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What do you like best about your library?

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The libraries around where I live also sell discounted books.

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I like being able to get the latest books simply by getting on a waiting list. Also I enjoy being able to get books from other branches of our library.

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I LOVE our local county library! They have EVERYTHING, and what they don't have, they will find! What I like BEST is being able to order what I want online and then just picking it up at the front desk when it's been all collected. I can go through book reviews and my children's book order forms from school, and just "order" them from our library! And can renew materials online as well.

Definitely not "my father's" library!

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I like the fact that you can go to the computer bank and tell instantly whether or not the library has the book you are looking for, and whether it is on the shelf or out with another reader. It also helps me to find books on subject matter or by particular authors.

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Our entire household reads, so we are at our local library weekly, using the many facilities that our tax dollars support! I personally read 2-3 books a week, so my bicycle or car is often parked in the lot!

Connie from Battle Creek
Willard Library in Battle Creek, Michigan, is the BEST! They let you select 15 of your favorite authors and, whenever a new book comes out by those authors, they automatically reserve it for you!!!

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What I like best about my library is that we have an Express Section. You can check out newly released books for three weeks, and you don’t have to put yourself on a waiting list for them.

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Here in Georgia, we have the PINES system, which allows any patron from any library to borrow any book that is available in any other library --- and we can do it online. Thus I can go online, mark five or six books that I have on my "to-be-read" list (well over a 1,000 titles by now) and wait for the call or email that my book(s) have arrived at my local branch. Now that we are retired and have moved to a smaller place, I can't store many books, so most of what I read these days comes from the library (and I usually donate what I buy after I finish reading it). During the last year, I only found one book that wasn't available at the library! (And you can't beat the price.)

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I love the people who work at my town's library. It's not very big, in fact we're hoping to build a new one, and it's older and not too attractive, but the people are just great.

We have a wonderful children's librarian --- the 4th one in the almost 9 years I've lived in town, but they've all been great. Everyone is helpful and friendly. And, since I am in there 2-3 times a week on average and use the inter-library loan system in my state, they all know me by name!

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The absolute best thing about my library is the online catalog. I love ordering books online and then receiving notification that the books I requested are in. I am so lucky to live close to a fantastic library --- I will make that a priority should I ever have to move.

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I love our local public library for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that they save our family budget thousands of dollars a year!! But the primary reason is that they will purchase just about any book I suggest to them (many suggestions culled from Bookreporter!). 

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The ability to check my account at home, online. I can also reserve books, check my due dates and search their database.

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My local library is the best! I lived in the South Bronx in the 1970s when NYC was having severe budget problems. The local library was not open everyday and it was never open late. I remember going to the library to find it closed --- the budget cuts had forced it to be closed 2 or 3 times a week. The selection of books wasn't great but I loved to go there. Imagine how I felt when I moved to the 'burbs and have a local library that is open 7 days a week until 9 PM nightly. I can borrow not only the latest books but also audio books, videos, DVDs, go online, newspapers, magazines, etc. Not to mention a lovely staff that recommends great books to read.

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I love that I can request a book online and then receive an email when it is ready for me to check it out! That way I do not have to make a trip and find the book is not available!

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The thing I like best about my library is that I can access the library catalog online from home and request books, DVDs and CDs. They put them on hold and when the item is available, my husband goes and picks it up. Very convenient since I am handicapped.

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The best thing about my library are the people who work there. They are always friendly, helpful and professional. The next best thing about my library is the online system. I can check any title and/or author and if the system has it I can request it or save to one of my (many) lists. The library has museum passes to lend; someday I hope to have the time to take advantage of that feature.

I could go on and on about The Gleason Public Library, but will stop here. Thanks for the opportunity to give praise where it is due.

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I like that it is walking distance to my house. Less than a 1/4 mile.

Nunu In Niagara
What I like most about my library is the books. Just walking in the door and seeing so many books at my disposal puts me in awe. I think to myself, so many good books waiting to be read, and so many places to visit. I love the smell of all the books too. Of course there is also the great staff that will bend over backwards to find a book for you if our library does not have it. What would we do if we did not have our libraries?

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My library is small and friendly, but we are always able to get new and old books through the lending library system. Through a long life of reading, a trip to the library has always been an exciting adventure. My grade school teacher used to say, "the library is your friend." And that's still true almost 60 years later.

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Our library, in this town of 26,000, is the old Carnegie Library with a more modern addition. There are plans afoot to build a new library, which we sorely need. I am in the library several times every month. The thing I like the best about it is the "reserve" option. I see books advertised on bookreporter.com, other similar websites, bookstores, and magazines. So, I just use the computer to put them on reserve at the library. If they don't have it, they will get it for me. I almost never buy books because they do such a good job of getting all the latest bestsellers. I sure hope the bond issue passes for a new building, as we have greatly outgrown the library we have.

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My favorite feature about my local library is their home book delivery. Second is the drive-through window to return books.

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The public library is a free community gathering place where everyone has equal access to the collection.

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Besides the nice helpful people who work there, I like the idea that I can order books, CDs and DVDs on the Internet and they let me know via email when they are available.

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I live in a very small New England town, and the library is an 1800s building. I love the quiet, the smell of books, new and old, and the helpfulness of the librarian who just happens to be a neighbor, in most cases. If you don't see the book you are wanting to read, she will go all the way to obtain it for you. Mostly, I love the milieu on a cold, snowy or rainy day, I feel safe and warm in the bookstacks.

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What I like best about my library is their online catalog option --- I can manage my requests, put books I want on the "queue," and receive an email when my books are available --- quick and convenient!

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The fact that I can reserve and renew books online --- priceless! Plus the new branch that was built in my neighborhood is beautiful.

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1. It's FREE! 
2. I can request almost any book still in print and can get it in a reasonable amount of time. 
3. I can walk to my library and not use any fossil fuels in the process! 
4. My library is clean, well-lit and staffed by great people.

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All of the staff at The Haddon Heights Public Library are EXTREMELY helpful and hardworking. They will go to great lengths to research a book for you or to find one in other libraries. It also helps that Kathy, one of the staff, is in my town bookclub!

Maureen from Middletown
What I like best about my library is the books, of course! So many books, so little time. The library is quiet and cozy and a great relaxing place to just hang out and read!

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The best thing about our library is the children's area. Children can sit and read, participate in scheduled activities and share ideas with other children. In our modern, electronic society, this is a great way to encourage socialization and reading for children.

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The thing that I love best about my local library is that I can go online and request the latest releases and books soon to be released within minutes. The library nearest to me is directly across the street and when I am at a loss for something good to read, my friendly librarians are right there to recommend something to me. This library is in jeopardy of being closed due to budget cuts and it would be truly missed by myself and the people in the neighborhood IF it happens.

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There are several things I love about the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. I love that the library is open on Sundays. There is nothing better than spending a rainy Sunday afternoon there prowling through the stacks.

I love that you can call up and renew books by phone.

They have computer work stations everywhere for Internet browsing or checking library resources. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Best of all is the wonderful architecture. The library was built in the '30s and has beautiful tile mosaics in the rotunda, which were very carefully saved when the library was added onto a few years ago. Now there is an interesting mesh between the old and new.

Lorna from Cumberland
There are lots of things I love about my library --- the staff is friendly and helpful, the programs they offer, and their website, where I am able to check on books and request items.

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The ability to order/preorder a particular book(s) and get called when they are available! This is particularly handy when getting on the list for a new book from a favorite author.

I find that being able to reserve online is easier and less costly! I'm on a pretty good reading pace for the year and I used to buy all of the latest books. I'm not always sure that I will want to retain some in my personal library!

Enjoy!

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Good, friendly service. Also, the ability to order books online. I wish they would upgrade the system though to accommodate requests for books not yet published...requests for them still need to be submitted on request cards.

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The library has a good budget, so it is able to purchase many new books.

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I love the Library's peacefulness.

Robin Beerbower
Since I have been employed by “my” library for 32 years, it is very difficult to determine what I like best but I’ll try and pin it down.

When I walk into the library first thing in the morning, I inhale the aroma of the library --- granted, it’s not the same somewhat musty smell I remember (and love) from my childhood Carnegie library, but it is still intoxicating and when I breathe deep every morning I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

Then I check the hold shelf and find I have three brand-new books by my favorite authors (or titles recommended on Bookreporter.com) waiting for me and I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

Then I am in the nonfiction shelves trying to find a book for a patron and I happen upon a book I didn’t know existed about a subject I love and I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

Then it’s time for lunch and I go the periodicals area and find the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated with a recipe that I am tempted to run home and try and I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

Then I go up to the children’s room and see a little girl ecstatic to find a Little House on the Prairie book she hasn’t read yet and I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

Then after a hard day of working with books and patrons, I go home and settle into my chair with my cat in my lap, and as I start to peruse the huge pile of books on my side table I think “Ah, this is what I love most about the library.”

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I can order books/media over the computer and when they come available, I get a phone call and they are put on the hold shelf for me.

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I love the smell of rooms full of books.

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Well, I live in Seattle and we have a beautiful new library (last year). It truly is a work of art. We are now a cruise ship port of call and I hear daily how lovely the Seattle Public Library is and so very modern and up with the times.

My closest library is in West Seattle and is also newly renovated and is within walking distance of my home. Not as up to date as the one downtown but it holds special memories of my high school and college years.

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Our library now has a computerized system that allows you to reserve any book online (even new releases and bestsellers), then delivers it to your local branch, and notifies you when it's available for pick-up. No more endless browsing and searching shelves for what you want to read. I love it!

Andi from Seattle
My library has a "mobile services" division that delivers books; not only do they have a bookmobile that visits countless hospitals, nursing homes and other residential facilities but they deliver to people who are housebound, or who cannot, due to disability, make it to a library. I've been served by this fantastic bunch of people for almost 11 years. Without it, I don't know what I'd do.

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The Milwaukee Public Library in Downtown Milwaukee, WI. is a beautiful old building. There are so many rooms and areas filled with books, you can easily get lost in the stacks. My favorite spot though is on the second floor, where Rare and Special Editions are kept. You are not allowed to take these items out of the library, but you can look or photocopy to your heart's content. When you walk through the glass doors there is an almost church-like atmosphere. Especially quiet, even for a library. The librarians on duty are extremely helpful and bring you whatever piece you requested. You then find a table or a chair near the windows and sit down and enjoy the experience of enjoying time well spent.

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I like the fact that they don't charge when you put a book on request. They also have the book for you almost immediately. I use the Bon Air branch of Chesterfield County, VA. even though I'm a Richmond resident --- they let us become members.

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What I like best about my library is that I use the school library where I work so I pass it everyday on my way to get coffee. I order books I want and when they arrive, I get a note in the inter-office mail and can pick them up on my next coffee run.

Shirley from Bakersfield, CA
I am fortunate to live in a city that has several branch libraries so I can find just about any book I want to read. I really appreciate the ready availability and I can always spend a lot of time browsing because I enjoy being in a library. Since I was a little girl they have held a certain magic for me and that has never ended. At 71 years, I am still an avid reader of new releases and books I have read in the past, so I am thankful for our libraries.

Anonymous
How it looks ... strange but true. It always reminds me of my dream to have a bookshop of my own, where I could inspire people, especially children, and give them a glamorous feeling --- like I always have through reading.

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My library is a mid-sized branch of the Los Angeles Library, in Woodland Hills, California. I love the dark brick construction of the place; the architecture suggests a protected retreat. The inside is not large, but it is always in top shape and equipped with user-friendly information retrieval. The stacks occupy every possible square foot of space, in this place where books are king and knowledge is projected into literature, and transmitted through the art of reading.

But what I love most about the place is the fact that it exists. Think of the energy, human and financial, that goes into compiling and organizing a single library, let alone a system of thousands, all across the country. I love what the library system says about us as a civilization. If I were an ambassador to another planet, one of the things I would be most proud to tell those strangers about us as a people is that our collective love of learning and our inherent respect for knowledge are proven by the very
existence of a library system. 

In this freshly arrived age where instant world news bombards us from a constant swirl of sources, the peaceful quiet and the tall stacks of books, many of which represent the life's blood of their authors, are all there for the taking. Just walk in, and either show your library card or sign up for one. We have elected, as a society, to support this system with our collective tax dollars, so that personal use of the library is free to anyone.

I am thankful that in a time when it can seem as if our collective civility is held together by the thinnest of threads, there are quiet but determined workers who keep the library system up and running. They are, in my book, front line soldiers in the nonstop daily work of maintaining a hushed palace of knowledge --- a place that even offers a shot at wisdom, to anyone willing to show up and put in the time.

In an age when the collective actions of our civilization often provide cause for anger and dread, the fact that we continue to do this thing gives me hope for all of us.

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I will take the liberty of citing two things that I like about the library (two of many). First, there's a branch nearby, so I can get there in about 10 minutes. It's extremely convenient to stop by, often while I'm running other errands in the vicinity, to pick up or return items. I'd drive as far as necessary to get to a library, and had to travel about 20 minutes to a branch when I first moved to this area, but it's wonderful to have a facility so near. Secondly, I like their online catalog and ability to reserve items via the website. I usually select items I want and put them on hold so that I can read exactly what I want, when I want to. Admittedly, this approach eliminates random discoveries encountered while browsing the stacks, but on the whole it works well in ensuring that I can get my hands on what I'm looking for.

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I was lucky to be given the gift of enjoying reading from both parents. Now reading is my "drug of choice."

The library is a gift. To be able to read anything I choose, and not pay for it. To open my mind to new things while I browse the books.

The gift that keeps giving.

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The librarians are most helpful, friendly and professional. They have a way of treating the little children so that they love going there and reading.

Peggy from Long Beach, CA
What do I like best about my library? Accessibility. It is within walking distance of work and I like having it online as well for reserves.

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My small local library has a paperback swap room. Leave and/or take as many as you want. I always find something. It's awesome.

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The best thing I like about our local library is the interlibrary loan program that is online. It enables me to search the local library. If our local library does not have what I am looking for I am able to search libraries in other counties. I can request a book and put the book on a reserve list. When that book comes in, I get an email and can pick it up at my convenience. All from the comfort of my own home. It's great!!

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Being able to connect with library via Internet for availability of books, put books on hold, checking due dates and renewing books.

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They have a great bank of computers. When my computer was down I was able to keep up correspondence, read newsletters (very important), etc.

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My library, the Clark-Pleasant branch of the Johnson County library system, is the best! The employees know me by name. They are caring and compassionate. When my books on hold come in, they release them to my hubby, who they also recognize. They are considerate and conscientious. They are wonderful people, and keep me coming back again and again. 

Jane from Owensboro, KY
I love the basement of our library where there is a room totally devoted to the history of our town and state. It is always fun to spend a rainy afternoon there --- I always discover something new that is fun to share with others about our community.

Anonymous
Among the many things I like about my library, my favorite is their rapid acquisition of newly published books. It being in Houston and named for Barbara Bush no doubt affects their budget.

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I like that my small local public library belongs to a large network of libraries. My library often does not have the books I want, but I can place a hold on any book within the network and have it sent to my library. I save so much money and space in my house by not having to purchase books. I don't want to imagine a world without libraries. Their resources provide me with entertainment, education, and information. They are institutions to which all people have the same access regardless of income or class. Many people have acquired great educations just by using their library to self-educate themselves. 

Also, I like that libraries are a magical place for children. It is the one place where they can go and pick things off the shelf and mom or dad will say, "Yes, you can get that."

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I like the close proximity to my house that my library is located.

Anonymous
I like the warmth, friendliness, and dedication of all the staff at my branch library.

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The librarians! The staff always makes you feel welcome and they are ready to help with any questions. And, of course, there is the fact that the library is filled with wonderful books just waiting to be read.

Anonymous
Any library that is well-stocked enough with new books of my favorite genres --- romance, regency, non-silly chick-lit and celeb biographies --- and that I can walk out of with 8 to 10 books a week that all look like a good read, is a good library for me.

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I love my local library, a branch of the Mid Continent Public Library System in Jackson County, Missouri. It's convenient and the staff is efficient and friendly. They can find virtually any title that I can order through the Internet. When it arrives, an email appears in my box, telling me to come in and get it. The space is user-friendly and one can always find readers of every age, reading and enjoying the facility. It's a great library!

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I like the librarians who are so very helpful. They are also pleasant and knowledgeable. We have a big system that is able to get pretty much any book. The only thing they don't handle are DVDs because of budget constraints. When they do, our system will be perfect.

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The Newark Free Library in Newark, Delaware has an outstanding Reference Desk staff that helps you find things you wouldn't have imagined were in the library. They also hold meetings on subjects that are of interest to the community. A great local resource.

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The VARIETY of its collection. My last library had many copies of each "bestseller" so that patrons wouldn't have to wait so long to read the "latest" (if they were in THAT great a hurry, couldn't they buy their own copy and then DONATE the used copy to the library?). My current library spends its annual budget on MANY different materials and lets the hold list wait and patrons often try new (and better!) authors while they wait.

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I like my library as it not only has hardback books, it has paperbacks also. They even have used books that you can voluntarily pay for. They are very reasonable.

When I go I can always find some bestselling books, as they have more than one copy of them.

It is a county library but a very nice one.

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Our town library is very small, BUT they are hooked up with the inter-library exchange, including the local colleges'. So, they are able to get pretty much any book that I want and that has been absolutely wonderful as I can go through 10 books in a week like they're water.

This has resulted in tremendous $aving$ for me, for which I am grateful.  But I'm not greedy: I happily donate approx. 10% of market cost for those books back to the library for their book-buying budget.

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My library has an online catalog and a "Hold" feature. If I hear of a book I'm interested in reading, I check to see if they have it or if it has been ordered, then I put it on hold. When the book is available, I get an email letting me know to come pick it up. Very simple and convenient!!

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I like that it's within walking distance to my home. It's only about 6 blocks away.

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The librarians at my library are always helpful and keep me informed of book-related events in Nashville. Also, the Friends of the Library-Nashville hold a used book sale at my library branch once per month. It is my favorite thing to go to and I look forward to it every month!

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I love the fact that when new books hit the shelves in the stores, if you can't afford them, the library will order them for you. This makes it easier for book lovers like myself who can't afford $30-40 a book every week. I need to have a book in my hand or I feel rotten. It keeps the reality at bay. Thanks.

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I love the librarian...Joan!!

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Palo Alto Library will locate and order any book you want and let you know when it is available. They're incredibly client-oriented.

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The people at my library make it a warm, welcoming place. I can't imagine life without a library in it.

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I can go online to look up what I am looking for, to either read or listen to (CD or Tape Audio Books). I place a hold on it and it's delivered to my library. I just stop in on my way home from work and pick it up. I can also drop off any items in a drive-up drop-off box. If it's a newer item, I may have to wait a little while for my turn to come up, but I can track it in my records. Usually I get a message that the item is ready for pick-up rather quickly. It is a very efficient system.

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Our library is fairly new and has large windows and lots of light. There are large comfortable chairs with lamps, there are desks for 1 or 4. Best of all I love the quiet. I've been to lots of libraries where that is hard to maintain, but our library in Federal Way, WA has been able to maintain it.

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Helpful staff at all Omaha Public Library branches! They also have a program called "Book Groupies" that lends out 12-15 copies of the same book for a 5 to 6 week period. The books are usually newer titles too!

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Our Library is rated as 4th best library in the state. We have many programs to appeal to teens, small children and grownups: summer band concerts, reading contests, and much more. I am membership chair for The Friends of the Library. We have two book sales a year and people come from everywhere for them. I can't say enough for our gem of a library.