Hey Guys,
Remember that time that I wrote a jokey post right before the big quarantine started about how we should all hit up a Leave-a-Book, Take-a-Took areas in libraries and lobbies. Well, it seems like maybe I was maybe on to something, don’t you all think?
The quarantine, if anything, is making me realize how dependent I am on my library.
[By the way though, libraries are doing their darndest right now to provide services even though they are closed, so I advise you to check out your local library’s webpage or Facebook page to see what they are doing online right now, just for you]
But one thing I am particularly missing is having weekly infusions of picture books to keep the natives from getting restless.
3 Ways That I am Keeping Us In Books Right Now:
1) We are taking little adventures to the Little Free Libraries in our town. We have biked, walked, and strolled to all three of them. In fact, now that we have visited all of them more than once, we might consider checking out the Little Free Libraries of our neighboring towns. You can use this handy link to find your nearest Little Free Library. Hey guys, this can also double as a fun way to kill an hour or two. It’s a win-win, don’t you think?
2) I did something that I usually don’t do. I bought new books online last week! Since I work at a library, I usually don’t buy my children books (except as gifts) since I can get them at work. But I was feeling like going to Little Free Libraries wasn’t giving me all the new material I desired so I started thinking about where the best place would be to get several books inexpensively. I follow all kinds of children’s and adult book publishers on Instagram and I also follow Scholastic Book Orders. I saw that they have a Pop-Up Shop for parents right now and they will deliver to your home, which is something that they don’t usually do. [Also, if you sign up for e-mails, they will give you a 10% discount]. I placed a book order. Our books came on Monday and Mr. Man was very excited. We have been reading new stories since then and it has been great.
3) Finally, here is a free way to get books at your fingertips right now, provided that you have a library card and a digital device. I suggest that you download the Libby App to phone or computer. I have it on three different devices at my house. The Libby App is a product of Overdrive, which is a product that libraries purchase to provide their customers with e-books and e-audiobooks. I have used Libby many times before to get audiobooks for myself, but until this quarantine, I had never really been that into eBooks. I always thought that I preferred the feel of a real book in my hands and I kind of wrote off eBooks as something that wasn’t for me. Boy was I wrong, they have been great for my family since this all started. For picture, books, we can borrow so many items which is great because picture books are short, and you can read a lot of them in one sitting. Plus, I have library cards to several different systems, so it gives us a lot of choices. Additionally, there are other Apps that libraries subscribe to for their customers that have eBooks. Check your library’s webpage. My library cards also give me access to RB Digital, Hoopla, and Axis 360 which also have eBook choices, among other things, to borrow.
Do you feel like you are suffering from a lack of reading material? What do you do to meet your needs?
