Just wanted to add: a few years ago, I was feeling conflicted about what I wanted to do with my life. I posted a comment on CoJ about how I was feeling and was soon overwhelmed with so many lovely, encouraging, helpful comments from other readers. I took their advice to heart (and copied it into a Word doc for myself), and started my MLIS soon after. Now I’ve started working as a librarian and I’m so thankful to everyone who contributed to my getting to this point.

When we used to go to baby story time at the library, all the moms agreed that we “saved” the babies’ best outfits for the library, because (esp in winter when I was on mat leave) where else would they be properly appreciated. It was a wonderful, inclusive group: the moms I assure you were not dressing up!

PS. our branch of the library is amazingly dynamic, and ALWAYS busy.

My son would like to apply for BFF-ship with your son. This summer he has devoured David Skuy books, which are probably too old for him, but they combine his 2 interests. Out of print but found them second hand and at the library.

If only… I haven’t seen the breakdown, but after the latest budget bill (“Big Ugly Bill”), it seems like most of our federal taxes will go to the Department of Homeland Security. ICE and CBP are on a hiring spree.

Libraries, schools, healthcare, seemingly everything else is getting drastically less funding. It makes me sick to think about paying my taxes now, but I agree with your sentiment. Taxes to fund libraries are a wonderful thing.

Evenings Free, if you’re still reading this thread, I apologize for my condescending tone. I think I’m just not sure why you’re unhappy with your public library, and concerned about your determination to fix that with what you term an ‘independent lending library,’ by which I don’t know what you mean.

We’re all trying to find ways to patch things together in this day and age (so much feels so insurmountable). Again, as a public librarian in a city library that’s open from 9am-9pm daily, I adore providing readers advisory and hearing patrons’ library stories and I love when I have a day that feels like a real library day. I also proudly (and sometimes sadly) work through days filled with incidents of all sorts (medical, behavioral, etc.) in which I help people who are homeless, unemployed, addicted, single parents, poverty-stricken, etc…! Libraries have certainly changed, and due to that note in your comment, I think I did project something onto it that may not have not been there. But the things you said in the original and the follow-up were so confusing, such as “I’m just one of many people in our county who see the shift in library spaces and I’m happy to use the library that my tax dollars pay for in the ways that I want to.” This sounds great! But… you just said you were trying to create an “independent lending library in our area to provide the library experience to those who want it.” What does this mean?! Would like to hear more if you’re still here.