Your local public library

I thought for quite some time about what to post as the first tip on ReadingHacks.com. I guess in the back of my mind was an assumption that the first one should be the biggest, or best, or most important, or most radical. Perhaps I should ask whether ebooks are the future of reading. Maybe LibraryThing deserves the first shot. After all, it is an amazing site, fun and useful, and is having a huge impact in the world of books. Maybe a really quirky bookshelf design to grab people’s attention and try to set a more fun tone for the blog. In the end, trying to name the single best hack is a process fraught with danger, so I decided to avoid thinking that way and just write something that is one of the biggies.

I settled on your local public library. As a reading hack, it is certainly a biggie. I mean, if you love reading and especially if you love reading lots, then a place that will let you visit every day and take home a big pile of books for free has to be a good thing. Of course, this is a broad topic and it will be the subject of a number of posts down the track, so this first post will serve as a general introduction.

First, let me get something clear. I am not writing this post simply because I work in a public library and think everyone should use their library regularly. I do happen to think everyone should read regularly, and if the library helps your reading life, then you should take advantage of it. If it doesn’t, then don’t. However, I do happen to think that a lot of people don’t realise how much help a library can be and may have slightly outdated ideas about what a library is and is not.The point of this and future posts about public libraries is to let you know about some services that you may not be aware of and to help make sure you get the most out of your library.

Of course, every public library is different. Their collections are different. Their loan and renewal policies are different. Their online presence is different. I can tell you about the specifics of my library, but I can’t tell you the specifics of every library. Sorry. So the first thing to do is visit your local library, either online or in person, and find out what you can and cannot do there.

Here in the fine state of Victoria, Australia, you can join any local public library, regardless of which municipality you live in. This means you can join the library closest to your home, closest to your work, halfway home, near your weekend beach house, or all of them. Take advantage of this. Check the opening hours. Which one suits the times you want to visit? Which library offers free reservations? If you have the time and inclination, maybe you’re better off spreading yourself around. Perhaps one library is less busy and you can get the new bestseller faster, while another library has a better DVD collection. Perhaps the library near your home has a fantastic collection of graphic novels, and the library near work has all the Mary Kate & Ashley books your daughter wants to read.

So, the essence of this hack is, get to know your local(ish) public libraries. You should be able to find them online and you should be able to find a lot of what you need to know about them that way. If you can’t, ask them why. You can probably even join online, although you will usually have to show some ID the first time you borrow.

Go and learn the basics. How many books can you borrow? How long can you have them? Can you renew them? How much does it cost to reserve books? Is the library part of a network? If so, how much does it cost to get books sent from another branch? Can you reserve books and get them transferred online?

While you’re down there, just have a wander. Walk between the shelves. Run your hand along the spines. Check out the new book displays. Grab a few books and read the first page. Ask the librarian what they’re reading at the moment. Enjoy yourself.