in defense of libraries

I ran into someone today in the library, someone who I had known on the surface. by no means were we close friends. We were in the same realm of fellow student or teacher kind of thing. I really knew virtually nothing about this person except what I gleaned during the time our paths had crossed. But you know, you still smile, you still say hello, and are cordial in the chit chat. I imagine we all have these relationships in our lives.

Well I ran in to this person in the library of all places where they confided to me that they had no idea what to read, or what they wanted. My ears of course perked up, and said, well you know they have a review section on their website, where you can see reviews for the past, oh almost thirty weeks now.... and I walked them right over to one of my all time favorite books that I have reviewed for the library (because I happened to be in that section) and said, you should read this, it's a lot of fun.

(Insert Author' s name here) Hmmm Never heard of them.

And then they said something that kind of took me by surprise. 'They don't really have a lot of books here anyway.....'

What followed was a little bit like verbal tennis.


them: there's no books here.

me: well, actually there are. and they can get ills.

them: but i don't know what i want.

me: look at the website for the reviews, there's a ton of them. Wallander; Neverwhere; Jasper Fforde's stuff.... tons of it. all right here.

them: but I could go buy it too.

me: yep you could.

them: but it's so expensive now and things are so tight.

me: yep.

them: and it's only going to get worse.

me: probably.



We parted ways, by walking to a few of our favorite books and recommending them. I took out one that I never would have looked at - it looks like hard boiled murder mystery with characters that my acquaintance said, are just repeated in the series, (along with the storyline - also said by my acquaintance)... and they took home one of my favorites that I read and reviewed under Rebecca's Reviews. (I will not say which one out of privacy and respect for the acquaintance.)


the reason I am sharing this experience is this:


I used to think the library didn't have anything. I thought that for a library it was vastly underfed, and incredibly lazy in its collection (meaning it didn't stretch beyond a few genres for its audience: primarily Bodice Ripper Romances for old ladies, Tom Clancy, and the annoying Generic YA fiction that might instantly induce an up right encore of my dinner).


I used to be one those people that I just met at the library. I am ashamed to say it but I was. I won't get into reasons or whys. But I'll say that for a while I left more often empty handed than when I left laden. I preferred buying my books via amazon.com or barnes and nobles.com. (I still love amazon.com.) I just figured that the library wouldn't have what I was looking for.


But the problem with buying books online is that you can't hold it in your hands. And there's always the chance of buying a book that you really didn't enjoy. There's always the chance that you'll leave the library with a book you won't like - but the difference is you won't be out twenty bucks if you use the library.

So after being burned by a bad book experience - great reviews, bad book, and out twenty bucks - I walked back through the library doors. It had been years literally since I had crossed the threshold. But I took a chance and looked around. And I walked out with a book I was looking for. Pleasantly surprised.


I have been stunned and amazed at how courteous are. I am tickled that when they get to know you, you may find yourself with a book on hold or reserve for you because they have gotten to know your reading style and tastes. (Of course this is only if they know you and you are comfortable with their recommendations) Talk about customer Service!

I am always amazed at the growing collection of books in rotation, and the amount of best sellers, critical acclaim, literary, under the radar and cutting edge books they have in stock, or that they are willing to ILL per request.

I requested a book via ILL about six months ago, and it came in finally. (This was a book that was a borderline, do I buy it or get it via the library first - some parenting book). I had forgotten about it, and assumed the library had as well. But nope. The library got it in got for me. It may have taken six months and had to come all the way from Pittsburgh, but they didn't forget, and it got here.

I am amazed at how at home my daughter is in the library (perhaps a little too at home, but we're working on our Library Manners). She says hello to the librarians, speaks to them. To her, the library is a place of magic and wonder. There is nothing boring about it. It's a place to get new books. It's a place to meet new people, to explore, to find new things. It's just all out excitement.

They people behind the desk aren't just the Librarians, but they are friends, some I have known for years upon years, and others I have only known for about six months. And it's not just me who has the experience of pleasantries with the ladies behind the desk. How many little children come to story hour to be read to by volunteers (and then sometimes plop themselves down in the bean bags in the back to read to each other)? How many people come and do activities in the community room? How many times have I seen people leave the library smiling, laughing, as if leaving a good friend's house after a cuppa tea, and some shortbread?

All the time.

And they do this with a budget that has been cut thrice now - having lost $30,000 in funding. They do it with a smile, with grace and with an air of welcome. They are optimists, whoa re willing to roll up their sleeves because they believe in what the library is and what it can become. And so should we.

The library isn't just a building with books. it's not just a bunch of people behind a desk who check in books, check out books, and send out overdue notices. the library is the people who make it up. it's the patrons. it's the children who run around after story hour, or any other time of the week. it's the volunteers. It's the book. It's a community where everyone has something to offer, something to give and to receive. We are lucky to have such a great library here in our podunk town.



Maybe for some it's a place to check their email and to keep in touch with family and friends. For others it's a place to trace their family history via ancestry.com. Maybe it's a place for studies. Or just to explore.

If you think there's nothing here for you, then go look again. Go talk to someone. Go read the reviews. Go to the New York times Best Seller List, GoodReads.com and type in some books you like - odds are you'll come out with at least a few recommendations. Or go to Page Turners Blog - which is an EXCELLENT blog dedicated to YA fiction (www.pageturnersblog.com). see what else they recommend,

and then go look at the library's online card catalog (www.tunk.com/library) Odds are you 'll find at least a couple hits, with some very amenable librarians willing to go ILL a few for you. They'll probably even give you some ideas if you talk to them.. Perhaps you'll pique their interest to purchase the book you're looking for for the permanent collection. (Librarians do take suggestions - so says the suggestion box back by the two red chairs in the YA section).

In the words of Joni Mitchell: Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got til it's gone. Pave paradise to put up a parking lot.






So from a believer, to a disillusioned 'atheist', to one of the converted, when it comes to libraries, I'll say Amen.

the fox and the child

have you seen this film???


It's absolutely gorgeous!



originally done in French, the library has the version dubbed in English with Kate Winslet narrating.
Breathtaking film!

Aren't we lucky to have a library that has such a great variety of films, full of hidden gems like this?

In Defense of Love Stories

In my last post, I brought up the question of why there were so many great love stories centered around death, or why it seemed like all of the great ones involved someone dying.

Maybe it was because I had just finished watching the Painted Veil and I fell in love with it, and I desperately wanted Edward Norton to live (who doesn't, really? Perhaps live right next door...)

And you know what? As soon as I posted it, I thought, well that's not right. There's a whole bunch of great love stories that don't revolve around death.

So to present a balanced view..... Here's some love stories that don't necessarily revolve around death. And maybe one or in some other in between category thrown in for good measure.



The Princess Bride

This has to be one of the most adorable, lovely, great love story films of all time. It's not overly schlocky. In the words of Fred Savage: Is This a Kissing Book? The tolerance for over sentimentality is nil, so we aren't reduced to tears by too much angst. What we are treated to is an exceptionally classic fairy tale, love story with all the great things: True love, dueling, life, death, murder, betrayal,pirates, an evil Prince....



you won't cry. but you'll laugh. your heart will be warmed. And if nothing else, you can oogle Cary Elwes when he's young and hot, before the whole Saw thing.


Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World



absolutely fun. With a definite technology and comic book motif carried through, Scott Piilgrim Vs. the World is one of those special little films that just makes you laugh, and root for the guy like no tomorrow. I Love Michael Cera in this, and I have to say Kieran Culkin absolutely steals the entire show.






The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

This is in the Other Category. It does involve death, k as Captain Greg is dead. But it's still a beautiful paranormal love story.


A Life Less Ordinary

So under the radar and soo awesome. This a love story for grown ups, who may have some potty mouth issues and who take their chocolate as dark as possible.

Holly Hunter and the other guy (Terrible isnt it) play two angels who are sent from heaven to get to people to fall in love. Theya re the best at their job. Apparently God is angry with all the divorces, and He is coming down on the underlings in the corporation (again, terrible sounding, but, well go for it). Gabriel whose face you will recognize, is the boss and lays out the mission. Make these two people fall in love (Cameron Diaz's character and Ewan McGregor's character) or they (the angels) don't ever get to come back to Heaven.
Cameron's Diaz's character is a spoiled little rich girl who's all grown up. Ewan McGregor is a janotiro who works for Diaz's father's company. Unlikely to say the least.
The angels come to earth masquerading not as angels, but more along the lines of hitmen, people who 'solve problems' for money.




The Corpse Bride - another from the OTHER Category.
the trailer doesn't serve t justice. and youtube has the majority of the embedding disabled per request. While it is a tim burton film, and it looks creepy, it's actually a really beautiful story. Victor whose family is nuveau riche, is marryign into old money (except they have no money. The union is to solidify the other family's financial standing). Victor being nervous, fumbles at the rehearsal. Exasperated, he goes out to the woods to practice, and does a beautiful job, even slipping the ring on a long twig. But the twig isn't a twig. it's actually a skeletal bone. He has indeed, by accident, gotten married to a corpse - Emily. What follows is the story of what do you do? Victor is a good guy, and wants to do the right thing, but she's dead. And he thinks he might actually love, or might be able to love Victoria his living and breathing fiancee.
Beautiful, musical (by Danny Elfman who does the Simpsons), and not terribly long. It clocks in under two hours definitely. While it looks creepy, it's more humourous than grotesque, and per parental judgement might even be suitable for older children. (if they could do Nightmare before Christmas, they could do Corpse Bride. Corpse Bride isn't nearly as creepy as Nightmare Before Christmas.) (Watch it first and all. I'd be ok with showing it to my eleven year old neice, no problem. She's on the older spectrum of childhood..)





Jane Austen

you can pretty much put all of Jane Austen films in this. So honestly I will, but really truly, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice are my favorites. Especially Persuasion. sigh. Ciarian Hinds.
But since I've already talked about Pride and Prejudice in the reviews, I won't talk about it again...

persuasion

This is probably my favorite. Anne is a spinster. she's in her upper twenties and people have basically writen her off of ever getting married. She had a proposal once, but she was just nineteen and he had nothign to recommend him, so at the advice of Anne's trusted older female friend and substitute mother (Anne's mother died when she was very young) she rejected him.
Then, of course, because it is jane austen, and it is semi predicatable and formulaeic, he comes back, and becomes reacquainted with her family, only to start wooing Anne's younger sister in law.
This is a truly beautiful film. A great one for the girls, kick the men out of the house and swoon and swoon and swoon.

The trailer doesn't do it justice.




emma
matchmaker matchmkaer, make me a match... except they're always wrong.




mansfield park

Fanny price is sent away to live with er rich aunt and uncle and to be brought up in society with the prospects of marrying well.



Sense and Sensibility

Yes that is the lovely Alan Rickman there again. sigh. How I could have been blind to him for so long, I don't know. What's the line, when i was a child i had chidish thigns, when i grew up I put away my childish things? I can only guess that, Alan rickman is of a more mature, sophisticated taste.



Now out of the Jane Austen vein,


Here is The Holiday



charming, sweet. Jack Black is charming, Jude Law is pretty. Kate Winslet is lovely and Cameron Diaz s just a bubbly all American irl. Sweet film. ovely lovely. great for a girls night in.

Under the Tuscan Sun
before, Eat, Pray Love, there was Under the Tuscan sun..






And of course there are any number of Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan Films... They should win the Nobel Prize for chemistry.

Joe Vs. the Volcano



Sleepless in Seattle




But I will say that Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr definitely give them a run for their money in chemistry..


Hope Floats



regardless your mood, there's something about a good love story to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.