The Library

Jeff and I are big library users. In Dutton, once we had read our way through the majority of the books on the shelf, we upped their circulation by ordering dozens of books from other libraries. Of course, I think we also single-handedly supported them with our over-due fines. The ability to order books through the library system is really an amazing thing. All the library systems are tied together (for the most part) so even if they don't have a book in your system, they can generally get things from seemingly anywhere. Jeff even ordered an old book by Lord Dunstable, and it came from the U of T library. Great stuff!

So once we got settled in, we decided to check out the local library in Chester. The Zoe Valle library was not at all what we expected. This private library is run through a trust fund and most of the books are older then me. Actually, they have the entire Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys series and many others. The kids particularly liked The Childrens Book of Games, Puzzles and Pastimes, no publishing date, but it's old (and a bit odourous in that old book way). It has wonderful topics like "Simple Conjuring Tricks", "Build a Simple Radio" and "Nut Folk. How to Make Them Yourself".

In order to take out a book, the Zoe Valle library takes your name. That's it. No library card, no address, no phone number. The check-out system is the old pocket and card system that I haven't seen in years. The librarian (he lives upstairs) stamps the due date on the inside cover of the book. There are no overdue fines. He said that he used to charge 2 cents per day, but it was more work then it was worth.

So, we took out a few books, but decided we would probably have to find a more modern library for our literary needs. On Sunday, we took a trip to Lunenburg where they have a larger library (it actually reminds me of the library in Pincourt) and then today we'll head to Bridgewater where the main branch is. We can order books online as well, and the Bookmobile will bring them when it stops in Chester on Wednesdays.

It's all an adventure, and a bit of a throwback to an earlier time. It is certainly an interesting mix of new and old that makes me feel a bit nostalgic and sentimental. I think that our lives could do with a bit of slowing down. Everyone should take some time for the card to be stamped instead of scanned.