Can we talk?

Books

         We have books coming out of our ears. We take them to Good Will occasionally. We lend them to people who never bring them back. A neighbor gave us two boxes full of mysteries. I took several to The Little Library a few blocks away from us.

         Someone in the subdivision started The Little Library years ago. It's on a very sturdy pole or fence post, like a bird house. It has a normal house roof, two shelves, and a glass door with good quality hinges. It snaps shut and does an amazing job of keeping the contents dry. That neighbor moved away, but someone else took over for her and moved it to her yard, which is downhill and up a block from my street.

         It doesn't hold that many books, and at the moment, there are no children's books in it. You can borrow, deposit, or just take what you want. It's on the corner of the property, so it doesn't bother the residents on either side. Occasionally, the newsletter will mention it, or the daily emails from one of the neighbors in the Community watch will remind us about it.

         I like ebooks because you can get them quickly, without driving all over town, and without paying postage. Amazon tricks you into thinking you can order a bunch of real books and get them delivered free, but the total has to be from each shipping origin, not your total order. I had one order way over the required amount, but when you broke it up into three shipping areas, none of them qualified for free shipping. No problem with ebooks. You have it within seconds of your credit card passing approval.  The problem is that if you really like it, you can't lend it to your friends or relatives.It's in your "virtual" library, only for your device, and will not be available to visitors to your home. You will never donate it to a yard sale or charity. You can't get it signed when the author comes to town.

         I have both. Now there's ibooks. I still like the books I can hold, and thumb through. If I could, I'd add a wing to the house, which would include a library with a ladder to climb to the top shelf!