Libraries - more than just books!

Most people think of the library as a tomb for books. Compared to the immediate satisfaction of television and the researching capabilities of the Internet, the printed word doesn't seem to hold much allure anymore. On top of that, most people spend their lives running around, and just don't have time to visit the library. Sadly, they don't know what they are missing - literally. Libraries in the 21st century have a plethora of tools to help you, and for some, you don't even have to leave home. For others, you don't have to bother suffering through an antiquated book.

The fact that I couldn't always find what I wanted to used to get on my nerves. Sometimes the book I wanted at on the shelves, sometimes it did not. While researching for school projects, I didn't even know WHAT book I wanted, only that I needed to find the reference materials as quickly as possible. Now, as a mom of three young children, a trip to the library seems like a plan built around self-loathing.

With the advent of the Internet comes the ease of the on-line catalog. Most libraries allow you to access their entire collection, county-wide, from the ease of your desk chair. Visit their web site, sign in with your library card number and whatever type of access code you have (you may need to visit the library to receive this), and you can scan hundreds of books with the television on the background. Many libraries will allow you to narrow down by various types; you can search only children's books, only young adults, only videotapes, only audiobooks, and so forth. You can search by author, by title, by subject, or by all of the above.