My first book of the year: The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
This book tells the story of the Los Angeles Central Library, with a special focus on the fire that closed it for six years (and a bizarre investigation). Interspersed, are lots of sometimes quirky and sometimes useful facts about libraries past, present and future.
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I read an ebook version from my local library, the Tompkins County Public Library (I also often get ebooks from the New York Public Library). I found the book generally fascinating, and it reinforced my appreciation for libraries and their roles in a community. It has me thinking more again about how libraries are one of the few public spaces outside capitalism. And renewed my interest in other types of resource sharing systems. Like here in Ithaca we have a toy library. And I’ve long thought it would be great to have a neighborhood resource sharing registry, like how many Bundt pans does a neighborhood need?
Do you use your library? Do you use any other kind of resource sharing?