The Thrifty Therapist: The Library

I am a library person.

Now, I haven't been as dedicated to going to the library as I would have liked in the past several decades, but I am back now.

When I was a kid, going to the library was a great adventure. I had no restrictions on what I could check out, so I would get novels by Frank Herbert and Nancy Drew stories in the same trip. I roamed the young adult books and the adult fiction sections to get as many books as I could hold. I loved the library in the towns where I grew up, but I only remember the last hometown's building.

In 2024, I made going to the library in my current hometown a priority for myself. I finally remembered how much fun it was to be surrounded by books and to select some to borrow. I got a new library card and then joined the summer reading program. We had to read 10 books to qualify for the prize - I read over 50 in three months. Since the summer reading program, I have been going to the library as often as possible.

I have only really gone into the adult fiction stacks at my library, but it is just about time to explore other areas as well. I will be looking through the DVDs before heading over to the Young Adult section to explore there.

My sister has a friend that is a librarian who was interested in the library program in my town. She looked it up online and was thrilled by the website and the programs that my library offers. I haven't taken the step to join anything yet, but I am teetering on the verge of joining the mystery club or the other book clubs that are offered. This would be a good way to get some socialization in as well as ensuring that I get to the library at least once per month for new books.

There are so many things that libraries have to offer to music therapists. Music recordings, singable books, DVDs, ways to relax and people to talk to. One of our local music therapists does a weekly group for young children and their parents - her name is Singing Sarah. It is just a fun place to be.

In addition to physical media and books, I am starting to use the digital resources that my library provides. I am using Kanopy, but I haven't started using Libby yet. I have too many e-books that I haven't read yet to start borrowing more. I probably won't use Libby, but I really enjoy using Kanopy!

The one downside to my library is that it is downtown, and I am not happy about having to go downtown. There is a big tourist component to our downtown area, and I am not fond of navigating the one-way streets and crowds of people trying to shop. I do most of my library browsing on holidays when the library opens at 10am. Well, I guess that is another thing that I am not happy about - they open at 10am! That's halfway through my day!! No matter how much I complain though, I am loving my library life!

I am halfway through book #35 for the year, and I anticipate that I will be using more and more of the resources provided by my local library in the upcoming months. What does your local library provide for you?

Comments

  1. King G6:16 PM

    The library really is a special place—it holds memories, stories, and even a sense of comfort. In a way, it reminds me of individual therapy, where we explore different parts of ourselves, just like browsing through books to find the right one.

    ReplyDelete

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