Gimme Me, Gimme Me

On the odd chance that you weren’t completely convinced about the metaphysical benefits of going to the West Seneca Library  (see yesterday’s post), here is a list of all the physical things I got from the library and how they made my world a better place...

• Thinkertoys, by Michael Michalko, a book outlining creativity tools that is personally inspiring (that’s just a bonus) and will help me write my research paper for my class in facilitating group problem solving.  This makes me feel like a good, and thrifty, grad student.
• Three brand new, hot off the presses YA books for my daughter, who, at 14, still loves to read if she find the right book - fortunately, I usually know what will hook her and only need to leave the alluringly books on the dining room table to be devoured.  This makes me feel like a good mom.
• Three new audio books on CD (this was pretty extravagant, even for me but I couldn’t choose and don’t know when I’ll be back at this branch) God Never Blinks, Regina Brett, In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - love this series, comfort food for the soul, and The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chjabon ( looks juicy but a little brain-stretching as well).
• The Guide to Literary Agents was in the reference section.  I’ve been thinking about how to to turn some of my blog entries into magazine articles.   Reference books can’t be checked out but I will look for a copy in the Niagara library system when I get closer to home  The guide was filled with great essays from authors explaining how they got there start - inspirational!  This makes me feel like I’m moving forward with my personal goals.
• Online at the Buffalo & Erie County Public  Library ‘s research site, I accessed thousands of journals, books,  periodicals and papers to find peer reviewed articles for my research paper for grad school  - not only did I find the full text articles but I was able to email them to myself to use as a continued resource  - for free.  Again, feeling like a good student.
• Finally, on my way out I picked up a copy of the local arts paper to get some ideas about what was going on in Buffalo this week and I bought a few chapter books for my classroom from the used book shelf (.25 cents a each).  This makes me feel like a good mom and a good teacher.

If I had more leisure time I could have also picked out a movie on DVD to watch or  some CDs to rock out to, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  Where else can you get one stop shopping to feel like a good parent, student, worker, learner and human being without spending any money?  Actually, even if you did want to spend your money where would you go?
They just don’t make a place that is more useful, beneficial, fun and cost effective than the library - I hate to think of what we would lose without it.