The Library, The Relentless Resource

Here's a sort of personal blog post or vlog post for you. So ever since I started reading more books I've been using the library as an unending resource for everything I'm interested in. This isn't a new idea and most people that read go to the library often. There are many opportunities available to the public through city libraries. Its quite grand. In the future I hope libraries become bigger and better. This is what I usually do with my card.

Order things online. This is the primary use of my card. I go on the online catalogue and just search for anything I'm interested in. I've been getting jazz cds, classical & new music (avant garde classical) cds, science fiction novels, jazz biographies & defining the genre style books, scores (I've got a copy of John Adams' Doctor Atomic, the full score), and I'm always in a cycle of returning and getting more. Its an unending black hole of content. I'll eventually start using it to find old Hollywood and European films as well. I'm interested in silent films as well as old European art films. Right now I'm waiting to get the Thelonious Monk autobiography. That should be a good read.

Hang out there. Sometimes when I hang out with my friends I figure there's no point in going home after I hang out if I have work later in the day. So if they have work before me I always ask them to drop my off at the library. When I'm there I'll usually have brought a book so sometimes I'll read. Other times I'll go on their computers and listen to music while reading articles on websites like Wired, Downbeat, and PcGamer. Once you get used to going to the library you'll start to see a trend, its always the same people there using free WiFi mostly.

Pick up things in person. Sometimes when I'm there I'll find things that weren't there before. I've noticed their science fiction section at the Tarzana branch has some new stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary but its good to see that their collection is being recycled throughout different branches. Lately I've been borrowing classical albums that I find there. The most interesting ones so far have been Leonard Bernstein's last performance and Copeland Conducts Copeland, Max Roach's Bitter Sweet (on Impluse!), and an Aaron Copeland album I just got and listened to today. Not bad.

Get out of the house. Sometimes I have nothing to do before work other than the usual grind of waking up, checking email, reading articles/books, and playing guitar or keyboard. After all that I always want to leave the building. The walk to the library is only about a mile but that's good enough for me. I want to have something to do that won't cost me tons of money. This is it. Even seeing the building when you get there is cool. It has a unique architectural shape that gives Tarzana a good look. Proud to live here for sure.

Libraries are often seen as archaic for the memesters of today but if you use it your education and room for intellectual growth is unparalleled. See you at the library.