I think I have told you before how great my local library is.
It was pretty obvious this week when it re-opened after the Christmas/New Year holidays. The car park was full and there were people everywhere.
Apart from great facilities such as the children's room shown below
it also has access to a great collection via the SWAP network of 7 libraries.
This ensures that even for popular titles don't occasion huge waiting time.
Which means I have access to great crime fiction reads.
Here are the books I have out at present.
- A TRICK OF THE LIGHT: [a Chief Inspector Gamache novel] / Louise Penny.
- THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS : an inquiry into the distressing circumstances surrounding an alleged apparition lately recorded in Cambridge ; set down for the curious in the form of a novel / Andrew Taylor.
- THE MISSING / Jane Casey.
- A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD : a Flavia de Luce novel / Alan Bradley
- BLOOD MOON / Garry Disher.
- THE VAULT / Ruth Rendell.
Books on my request list
- BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP : a novel / S.J. Watson.
- THE IMPOSSIBLE DEAD / Ian Rankin.
- THE BROTHERHOOD / Y.A. Erskine.
- THE CROWDED GRAVE : an investigation by Bruno, Chief of Police / Martin Walker.
- BACKLASH : a Monika Paniatowski mystery / Sally Spencer.
6 comments:
Kerrie - That does look like a lovely library. I'm glad you have such a great resource, and you've got some fine reads there, too.
Your library is gorgeous!
That is a gorgeous sculpture.
I'm using the Adelaide city council library more these days as it's easier for me to get to with my work schedule. They've even started offering ebooks for loan though I trawled through 300 items labelled 'mystery' and only found one I would actually want to read (and I already own it). I tend to find the library good for American and English books, OK for Australian books and not great for translated books. As it's these latter two categories that I'm more interested in these days I don't suppose I am using the library as much as I did a few years ago, though I do have more disposable income these days too which is another factor - I figure I should support the book industry while I can :)
Gosh, would I love to have access to that library, including the children's room.
In contrast, my library barely has any books, and less crime fiction. The shelves are nearly bare. Lots of culling of books, few purchases and mostly boring best sellers. Nothing to select, although one can -- and I do -- search the system online and put books on hold.
Not a fun place to visit any more.
I'm jealous when you compare your library to mine ;-)
At last, though, they have introduced a cross-London loan service (not just limited to the borough you live in, as has been the case for ever) and an online reservation service, which I have just started using. That's great, though I'll draw a slight veil over the actual library and its lack of welcomingness.
of your books borrowed, I've read and enjoyed The Missing and The Vault. On your reserve list, I've recently read Before/Sleep and The Impossible Dead, both from the library - the former was poor, the latter very good, in my view.
I for one was relieved when my library reopened after the Christmas break!
Bernadette, not sure if you still can, but last year you could join libraries in different states for elending so you might want to try joining Yarra Plenty library and City of Melbourne library to see if their selections are any better. Or maybe, try it the other way around!
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