize, and maybe even become, one of the regulars.  Here's hoping.