I really do adore you. You are filled with fantastic, interesting books on pretty much any subject under the sun. Many of those books are delightfully musty and smell of interesting places and times. However, like most things, you have your faults. I am writing to address the several small irksome things that bother readers everywhere.
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| A random lamb picture. Meet Louisa May Alcott. |
1. Puhlease do not ever, under any circumstance, put the barcode right over the synopsis. I'm not going to check out a book if I have no idea what it is about. There have been many books that look very interesting, but are all covered up by stickers and barcodes, so that I can't see the cover and I can't see the plot and I can see about half of the author's name.
2. I am begging you: don't get rid of the old, archaic books. They are usually some of the most charming and interesting books. I understand that they might not be as huge a crowd pleaser as vampire fiction. However, the old dears have lived a long life and deserve a respectable old age on a nice library shelf, not pitched in the library sale bin. If you keep them, I promise I will check them all out and read them cover to cover.
3. Comfy armchairs- how would you feel about putting some really comfy armchairs in a cozy little corner? I doubt that a squishy old armchair is any more expensive than the stiff chairs you have sitting rather awkwardly around. That said, this is lower on the list than keeping the old books and the barcodes covering up important parts. I understand that you have limited money, thanks to cuts in state funding, which is most definitely not your fault.
4. I wish that I could have more book requests from inter-library loan. Honestly, after 1/2 an hour with my book blogs, I have far more than 5 book requests. I understand that if everybody got 100 requests, there would be no books left on the shelves. But 10 requests? Please?
And those, dear Library, are my simple requests. However, I want you to know that if you don't fulfill my requests, I will still come faithfully every week. I am so pleased with the great service that you do to my community. One of the best services in the world is access to free books, wherever and whoever you are.
Your's Truly,
Clara
Aw . . . love Louisa May's photo.
ReplyDeleteNice letter to your library - and I hope it works out for you.
Well, it'll never actually get sent, but I'm glad you like it. Am I the only person that composes letters in her head? And isn't Louisa May darling? Her brother is named Charles Dickens.
DeleteI so agree about the limited book requests. When Alex was little it was 10, so it's just in the past few years it's gone down to 5. I got Nick to get a library card so I can use his to reserve 5 books too, heh heh. I'm starting "The Egg and I" today, thanks for all your great book reviews!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's fun to have family readers :) I didn't know that it used to be 10 books! I wonder why they cut down on the number.
Deletethis is wonderful! i work part time at a very small town library, but before moving here, this was exactly me. the reason why i say its not all me now, is because we put barcodes on the fron of the book, have a shelf of very, very, very old books, don't have room for chairs and i am still finding books there i need to read (curse of a librarian, you know? others return books all day just so i can see them, go crazy and then have to carry home a 50lb. sack)
ReplyDeletebut a our last library before we moved, this is exactly what i always wanted to say to them. you really should send this, for real!
~Abigail
Thanks! Well...my original plan wasn't to send this, but I might edit it a bit and then send it in. I think you might have convinced me! And that is so cool that you work at a library! It's bit of a dream job of mine.
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