Do you visit your town’s library?

As much as I loved the Portland library, there were a lot of drifters and transients there. Mostly on the outside. This library has security walking around inside and out, making sure no homeless people set up camp.

The town where I reside today, has a boring 1-storie library. It’s just rows of books and computers. Doesn’t feel very welcoming

 

It was likely only build to fullfill its actual purpose (like the one i went to as a kid/teen). And with a limited budget. Thus not aimed to be also an inspiriation for the eye/aestethically pleasing.

 

my town has several of them, each open different hours and days. i haven't visited all of them. my favorite is the one at the community college, which is of course not the town library.
town libraries tend to be oriented more toward entertainment reading which, other then science fiction, isn't what i go to libraries for, which is why, i prefer college and university libraries.
the university library any more appears a bit intentionally daunting to non-students, but the community college, while lacking some of the latest scientific and engineering updates,
contains much material that is of interest.

the public library system is on line too, and i DO have a library card. getting one is one of the first things i do when i move to a new town, right after updating my state i.d.

i like libraries, but a couple of odd things about our local ones. besides the odd hours as mentioned, only one of them seems to be served directly by our local transit system.
i could be mistaken about that, at least one other might be, and then there's also a branch at the senior center, but that one has very limited hours, and is located in a tiny room,
with totally inadequacy seating.

air conditioning and wifi is nice. but i have that at home and don't have to go out into the miserable summer heat to catch a bus to use it.
well that is when i haven't used up my complex's limited wifi allowance. there's plenty of other things i do on the computer when i have.

 

One thing I should mention about my local library, they block certain websites due to inappropriate material anddd... I cannot access Hipforums there

 

Sounds legit....

 

i would never access hipforums on a public computer. i don't even come here on my phone if anyone is within 50 feet of me.

 

Strange what is it about homeless transients and public libraries because it’s the same thing in Boston.

Half the homeless people in the city have set up a bivouac outside the Library in what would otherwise be a great historic institution.

 

We are homeschooolers so we basically live there. 5yo says he wants to be a librarian when he grows up.

 

I could browse hip and order research chemicals in my library. But their collection of modern literature was terrible. Obviously most people want to read trashy romances, space opera and novels about intrepid rogue CIA operatives. Don't mean to bang on about the parlous state of contemporary fiction, but it really is superflat.

 

seems like a pretty logical fit to me. it's a public place that offers free access to information and entertainment. can you think of a better place for homeless people to kill time?

 

An AA meeting

 

i feel like they probably have those at the library.

 

Oh. Thought that was a church basement type of thing.

 

i'm pretty sure church basement is the number one location, but AA meetings are everywhere. seems like the library would be a good fit for one.

 

Yeah I can think of a few places, The Suffolk County Jail, The nearest psychiatric hospital, a drug rehab center, an AA meeting (as someone has already suggested)
and lastly how about a Job Fair

 

library part of building no

ive been there though just because the library is a town satellite office for the larger city that took over and thats where the taxes get paid..last time i was there was to help a neighbour get their water turned back on after they turned it off due to miscommunication ...she was old with dementia and didnt pay her bill for some unknown reasons

 

i'll be sure to send any homeless people i meet up to suffolk county.

 

420 Chartiers Ave.

 

It's the 21st century and while books are indeed nostalgic, more and more the media is going digital and books are becoming the realm of collectors (we have hundreds). So I'm not anti-book by any stretch. However, I dislike the idea that tax money is keeping libraries up.