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Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 14th, '22, 20:20
by Amura
That's great mem, keep it up! :qstar:

Have you tried an online library?
Here they don't have as many books, but still they have an interesting variety - and you can check them from the comfort of your own home, which is invaluable in these crazy times.


Oh, Li Li, that's crazy!
I enjoy spending time in a bookstore as much as any other fellow, but never ever had they to kick me out xD
(After a while my head swirls and I can't check anything else anymore.)

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 14th, '22, 21:49
by Akili Li
Things our local library does:
  • *Orders books for you, if you put in a book purchase request (save money! Yay!)

    *Lets you sign up to use study rooms for when you really need to concentrate (or host a study group session)

    *Has a bank of computers for people to use (in case your modem dies and you can't use your internet at home and need to go online to order a replacement)

    *Printing service

    *Reference Librarians (for when you need to know something but don't even know where to start to look it up)

    *Hosts book signing events

    *Hosts children's reading events, including in other languages

    *Loans out electronic equipment (say you want to see your grandparent's wedding on home video and it's in a VHS format, so you can borrow the VHS player from the library)

    *Runs regular classes to teach things like how to write resumes, basic computer skills, basic gardening geared towards local conditions, how to recognize invasive species and where to report them, medical insurance options and where to find them, how to contact the local politicians, how to file your taxes, etc

    *Regularly makes runs out to hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, and hospice patients' homes to deliver books and other materials

    *Allows use of their large meeting rooms for local non-profit events (volunteer events, government events, weddings, whatever)

    *Hosts an annual book swap event

    *Holds a constant small book sale, and larger sales periodically

    *Teaches people how to use recording equipment and loans it out (so if you want to use professional level equipment to record your kid's school play, you can)

    *Runs regular language sessions on several of the more common local languages (both teaching-style and conversation-group styles)

    *Hosts several bulletin boards for local citizens and businesses to use (I've seen posts for everything from "looking for roommate" to "offering out-of-body classes" to "Selling tractor attachments" to "Radio operator volunteers needed for County Emergency Response teams" to "Vote here to determine the recipient of next year's ZombieWalk fundraising")

    *Has free boilerplate forms for commonly needed things, like wills, rent agreement forms, private sale contract forms, medical directives, request forms for military service records, title transfers, etc.

    *Trains people how to do book repair

    *Probably more but I don't know it.

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 14th, '22, 23:32
by Amura
Your library does A LOT of things :mcshock:

I can borrow books. I can request them books from other public libraries.
The library has a study room, I think you don't need to sign up to use it but I'm not sure.
No public computers and even less a printing service.
The librarian is not the smartest guy around...
Does not host anything, no loans, no classes of any kind.

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 15th, '22, 01:46
by Akili Li
Honestly the library in this place is why my family ended up moving here.
>.<

It's pretty amazing.


Okay I need some book recommendations.
Preferably light fiction! I need something cheerful if possible.

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 15th, '22, 14:09
by Amura
Now I'm daydreaming about cool libraries! :mcsquee:

Recommendations?
Hmm... I don't know what to say, when I want something light I usually check short stories.

Ah, I've thought of one!
Do you like fantasy and fairy tales?
If you do, I would recommend Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 15th, '22, 22:33
by memoriam
Amura wrote:That's great mem, keep it up! :qstar:

Have you tried an online library?
Here they don't have as many books, but still they have an interesting variety - and you can check them from the comfort of your own home, which is invaluable in these crazy times.
Online library? How does that work, do you just read stuff online? I don't think I've heard of those (but also, I really have no clue about any sort of libraries, so... :mcheh: )

Wow, Akili, your library rocks :mclove: :mccool:
Can't recommend anything from the top of my head...

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 16th, '22, 00:32
by Akili Li
Well, the Gutenberg Project has a lot of free online reading material -you can read it online or download it onto your own device so you can continue to read even if your internet goes down.
But I'm not sure if that's the same thing.


Short stories are too short. They aren't satisfying enough.
Spinning Silver is good, though! But I already own and have read that one.
Keep going?

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 16th, '22, 17:43
by Amura
The Gutenberg project is very interesting too.

Here our public libraries have an online version too.
You can get digital books there, and read them in any digital device (e-reader, tablet, computer).



Hmmm...

Ever read Howl's moving castle?
It's a kid's book (therefore simple) but still nice for adult readers who are looking for something light.

If you want something more adult but hilarious, anything by Terry Pratchett.
Discworld is such a great series.

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 16th, '22, 18:25
by Akili Li
Yes, already own complete works of both Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones (I'm very fond of the duo she wrote with the griffon characters. What as the name of that one? The first one was the Dark Lord of somewhere, right? Hm. Okay, that was a good recommendation, I'll go reread those.)

Re: The 2022 Reading Challenge

Posted: Feb 17th, '22, 15:49
by Amura
Well, at least I suggested the kind of things you like...
Even if as suggestions were pretty useless :mclaugh: