Showing posts with label Public Library Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public Library Reading. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Supporting the Public Library



Earlier in June with the launch of the Sewn website, I was curious and wanted to examine the quilting book Material Obsession by Australian authors Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty. Sarah Fielke is the creator of the Sewn website. I searched at my LQS and the local "J" store, but could not find the book at either store. Occasionally, I search our local library system online catalog for new quilting titles. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my public library had a copy of Material Obsession in their collection. I placed a request for the book. In a short amount of time, I received an e-mail that the book was available for me to pick up at my local branch.

I enjoyed the book. The quilters used brightly colored fabric. Many of the patterns were traditional quilt patterns, but with bright, modern material. I especially enjoyed the side notes with comments on the quilts. While I didn't discover any quilts that I just HAD to make myself (thankfully), I did enjoy reading and experiencing this book.

Most public libraries have a service called Inter-Library Loan. This service borrows books from other library systems for their patrons. Yesterday, I had the idea to request another quilting book that I wanted to read. I have often purchased my own copy of books that I first explored from the library. So I filled in the online request form and figured I have to wait a couple of weeks before I heard anything. Today, I received an e-mail that the book that I requested can't be loaned through inter-library loan since it hasn't been out for a year. They wanted to know if I'd like to request that they move my request to the Suggested Purchase List. Wow! That's even better.

Our public library here in Gwinnett County, Georgia is fabulous!!!!

Friday, January 16, 2009

In the Stack

 Our public library system is fantastic. I depend on the PL for most of my personal reading matter and some professional (children's literature) too. It seemed everything I placed on Hold in the last month, several hundred other folks remembered to reserve a copy before I did. Yesterday, everything was available all at the same time. This is a picture of the stack of books my son picked up for me. There is no way that I can get all of these read in three weeks. Problem. What do I begin reading first? What a great problem to have on a long holiday weekend :)