Discovering The Public Library!

Yes... you read that right. Recently, I had an epiphany when my wife and I were thinking of something to do with our little daughter, one Sunday afternoon. I never thought to go before, but I picked up a weekly circular for our public library and was instantly amazed at the activities and events advertised. I thought aloud,"this is all going on at the library?! Maybe we should check it out." So we did.

Surprisingly, our public library was only a 5 minute drive from our house. Entering the automatic doors and initially glancing around, I had a face of a kid in a candy store. I'm sure the regular patrons thought I was weird for staring in awe. Part of my amazement was the fact that the library wasn't just a library anymore... at least not the type I had known growing up.

The interior was massive and contained everything, from books to PS3 videogames! It was structured almost exactly like a Borders or Barnes & Noble store; the only difference being that you didn't have to buy any items to enjoy them.

After registering for a library card, my wife and I received a complete list of what we were entitled to borrow as registered library patrons. Anything from CDs, audio books, the most recent movies, the latest magazines, computer software and console video games, could be checked out - some for a minimal fee. There was a large play and story-telling area for children, a periodical and cafe section mostly frequented by adults, and a dedicated "teen" room, which I was too old to enter. Amazing!

So, after spending about an hour looking around, my wife and I settled on the following items:

• 1 audio book (Atonement)
• 1 video game (Soul Caliber IV for PS3)
• 1 children's book (Eloise goes to Moscow)

I wish I had known about this magical place sooner...