Where everyone knows your name

No, not our local bar...our branch library which is 1/2 a block away. (It was one of the selling points about our house.) I feel somewhat famous whenever we go in. I guess a family with 7 children, who comes during school hours and checks out no less than 70 books a visit is somewhat memorable. I know most of the librarians who work there, but today there were two whom I didn't think I knew, or who knew us. That is until one of them asks me if we're still homeschooling and then in a separate conversation, the other asks how we manage to keep track of all the books we check out each time. It makes me feel badly that I didn't know them.

About the number of books...everyone around here likes, no loves, to read or be read to. (I think the younger ones decide to learn to read as a defensive act. Sometimes when all the bigger types are involved in their own books, the only course for non-readers is to learn to read themselves.) Plus, because the city is always threatening to close the branch libraries to save money, we like to help keep circulation levels up. The city doesn't need to know it's all one family. And I know what you're all dying to ask. Everyone does. How on earth do I keep track of all those books? All I can say is thank goodness for online library accounts where I can see what I have out and when it is due. Weekly monitoring is mandatory. Even then I don't have a perfect track record. I still have to pay the occasional fine, or pay for a lost book. Sometimes I get overly enthusiastic and try to return a book that actually belongs to us. (It happened just today, in fact.) That's when I'm really glad the librarians all know us, because then they can return my books to me.

Comments

Ann said…
Okay, so I have to share my guilt. I wasn't too jealous of the new kitchen, even tho it is beautiful with a huge pantry, I WAS a little jealous of the big playroom and I am insanely jealous of you living half a block from the library! How cool is that?

Any houses for sale on your street? :-)
8/26/2008 10:44 AM
Anonymous said…
Your family sounds just like ours, except we only have five kids. We keep track of the books by keeping them in special tote bags (mostly the free ones I've gotten from the Office Depot Star Teacher days). If a book is taken out of the bag it is supposed to be in someone's hands at all times. When they are done with it, it goes back into the bag. It's not 100%, but it works for the most part.
8/27/2008 6:12 PM
Lara said…
We almost bought a huge old house that was directly across the street from the library. I could have gotten books as easily as I got the mail, but alas dh said the house needed way too much work. He is probably right but I was willing to overlook everything for the library access.
8/30/2008 12:53 PM
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