I’ve recently rediscovered the library. In my efforts to improve life I’ve tried to do some more reading, discover books and films that are of interest to me. My girlfriend works at a library and has been finding me some items of interest. I was searching for David Allen’s Getting Things Done on my library network and requested from another library.
Then I discovered the Virtual Catalog which connects multiple library networks in my state. If a book or movie I want doesn’t exist in my own library network I can loan it from another network in my state. The government funds a library delivery system that daily sorts books in warehouses and sends them to other libraries. And you can do all this from the comfort of your home!
Another great thing is the Dewey Decimal System. You’ll find related books near each other. Check out the list of Dewey Decimal Classes. You’ll see that for the most part, subjects transition from one to another. Really cool. So when you’re looking for something you can discover new books too!
Another underrated feature of libraries are librarians and the reference desk. They are there to help you with more than just pointing you in the direction of a book. Librarians are experts in research methods and you can even ask them to find answers to basic factual questions. Many online library catalogs and web sites allow you to “Ask a Librarian” and have an emailed response or have them send you copies of research findings.
So spend more time in a library or browse its online catalog. There are a lot of features of which few people realize the significance or convenience. Google Book Search provides an option to search library catalogs for a specific title and can find a library near you with the item.
Leave a Reply