As someone who has always loved the library, it shouldn’t be too surprising for me to realize that I absolutely love writing posts about libraries. Back in my early blogging days, I did a post on all the reasons you should love the library and I did the Library Lovers Tag back in 2018.

That being said, I think I have officially established a Fangirl Fury tradition in which I must do a least one library-related post every year. 2019 shall thus be the year of The Library Loves Tag, created by Jess of Read by Jess in honor of Library Loves month. I saw this tag done by Kate of Reading Through Infinity.

When did you first go to the library/get a library card?

I cannot recall my exact age when I first got my library card, but it had to be when I was in elementary school. My mom is other sole bibliophile in my family, so I would always accompany her to trips to the library. I think she made me check out my own card at some point because I would take out so many books on her account!

How often do you use your library?

My use of the library is an ever-changing question, as it really depends on my school schedule and the amount of books I have received for review or purchased myself. I definitely use the library way more when I am home for school breaks, given that I have way more time to read than during the semester. While I am somewhat close to home, I tend not to check out books from the library during the semester so I don’t have to worry about constantly renewing books. I used my college town library a lot during my sophomore year- although my library at home is awesome at ordering in books from other libraries, my college town’s YA selection was amazing- but my school schedule have gotten significantly more hectic in the past two years that I rely on my review and owned books for reading.

I don’t think I have ever explained this before, but I use my county library system (I live in the US). This means that while I primarily visit one of the local branches in the town over from me, I can borrow books from almost any library in the county (some libraries are private and only the town’s residents can borrow books from them). If my local library doesn’t have a title, I can put the title on hold from another branch.

Have you ever had a late or lost library book?

I’ve definitely had late books before. This usually happens when one of my parents borrow a book from my account (yes, I made the mistake of giving them my library card number), but even I admit that I am the delinquent user from time to time. BUT NEVER DELINQUENT ENOUGH TO LOSE A BOOK!

What’s your favorite thing about your library?

I mentioned it above, but while my local branch does not have the widest YA selection, they almost always can order titles from me from other branches. After I put a request in online, it can take anywhere from 1-3 days for the book to come in, as long as there isn’t a holds list. Whether or not my local branch has it, I often put unreleased books on hold and manage to get them on release day!

Are you a browser or do you plan what you’re taking out?

I am a planner for sure! I always check the online catalog before making a visit. However, that doesn’t mean that I never check out an unintended book- it’s often one of the ways I discover new-to-me authors.

Name a book you took a chance on from the library.

Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner.

What is the best book you’ve read from the library?

This is a really difficult question because so many of my favorites, like Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, were books I originally checked out from the library and ultimately loved them so much that I bought my own copies. My 2019 pick is Elle Kennedy’s The Goal (yes, I check out romance books from the library with no shame).

Have you ever take the same book multiple times?

I think I’ve rarely, if ever, take out the same book to reread it. However, I have checked out the same book twice before, in that I returned it early the first time around after not being in the mood to read it in that moment, but it stayed on my TBR.

Have you read a good book that takes place in a library?

Does Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer count??

Have you used your library’s ebook or audio options?

 I’ve used both my county library’s ebook and audio options through Libby. I think I’ve only checked out one ebook- K.A. Tucker’s The Simple Wild– since it was unavailable in print and I didn’t feel like purchasing my own copy. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of ebooks, I enjoyed the reading experience way more than I thought. I definitely see myself using Libby on my family’s iPad again. The only types of books I listen to on audio are often ‘celebrity’/non-fiction books, but regardless, I always borrow them from the library.

What is the best library you have been to?

I admit that I haven’t been to too many libraries outside of my school libraries and the ones in my town. If there’s one library I should visit given my proximity to it, it’s the New York Public Library.

What would make you use your library more?

I would use my library more if they had a request system, in which users can request certain titles for the county system to purchase. I can borrow titles from other branches if my local library doesn’t have it, but more recently, there have been a handful of books that the county system doesn’t have at all (and I routinely check if any of them have been ordered in the online catalog). I know that my answer then is to buy the book then, but one of the reasons I use my library is to read books that I’m not sure I’ll enjoy enough to feel the need to have my own copy.

Are you a library lover? What’s your favorite thing about the library? Share in the comments!