lukewarmwater

My library is pretty much where the homeless hang out. They haven't gotten a new book in ten years and those old books they do have are in such shotty condition that it's like reading from used toilet paper.

So much question is very simply, does your library suck? Is it just a my town thing?

I've even heard such wild rumors that librarys in the city have graphic novels.

I've gone to my college library as well but they don't have very many books, even though they're at least trying.

Cameron

have not been to my new local library, but the local libraries in nashville were amazing....everything you could ever want on book, film, music....if they didn't have it they would get it.

i spent much time there

Jeremy517

I went to our library to check out the audio book section. It was all tapes; no CDs at all.

FantasticVSDoom

Although our branch isnt the best looking or biggest, cant really complain about our library as I can get anything within a day or two if its out or not at our branch. Queens Public Library system isnt part of NYC public library system, but its still pretty good. Get to rent all the free Criterions and has saved me an ass load of money because before I would just buy anything I wanted to read. They do have a ton of graphic novels as well, although few months to few years old.

Ginwen

My library is fine. It's part of a library system so I can usually get what I want. And they do have graphic novels, at least until someone steals them.

Geofferson

I honestly haven't been to the library in years. Have been meaning to go, but I prefer to buy most, if not all, the books I read.

areacode212

Yep...I work near the Central branch of the Queens Public Library, and it's really awesome. They had an extremely good selection of DVDs, and lots of current books. A few years ago, before I acquired the bulk of my DVD collection, I did loads of borrowing there. They even had a copy of Charulata - The Lonely Wife on VHS, which I needed for a school paper. I keep meaning to head over there to see if they have anything interesting.

littlefuzzy

Oklahoma City and the metropolitan area is one of the larger cities( in area, not population) and they have a large Metropolitan Library System with about 15 branches, and over 1 million books (according to their website.

They just built a state of the art main branch downtown.

There is a booksale every year that sells off extra books and donated items. In 2003, they made about 213,000 dollars for the library system.

They have a good selection of CDs, although they have been limited to VHS on movies. I have heard, however, that they are starting a DVD collection that will be soon made available to library patrons. They had about 500 graphic novels last time I checked, with more on the way every month. Many of the GNs are manga titles.

Premise

Same here,I can pretty much get whatever I want.

Scarecrow

Same here. The libraries around here are very good, but I never seem to get there.

MrKen

My library is very old, but they try very hard to be good, and they are part of a wider network of libraries. There is a plan to do a major upgrade on our library soon, and given how much money they intend to spend and the quality of everything else around here (Walnut Creek, CA), the library will probably kick some major ass. Well, as much as libraries can kick ass, anyway.

I recently re-visited the local library I used when I was a kid- the Sachem Public Library in Long Island, New York. They consistently upgrade the place, and it has always been pretty good.

For those of you who like to buy books rather than check em out of the library, I suggest you hit the library anyway. Almost all of them have some sort of book sale, generally weak, but also a semi-private "Friends of the library" which is usually very very good, and very very cheap. My local library always has people poking around there with lists and PDAs, I imagine they are running shops or EBay businesses. About two weeks ago, I picked up at least $100 worth of books (that I was ready to purchase at used/new shops) for $6.50. I felt like I was robbing the place. I let them keep the change for the $10.

Fincher Fan

They have libraries for books now?

boredsilly

The Baltimore County Public Library system is pretty damn good. They get a lot of new books and it's pretty easy to get what you want. I don't really go much as I like to just buy a bunch of books when I find stuff interesting on sale, clearance, or used so I always have a backlog.

My one complaint is that our libraries don't look like libraries (or at least not how I think a library should look). They look like boring office buildings or hospitals, all sterile and vanilla. I would love to have access to an Oxfordy looking library, but this is a very small and superficial problem. We do have a few nice libraries like that in the city, but I never feel like going all that way.

Pointyskull

I'm in our local library every three or four days picking something up - books, DVDs, CDs. It's fairly well-stocked but not as much as I'd like.

I don't go in and browse as much as I used to. These days I just request stuff online (at home) from my big "to read/watch" list and then it's borrowed from another area library in the system, as mentioned by a couple of others in this thread. That's the way to go.

Ours just added a self-checkout machine, too. Nerdy cool!

conscience

Local library system is great.

I won't say I can get everything I want, but I get most of it.

I know this has nothing to do with books, but they have a lot of Criterion dvds (I just checked out The Last Wave and Youth Of The Beast), foreign films on dvd, plenty of little know musicians on cd, etc (they even have the Romeo Is Bleeding soundtrack that is OOP - I check it out every chance I get).

But they do have gobbles of book to choose from (oddly, they hardly have any Stephen King/"enter popular author here" books or they just can't keep them in).

They just built a new main library a couple/few years ago and are starting to get every other minor branch a newly built building as well.

Giles

hardly use the DC libraries - Little Falls in Maryland is fine, but I swear, nowadays the library is NOT a quiet place as it used to be... SSSSHHHHHHHH (jeesh- shut up).

Ms. M

My local library (St. Petersburg, FL) has a beautiful building, paid for by Andrew Carnegie and a wonderful park setting. Unfortunately, it has become a haven for St. Pete's surprisingly large homeless community and it does have something of a bad smell.

It does possess a decent collection of DVDs. However, when there's a choice involved, they are almost always the fullscreen copies! The Minneapolis, MN library system (where I used to live) is fabulous, however.

story

Ditto here. I was pissed. My old library in Wyoming had tons of books on CD. Suck-ck-ck-ck-ck!

tasha99

My library is great--they've got graphic novels, movies, cds, and new books (they ordered about 90 copies of the new Harry Potter book, so even though I was 95th on the wait list, I got it about a week after it came out). My son checks out children's software all the time too.

I pick whatever I want online, and they send it to my neighborhood branch. I just go in and ask for my stuff, and they give me my pile. I don't even have to go find things.

They've got so many movies, I quit Netflix. Plus, they're very responsive to suggestions. I asked for Veronica Mars, which they may or may not have ordered without customer input, and got a notice that they were purchasing it. So I don't even have to buy that--I'm #2 on the wait list for it and will have it a week or two after it's released.

DodgingCars

Which one? I have 2 that are about 2 miles from me. They're pretty small and I don't ever go to them. The one in Redondo Beach is pretty nice and is the one I frequent most often. They have a pretty good selection of dvds and audiobooks. Overall their selection is mediocore. The main Torrance one is also pretty nice, but I haven't been in years.

The main Los Angeles library is AWESOME. It's 8 stories (I believe). It's incredible.

Anyway. I love going to the library. Haven't been in a few weeks, but my wife and I go several times a year.

dcswirl

Like in most towns, it depends on which ones you go to. The town I live in there are huge differences depending on the neighborhood the library is in.

GMLSKIS

Our city library is pretty good. I go about once a month, would go more if it was closer to my house. My only complaint is due to tight budgets it's closed on Fridays and Sundays. DVD's are $1 for a week and CD's are free for a week. Many daily newspapers, monthly magazines and constant new books. They even have a bunch of computers for people to check email or browse interneet.