21st Century Literature discussion

Do you use your local library system(s)? If so, what services do you take advantage of? What's your opinion of the library system(s)? Are you using it any more or less than in the past?

My job became a bit unstable a year ago; so rather than purchasing books or using Audible, I'm using my library system a lot more. I get digital books and audiobooks through the Libby app, and I also place holds for paperbacks and hard covers and pick them up in the library.

But I'm shocked at how much less selection the library has than when I used it a lot maybe ten years ago. I think maybe they purged a whole bunch of books?

For example, for Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, they have no digital copy and no audibook. For a county-wide library system composed of 33 branches serving 3.17 million people, they have a grand total of 6 paperback copies of this book, which I'd consider close to a classic. About 75% of everything I search for has no physical, digital, or audio copies in the entire library system at all. I don't know; maybe I am just reading less common things than before, but I doubt it.

Another example: they have not a single copy of any play by Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka in all 33 branches. How is that even possible? One of these branches serves a university, for goodness sake.

I used to absolutely love this library system; the collection was so expansive. I used to be able to find rare books by any number of poets that I couldn't find anywhere else. Now, I don't know what's going on. I am very disappointed.

Another thing I don't love. Everything is contactless. Even checking out physical copies, I just use a hand held scanner on a computer and check it out myself. I used to love chatting with the librarians. I wonder if they have reduced their staffing? For me, having little or no contact with the librarians makes the library feel less cozy. It's just a place where I can't find what I want and then leave disappointed.

Sorry for the rant.

I love the library and use it regularly, both electronically and in person for checking out physical books, ebooks, audios, and even use several of their other online services that come with my library card.

When I visit other cities, I often visit their libraries in person. It's a wonderful quiet place to hang out.

In recent times, due to the current political environment, local library funding sources have been cut, and some people are stepping up with donations to fill in the shortfall. I imagine the number of books of all types and library services will eventually suffer, but for now it appears stabilized. This situation is not universal and largely dependent on where you live and the source of its funding.

ETA - I donate to various libraries around the country, especially those that are hard hit by budget cuts. I also purchase plenty of books, but I especially want to keep libraries "in business" so to speak.

Joy D wrote: "ETA - I donate to various libraries around the country, especially those that are hard hit by budget cuts. I also purchase plenty of books, but I especially want to keep libraries "in business" so to speak.."

I love hearing this Joy, and I find it so heartening that you're trying to do your part to help libraries thrive!

Greg, I understand your rants & know some similar things have happened in my county. Prior to 2020 quite a few physical books were purged. (At the time, I was working as a lowly technician at the front desk. The orders came from on high so I never understood why the purging took place since there was actually still shelving/storage space. The library also changed over to self-checkouts & I know quite a few patrons complained because they liked/enjoyed the interaction with those of us working there.) Anyway, I have no real insight but wanted to acknowledge & commiserate with your observations.

I use the library quite often and just yesterday donated a bunch of my books (too many shelves of books everywhere) to the local branch in our city. I try my hardest to check out books and support them. I don't want libraries to ever go away, so it's important to support them in my opinion.

These days, I rarely use my county library system as they tend to stock more popular/best-seller type books (while I more enjoy translated works, books put out by indie publishers, etc.). Many years ago, I used them much more often. But, after I worked there as a technician part-time for a couple of years, I just don't go there anymore. (I don't know why. It doesn't make any sense to me either, lol.) However, they do have equipment at one location for digitizing photos, videos, etc. I am working on a project to digitize a gazillion personal photos & videos & want to learn more about the options they have. I do plan to use them for my digitization project, probably in 2026. Also, they started a cool thing this year which is a collaboration with restaurants & other businesses on the main town square where you get a discount if you show your library card. A very nice place where my friends & I went is part of this so we were able to save 10% off of a very nice meal last month.

I pay an annual out-of-county fee ($40) to belong to the system next to mine (which is part of a much bigger city/county system) & they have many more options of things that I like to read. (It's also fairly close to me because I live by the county line.) I check out physical books & ebooks (Libby, Hoopla) & mostly use it for those things. I also make requests of things to purchase & they have (once in awhile) purchased something I've requested. A friend of mine splits this library card with me & she almost exclusively checks out audiobooks (something I never use). This system has local park & other passes for places which I may use later this year (to see a Shakespeare play). Earlier this spring, they had a seed library (with packets of seeds donated by gardeners) which allowed you to pick up some free packets; my daughter & I selected a few to grow. This system (& the particular branch I use) has a "Friends of the Library" group that sells donated books & then uses the money to help fun programs at the library. I often shop there as well as donating quite a few books to them. I've also attended some of their free classes/programs they offer.

When I travel & see my sister (another state), I use her card to access her library system (good one since it's part of a big city system). She doesn't really use the library resources but I made her get a card so I could use it, lol. Mostly I use it to check out hard copies of books while I'm in town.

I love libraries & all the variety of items & services they offer. I worry that funding cuts will affect them over the longer term.

Tl;dr: mostly check out hard copy or ebooks from among three systems (two local & one out of state).

I am a huge user of my library. The library where I am is part of a regional system with a really good selection, and they have a reciprocal agreement with the Seattle Library system, so it's literary hog heaven.

I check out a lot of audiobooks and ebooks via libby. I get a few graphic novels in hard copies or on Hoopla every year, and watch movies through Hoopla and Kanopy. (If people here haven't checked if their library had Hoopla or Kanopy, I recommend looking into it. )

They also have a lot of services that I haven't taken much advantage of personally, but are glad they exist. You can check out backpacks for day hiking, bird watching, or star gazing, fishing rods and tackle kits, bike maintenance kits, games, COVID tests, etc.. They have programs for homework, tax, medicare and job search help. There are hundreds of events for kids, teenagers, and adults. This is just scratching the service.

Libraries are far more than just book repositories, they are a vital community resource, and need to be protected.

My local library is TINY, but part of a county-wide system so I use interlibrary loan heavily. I started volunteering there about a year ago - once a week, I pull the books that have been requested from other branches. They also have two self-checkout stations, but they are about 3 paces from the desk (I told you it was small!) so you can check out books yourself or have the desk staff do it. Or you can do both - chat with a librarian while you use the check-out machine :) Most of the interlibrary loan requests are for kids' books (sad, not sad) so I'm getting wonderful exposure to kids books. I also listen to kids read them when I bring my dog to the library for 'read to a dog' hour. My current favorite is Piece Out.

I live in another country and don't use the local library much as most books aren't in English. There are English books and they can be ordered from other branches but I tend not to think of the library as an option for me.

When I go to Canada in the summer I love using the library. The one on my parents' street is very small, but good for new releases, which feels exotic to me as I don't see them the rest of the year. I agree with Greg that classics and older books seem harder to come by than when I was a kid.

I make a point of never using the self checkout and speaking to staff, who have tipped me on to some good things (i.e. I'm on a waiting list for a free pass to the Royal Ontario Museum; my kids all have free transit cards through the library system). Whenever I come home I really miss the library.

I use my public library (San Francisco) regularly, mostly for paper books. I also get free access to Kanopy's streaming movies.

I have to say, my library continues to impress me with their selection of recent fiction, which is mostly what I read. Recently I checked out the new Abdellah Taia, Daniel Kehlmann's The Director in translation, and J. Hoberman's (disappointing) Everything is Now, all published this year.

They also carry a lot of recent and relatively obscure graphic novels.

I’m in the UK & gave up on my city’s libraries sometime last century. My local library is now a Community Resource Centre complete with Zumba classes & table tennis.
Some authorities may invest more in their library system. I imagine the situation in London is different to that in the provinces. If you have access to university libraries, they are better resourced.
There is a private library in the city centre which has a better reputation but I haven’t tried it.
For decades now, I have bought my books - hard copy & electronic. Including buying children’s books when I used to assist children with reading in schools.
There was an independent review of the UK library system last year. Isobel Hunter (CEO of Libraries Connected) was reported in The Guardian as follows:
However, the “underlying issue for the sector”, Hunter said, is “under-investment in the public library network, the result of successive cuts to council budgets, inflation and rising demand for other statutory services such as social care.

I also use the library at the university where I work. If I'm interested in items that aren't carried by that and my public library, interlibrary loan usually comes up with the goods.

I use the library for about 5 to 10 per cent of my reading, but at busy times it can be several months between visits. The stock in the branch is limited and rather short of new books, and I never quite got to grips with the ordering system or borrowing e-books.

Libraries have always been my refuge. I love spending time browsing their online system (I think is spirus) or shelf-reading. During my teens and early adulthood I used to go every day to study and read. Then I stopped altogether. Started using it again since last year, and visit every month at least twice.

Bill wrote: "I use my public library (San Francisco) regularly, mostly for paper books. I also get free access to Kanopy's streaming movies.

I have to say, my library continues to impress me with their selecti..."
Bill - your post made me realize that I misspoke - my tiny library's interlibrary loan system draws from public and academic (mostly public) libraries across the state of California, not just my county. And much of the literary and translated fiction I order comes from the San Francisco library. And California residents can get library cards from any library in the state. I have library cards from several, so if I don't want to wait for Interlibrary Loan, I can go and get the book myself. The California library system is so strong and generous - but sadly, cuts are coming :(

Nadine in California wrote: "Bill - your post made me realize that I misspoke - my tiny library's interlibrary loan system draws from public and academic (mostly public) libraries across the state of California, not just my county"

Nadine, I'm having trouble finding much in the Orange County library system these days. Can I actually get a library card in the San Francisco system?! How do I do that? I bet they have a much better selection.

Greg wrote: "Can I actually get a library card in the San Francisco system?!"
The only library card that I use for the San Francisco public library is for SF. I've never had to get another library card to use interlibrary loan through SF. I don't know the rules for other systems though.

That said, this being San Francisco, the hot new books often have a large number of holds. I usually have a few outstanding holds and wait for my turn.

Greg wrote: "Nadine, I'm having trouble finding much in the Orange County library system these days. Can I actually get a library card in the San Francisco system?! How do I do that? I bet they have a much better selection. ..."

Greg, you should be able to get a San Francisco card by filling out their online application, I believe every California resident can get one. But you do need to go in person to a SF library to complete the application. My information may be out of date, but the SF Library site should help.

Also, Orange County has Hoopla. If you read ebooks, you will find a large selection there. Also movies and audiobooks.

And don't forget you can always request books that they don't have. They will usually get them via interlibrary loan if they don't purchase them.

Greg wrote: "Nadine, I'm having trouble finding much in the Orange County library system these days. Can I actually get a library card in the San Francisco system?! How do I do that? I bet they have a much better selection. ..."

Greg, You can use Link+ (the state-wide interlibrary loan system) to get books from most public libraries in CA, so you don't need a library card for that. I live in the East Bay of San Francisco, which is a bunch of small cities, so I have cards for 3 libraries in different counties that are all just a few miles away from me.

I totally use the library all the time - I could never afford all the books I want to read, or the storage for them - of course I buy books all the time too but my family thinks I'm crazy (its not hoarding if its books). Also, I can be an inpatient reader and I will DNF things, which no I'm not going to pay for that but maybe through the library will find something I didn't expect to like.

I'm also in the UK and in an area where the council has prioritized branch libraries , keeping them open with volunteers . This allows children to engage with physical books and they act as a hub for community activities . For a voracious reader of genre fiction the stick is good but I struggle with obtaining the backlisted literary fiction I read , except on Libby .

Spreading the net wider I belong to two out of are libraries but have a subscription to a private library in a nearby city with a catalogue stretching back two hundred and fifty years . Once a month I catch a train and spend a happy morning browsing the stacks . Pure bliss . I have saved so much money and gained something priceless in the discovery of authors who remain obscure and unloved . It's very grounding to see how after row of novels by bestsellers from a century or more ago gathering dust in the basement .

@Nadine and @Whitney, thanks so much for the tips! I guess interlibrary loan must be different than normal holds where I search the combined catalogs of the 33 library branches in the OC system? I'll be in the library to pick up some books I put on hold next week, and I'll ask the librarians about that and Link+. If I can find a way to get the books I want to read, that would be great! I will also ask them about Hoopla. I'm using Libby, but I want to know if Hoopla has a better selection and how to link to it; my home library doesn't seem to come up as an option with the library card I have.

Hester wrote: "I'm also in the UK and in an area where the council has prioritized branch libraries , keeping them open with volunteers . This allows children to engage with physical books and they act as a hub f..."

Hester, the idea of a private library is so interesting - I'm not familiar with any in the US. Do you just pay a monthly fee for access to their collection?

Greg wrote: "Hester, the idea of a private library is so interesting - I'm not familiar with any in the US. Do you just pay a monthly fee for access to their collection?"

There are some private libraries in the US. I know of one in Charleston, SC. There is an annual membership fee. They also have day passes since Charleston is a tourist town.

https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/

I'm fortunate to have access to both my county library and the DC public library systems, although I mostly use the county one. Like many of you, I've discovered some older or classic works are sometimes surprisingly hard to come by as both systems have greatly reduced their inventory. In general, though, they have a great selection. I tend to check out physical books and the occasional e-book (if that's my only option or I "need" a copy quickly to join a group read). They started a monthly translated literature discussion group a few months ago that I've been going to in-person. It's pretty small right now (mostly me, and one or two others who are current or former library staff). I've been volunteering for the local Friends of the Library group for the last 18 months or so, which has been fun.

Greg wrote: "I'm using Libby, but I want to know if Hoopla has a better selection and how to link to it..."

Are you Orange County Library System? If so, here's the link for Hoopla: https://ocls.org/using-library/apps/h...

They have a seperate and large database from you library, but not all libraries subscribe to all their media, so it depends. There's no cost to check it out.

Thanks Whitney!

@Greg . I think there are only a few in the UK . I pay an annual subscription .Mine is in Leeds and was established in the eighteenth century as the middle and manufacturing classes developed the cultural aspects of the city . I know there are others in Bradford , Manchester an Newcastle and there may be more . Not all of them are lending libraries .

The Leeds Library - Homepage | The Leeds Library https://share.google/bDvYo9MOKP6QZiX2f

Hester wrote: "I'm also in the UK and in an area where the council has prioritized branch libraries , keeping them open with volunteers . This allows children to engage with physical books and they act as a hub f..."

I remembered you had commented positively on your library earlier, in another thread, & it was your comments I had in mind when considering variation across areas.
We are close geographically, I think you said Huddersfield? I am in Leeds & I’m assuming that is the location of the private library you refer to. It does have a good reputation. There is also a British Library reading room at their Boston Spa site. Despite a period as a consultant there, I have never used the reading room - although the BL has a copy of Pavane for a Dead Princess which has been on my list for some time.
You make an excellent point about libraries meaning children get to handle physical books.
One thing I find really disappointing about Leeds Libraries is that there is a blanket ban on accepting book donations - it started during the COVID pandemic & has not been lifted. I tried to donate a significant number of graphic novels, which I’ve found can sometimes encourage reluctant readers. They’re often more expensive to buy than other books. My local library has a few tatty paperback ones. It feels like the heart has gone out of branch libraries here.

Where I live we voted for large $ repairs and updates to our library. Its is always busy. We can get books from other libraries in the state. They have an awesome selection of DVDS. We have great book choices. There are many other services our library provides as well as well as access to the internet and meeting rooms. I keep my card current and go thru stages where I check out books more than buy them.
I always forget about movies thru hoopla. This reminds me to login to the system on my new laptop. And that I need to get down there for a little visit.

Jennifer wrote: "Where I live we voted for large $ repairs and updates to our library. Its is always busy. We can get books from other libraries in the state. They have an awesome selection of DVDS. We have great b..."

Trump has targeted The Institute of Museum and Library Services for major cuts, so public libraries will see a drastic loss of $. It's not just the collection that is hurt, but many of the public services libraries provide for low income residents, especially children.