Public libraries and I have a long, stable relationship -- when our children were little I practically lived in public libraries, visited several children's departments by turns and picked the best storyteller (that was in Ridgedale library at that time). These days you don't even have to rush in to sign up for storytime in person when the library opens up! That was exciting but stressful.
Ask librarian works great -- love that guaranteed response in 24 h that many libraries offer.
It seems that the step from a user of a school library to a user of a public library is a small one, so encouraging.
Hitches
1. Fines. Well, if you only have three measly weeks for books and one little week for videos & DVD's -- even if you follow up closely by whatever means necessary, like Libraryelf as introduced by Ann at the meeting, time just runs out, especially with children who borrow 15 comic books which you hunt down under couches and car seats --
A Solution: October Forgiveness Program -- before Halloween, remember to have all fines wiped out for anyone under 18 -- it can be done online, too, my teens just did.
2. Yes, you can borrow from any library in the 7 county metropolitan area, and I've registered my card in most systems, but it still pays to go and pick the items up in a library in a particular system rather than rely on the slow interlibrary loan system. Which takes valuable gas and time. Also, and this is yet another human failing here, but I lose my library card here and there and once you do, you have to go personally to a library in each system to have it changed -- it is not automatic at all. I just ran into it again.
A Solution: Hmm, can't think of any on my part --
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