Mercer County Public Library

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the library…

How often do you visit the library? Do you have a scheduled library day/time, or do you go whenever? Do you go alone, or take people with you?

I love visiting the Mercer County Public Library - it's one of my favorite places in the world. I typically go once or twice a week. Monday's is usually my "regular" day. I go at lunch time, right after work, and I'm always armed with a list of books I'm looking for.

I also return to the library on Wednesday afternoons because it is an early-out school day for my daughter. We make an afternoon of it by going to the library and then visiting the grandmothers.

Because I'm a book reviewer for the library, I'm always placing books on request. There are many times during the week I'll make extra stops to pick up books the librarians call me about. The librarians are also great about getting interlibrary loan books quickly.

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Musing Monday

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about library books…

Do you have a system for borrowing out books from the library? Do you know what you're going to borrow before you get there? How often do you borrow out books?

I love my public library! This love affair has been going on since I was 8 years old. Over the past 40 years, our library has grown and expanded and we are looking for the future remodeling project to start late this spring - it will be doubling in size!

I typically go to the library 2 or 3 times per week. Because I am a book reviewer for the public library, I'm always putting books on reserve or the librarians are calling me with a new book. I always go to the library on Wednesday afternoons; this is the day I take my youngest daughter.

I usually know what I'm going after before I get to the library. Our library system is on-line, so I can check to see what new books are available. The on-line system also allows me to reserve books and to check my reading history. Checking the reading history comes in handy after you've reviewed so many books - sometimes I'll have a "senior moment" and forget what I've read.

I typically have 6 to 8 books out of the library at any one time. Of course, this counts children's picture books and young adult books in addition to the adult fiction and non-fiction. I do reviews weekly, so I try to have a balance of reviews to appeal to a wider range of people. My usual "book nook" column will have 2 children/young adult reviews, one adult fiction and one non-fiction.

Of course, I also love the interlibrary loaning. This makes it possible for me to read books my library doesn't have. Occasionally I will read a book our library doesn't have and if it is a great book, I'll recommend it to the librarians.

All in all, the public library is my favorite place to be. Not only can I check out great books and DVDs, but there is a large research area and a section for newspapers and magazine.

I think everyone from - no matter what the age - should have a library card. Libraries open up opportunities you never thought possible.

(The first picture is the actual logo for the Mercer Public Library in Harrodsburg, Kentucky)

Monday Musings

This week's Monday Musings asks the question:

"Do you belong to a book club? Is it on-line or face-to-face (f2f)? How long have you been with the group? What have you learned from them? Do you like how the group is run, or would you make changes if you could?"

When I was younger, I belonged to book clubs at my high school and at the public library. As I got older and had to go to work full-time, I slowly dropped out of my clubs because I just didn't have the time to prepare or to attend.

Now that I've been retired from full-time nursing for three years, my interest in joining a book club has renewed. I'm currently a member of the Mercer County Public Library's Noon Book Club Bunch. This is a face-to-face group that meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 12 noon. We bring a sack lunch and the library provides drinks and dessert.

I have met some wonderful ladies through this book club! We enjoy reading books about Kentucky and Appalachia, as well as books by Kentucky authors. Although most of the participants are older than me, we all enjoy the conversation and the exploration of common books. Last month we read BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani and it was the perfect selection for our group. This month's book - and the club meets tomorrow - is JAYBER CROW by Wendall Berry. This group is always open to suggestions for future books and we all have imput on the selections.




This summer, I joined an on-line book club - Becky's Reading Group. I have enjoyed this group, but it is much more impersonal than a face-to-face group. It is easier to form questions or comments in written form, but I sometimes get impatient waiting for a response. This group is currently reading THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas, and because it is such a long book, we are going to carry it over into October. Although I enjoy reading the classics, this one is giving me some trouble. I'm enjoying the storyline, but trying to read "Ye Ole English" is giving me fits. I'm now looking forward to a nice simple book to give my brain a rest. This group is far more informal; we normally list books we would like to read from several different categories, and Becky tries to pick books that will appeal to the majority of members.

All in all, I think I enjoy my face-to-face group the most because there is actual live interactions. However, this doesn't diminish the fact that I also enjoy my on-line group, but it's like comparing apples to oranges.