note to pick up bananas on my way home. Quite the assortment!Yet, there’s more. Lest one think it’s all technology, to-do lists and tea bags, it’s interesting to note that right now my desk is also the temporary home for a well-loved pacifier, four used Kleenex, a middle school student’s backpack, as well as an ostrich puppet, a plastic cow, and a firefighter’s hat from our children’s play area. Quite the assortment, indeed!
One might think with all of the aforementioned items, there’s no room for anything else. But there is. Anyone who knows me knows that no matter how small the space, how tiny the territory, how crowded the corner, I can always find room to put up a quote or two or three. Following that pattern, taped to the edge of my computer monitor is a quote by Erasmus that pretty much tells anyone who reads it quite a bit about yours truly. It says, “When I get a little money, I buy books, and if there is any left, I buy food and clothes.”
My best guess is if you’re a regular library user, you can relate only too well. We know, don’t we? We know it’s all about a deep delight in the written word, an unquenchable love of language, and an unbridled (ok, out of control) passion for books. My husband would be the first to nod his weary head at this reality. You see, this quote describes the two of us, so it’s double the pleasure, double the bookcases, as it were. It is only when we move from one home to another that we get more realistically in touch with our shared passion for bound pages. We then have to work at convincing ourselves and others that it’s perfectly normal to need a bigger moving truck, not because of the amount of furniture or clothes we have, but because of the number of books we own.
So, how does one accumulate such a hoard? Quite easily, I say. And quite economically too. Although we have been known on rare occasions to splurge and buy a book that is brand spanking new, that is neither our preference or modus operandi. No, we go for the used books, the ones that have already been enjoyed by someone else and eagerly await a new bookshelf to call home. I smile when I think of one of my little second grade students from years ago who said, “books read the same whether they’re new or not”. How true!
So, I encourage you to begin your own hunt for gently loved books. You’ll be amazed at the treasures you find, for pennies on the dollar. At used bookstores to yard sales to Neill Public Library, there are bargains just waiting to be found. Neill Public Library? Yes! I’m thrilled to let you know of a great location to find wonderful books at rock bottom prices. The Friends of Neill Public Library have a terrific “Used Booksale Nook” that has books for all ages. I can see it from my desk, so temptation is never far away. And prices? Kids’ books are twenty-five cents and no adult title is more than a dollar. I don’t know about you, but that more than meets my budgetary parameters. And while you’re buying some books, you can pick up some free magazines as well. What a deal!
So, come to Neill Library and use your library card to check out a stack of books. Then, while you’re there, be sure and stop by the Friend’s Booksale. Find some great books and drop your money in their collection box. Not only will you have given yourself a thrifty gift, you’ll also be helping the Friends, who in turn help your library. It’s full circle giving and receiving, at prices that can’t be beat. Just be prepared to invest in more boxes, more bookshelves and yes, more bags for carrying them all home. Happy Bargain Reading!
by Kathleen Ahern
Children's Librarian
published 10-23-09 in Moscow-Pullman Daily News
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