The Library Lover’s Book Tag

I saw this tag on Jillian the Bookish Butterfly. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time at the library and reading a lot of library books, so it really caught my attention! Libraries are amazing resources for more than just books, and I think one of the best things we can do as book bloggers is promote libraries. So here I go!

How often do you visit your local library?

It depends on the time of year and how quickly I read my books. During summer vacation I’m at the library at least once a week. However, during the school year it takes me much longer to read books, and I also get gifted books for my birthday and Christmas. I might visit once or twice a month, maybe even less.

Are you the type of person who checks out more books than you can read or are you someone who checks out the exact amount of books you intend to read before they are due?

I definitely don’t check out anything I’m not planning on reading! What if someone else wanted to read it but they couldn’t check it out because it was collecting dust at my house?!?! Rude.

How many books I check out, again, depends on the time of year. In the summer I check out up to five at a time so I don’t have to go back every other day. But during the school year I usually only get one, MAYBE two if they’re short.

How old were you when you got your first library card?

I have no idea. I definitely remember that I wasn’t allowed to have one as a kid because the library had an age limit, so I had to use my mom’s. Then I went to school and used the school library, so I didn’t need one. I didn’t ever go in high school because I couldn’t ever get a ride all the way over there, but I definitely remember going at least once in middle school. I checked out a King Arthur re-telling about Mordred.

Do you go to your library for a particular book or do you check out anything that piques your interest?

I am not really a browser. I like to get in and out. I always check to make sure they have the book I’m looking for on the online catalog before I show up, and even place holds so I can just walk in and get it.

As long as we’re talking about holds, INTER-LIBRARY LOANS!!!! My library is quite small and doesn’t stock a lot of books. (Seriously, not a single copy of The Catcher in the Rye. What???) However, we partner with about a dozen other area libraries, and they will ship books over an hour to MY library for ME to read! There’s still sometimes books I can’t get, but usually someone will have what I want.

Do you only check out books or do you also get DVDs, audiobooks, etc.?

Most of the time I only check out books. My husband and I have been known to borrow the occasional obscure theater DVD from the library at the University where he works/studies. Things like The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Pirates of Penzance, or Jekyll and Hyde. I have also checked out Bill Nye or similar things for my classroom. But for the most part we just do books. I used to do ebooks, but my tablet died. 😦

From what section of the library do you check out most of your books?

Like I said, our library is pretty small. It has 5 sections. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Large Print, Young Adult, Kids. So most of my books come from the fiction section! YA comes in second.

What is your favorite part of using your local library?

Free books! Can I get an amen?!

Seriously though, I used to never use the library. As a kid and teen my parents bought me all the books I wanted, and the library where I grew up was so hard to get to. So when I entered my adult years I kept trying to buy my books because that’s what I was used to. I started getting so frustrated that I couldn’t afford to read, and I was mostly re-reading things I already owned. Then one day my husband came home and said “I got a library card today,” and my brain basically exploded. I felt like such a dork for forgetting the library existed. Since then I’ve fallen in love with libraries. I’m able to read SO MUCH MORE than I was before, and I’m saving so much money.

So far in 2018 alone I’ve read almost $400 worth of books from the library. And that’s not like I have $400 more to spend on other things. That’s $400 worth of books that I would have been unable to read otherwise. Guys, libraries are amazing.

---

I’m tagging everyone because I want to spread the library love.

• Beware of the Reader
• Hammock of Books
• Joelendil’s Kingdom of Books
• Perspective of a Writer
• Pages Unbound
• Birdie Bookworm
• Ginger Mom Reads
• Modern Witch’s Bookshelf
• 5171 Miles Book Blog
• Anatomy of a Book Thief
• ReadRantRock&Roll
• Books Teacup and Reviews
• Mousai Books
• Kristin Kraves Books
• Lair of Books
• Egg Reader
• Diary of a Bookfiend
• Naty’s Bookshelf
• Book Princess Reviews
• Flavia the Bibliophile
• Books Vertigo and Tea
• The Orangutan Librarian
• Little Blind Book Finds
• Darque Dreamer Reads