"Autumn is a Second Spring"

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower"
– Albert Camus

Yesterday after lunch I walked into town to get my seasonal flu + covid shots. My health care centre is in that building behind the trees. Things were well organised this year: No problems neither with registration, nor having to wait too long; and the procedure itself went smoothly and quickly (but without feeling rushed). There was a bit of light rain when I walked back, but no wind to speak of, so that was no problem either (I had an umbrella).
 

After a bit of rest at home, I went out again later for a shorter walk to the nearby branch library to return a book and borrow another. As I've mentioned before, we just recently got a small library back to my part of town, after it's been gone for a number of years. Probably only back temporarily but I intend to make use of it while it's here...  

Unfortunately it is difficult for me to read books with small print these days - one I returned now I ended up also borrowing online as audiobook to be able to finish it... (A Swedish book not available in English, so no use going into details here.)

I still like to browse around for a while when I'm there, though, because what I still find easier among "tactile" books is to just browse around without a clue what I'm looking for!

Today I woke up with two sore upper arms after the injections, but otherwise feeling okay. (No fever etc.)  After a lazy morning och some lunch, I went for a walk to the supermarket for just a few items, and on the way passed these magnificent RED rowan trees...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." - George Eliot
 

Library (2)

 

The unusual September heatwave is breaking up, and we had a bit of rain on and off today. After lunch (and the rain just then more off than on), I went to explore the interior of the new district library (cf. previous post for photos of the exterior).  

Indoors it turned out to be a bit like a labyrinth on first impression, with several small rooms opening into one another in various directions - but turning out to lead round more or less in a circle, ending up back at the reception desk facing the entrance. I only snapped a couple of photos where there were no people at the moment. 

I spent about half an hour trying to get aquainted with how they have organised the books (by genre etc). I also picked one book to borrow, as I also wanted to update my library card and get (re)acquainted with the current registration system they're using. As I also told the librarian at the desk, it's been a while since I last borrowed a physical book - my loans lately have all been e-books and audio books online. I knew I had updated my online data not too long ago, but (as I suspected) it turned out that I also needed a new physical card. 

Even at this small library one can now also borrow and return books by "self scanning"; and as the librarian at the desk happened to have some temporary trouble with her own machine there, I also got an instruction in that.  Either way, the procedure at this small library felt a lot less daunting than all the machinery one has to face at the main library these days. (Cf my post from 2012 that I also linked to in my previous post.) Because of the premises, it also has quite a cosy old-fashioned feel about it. I will probably continue to drop in now and then just for that, even if the bulk of my actual reading is likely to continue to be by digital downloads... ;-)

Library

A Big Happening in my little world took place this week: My neighbourhood got its district library back. 

When I first moved to where I live now, 16 years ago, there was a district library only five minutes walk from home for me. A number of years later (I can no longer recall exactly when), they had to leave those premises, and ended up being merged with another district library - too far away and in the wrong direction to serve the purpose for me. At the time, it was actually easier for me to get to the main library downtown (but up a hill), by bus. The main library, however, had by then already got rather "impersonal"... (Searching my blog now, I found this post from September 2012 describing that.) So ever since the nearby small library closed, I've really not frequented any physical library much, but mostly kept to Kindle and Audible + now and then some online library services.

The reason that the district library is now (temporarily) back in my neck of the woods is that the building where they resided over the past X years is now about to be torn down and replaced by a new assisted living facility for elderly people. After that project has been completed, I understand the library will probably be moving back there. But meanwhile, they have now moved into a charming old wooden building some 7-8 minutes walk towards the town centre for me. It used to serve as a preschool, but has now been empty for a while.

They opened on Monday, and yesterday afternoon I thought I'd go and check it out - only to find that on Fridays they close early. So I had to settle for just having a good look around the outside to start with. Good opportunity for that, though, as there were no people about!

I'll be returning to check out the inside another day. Even if I prefer reading on Kindle and "by ear" these days, I'm looking forward to some browsing - and just a place like that within easy walking distance, not least in winter.

Getting Reacquainted with the Library

 

Do you have a local library near where you live - and do you still go there to borrow books?

Yesterday was another good day for a walk, and I decided to pay a visit to our city library; situated in the same building as the art museum and the local theatre. 

My main errand was to check if my library card was still even valid... 

The thing is, I haven't been using the library's services for a while (explanation below), but  recently I felt inspired to check out their current online services. I found there was a new app for online loans of e-books and audio books. I was able to download the app, but wasn't able to log in. Reflecting about how long it was since I last made use of my card, I realized that perhaps I needed to get that updated as well...

We used to have a small branch library like only five minutes walk from where I live. Very practical. Besides what I could find on their shelves, I could also order things from the main library and pick them up at "my" library. And likewise, I could return books at the branch library, even if I'd borrowed them from the main library. However, the branch library was closed down a couple of years ago, as the building was going to be renovated. (As far as I can see, they still haven't even started that job, though...) 

And then came the pandemic... with restrictions in the main library's opening hours and services as well. So I haven't been borrowing anything from the library in at least 2-3 years. In some ways, I haven't really missed it all that much (except as "a place to go to"). For one thing, in later years I've acquired quite a collection of English Kindle and Audible books  from Amazon and Audible. And I've also had access to a national Swedish online "talking book" library service (for people with visual or other impairments). (However, their recordings are not the same as the audio books sold commercially, and the quality varies a bit.)

Since last autumn I'm an "old age" pensioner, though, and I've been thinking maybe it's time to cut down on my collector's mania a bit and start making more use of the library again. 

So off I trotted to the library yesterday, to at least get my library card sorted!

Walking to the city library means my usual walk downtown; and then a bit further up a hill. I chose a side street on this occasion, and took the opportunity to snap some photos of town views I pass less often. There's a mix of old and new blocks of flats in this part of town:

 

The white building is our "cultural centre", including library, art museum and theatre.
The tower sticking up belongs to our biggest church (Church of Sweden)

 

Another church across the road from there (a "free" church, i.e. not Church of Sweden)

Across another street, an old building which I think used to be the town hospital back in the late 19th / early 20th century. 

The city library is huge and I have to admit I feel rather lost among the shelves there these days, not visiting all that often... I just snapped a couple of random photos. This I think is part of the children's section.

I got my errand sorted out, though - no problem. Got a new library card and pin code; and when I got back home, was able to log into the new app, and borrow my first library e-book. I found it seems to work quite well for me to read in this app on the tablet, being able to adjust text size and background brightness etc. So now I can continue to catch up with some books in Swedish in between all the English ones still waiting on Kindle (I've downloaded soo many old English classics and other free or cheap bargains over the past decade...)

Before going back home, I also revisited the art museum, plus took another little detour on my way back as well... But I'll save those photos for another post.

Postcards for the Weekend – Library

Oh-oh. I find myself in trouble with this week’s theme(s) (museum/university/library), as I haven’t got my postcards sorted like that…

The only card that popped immediately to mind was one that I received rather early on in postcrossing. And as I haven’t received all that many from Australia, I also knew where to find it.

AU-290210 (2013)

Mitchell Library – The State Library of New South Wales in Sydney. It is the oldest library in Australia. (Link to Wikipedia.)

September Harvest Festival, Part I (Inside)

Borås Cultural Centre contains the town’s Art Museum, Library, Theatre, and a café.

In September, the annual Harvest Festival usually takes place here - with market stalls and music and other activities going outdoors between the Cultural Centre and the nearby early 20th century church…

… and free apple pie and custard served indoors, in the theatre lobby:

This year there was so much going on in September (both in town, and for me personally) that I never got round to posting my harvest festival pictures back then. They came to mind now, however, when I was looking for something to post for Friday My Town Shoot Out.

The FMSTO theme this week is ‘Inside’, so I start with  some photos I took from the upstairs balcony of the theatre lobby (where I also found a quiet corner to enjoy my own piece of pie!) …

While we’re here, we might also take a peek into the Library, which I have to confess I find rather unpersonal these days:

I must confess I still feel a bit daunted by the ‘robot librarians’... Haven’t actually had much to do with them yet. I can browse the catalogue online from home, and then pick up vs leave borrowed books at a small branch library closer to where I live; where they still have human staff behind the counter. Or at least they did last time I visited! My reading habits have changed a bit over the last few years, with 1/ Kindle, and 2/ special (disability) license to download library ‘talking books’ directly online. This does not mean that I read less, but it means that I mostly read Swedish books ‘by ear’ (and some English ones too) and with my eyes in English on my Kindle (classics for free + buy some); and so do not really need to borrow a lot of regular books from the library any more…

(Postcard recently received from book-loving friend in England – thanks John, I do still love to look at printed books even if I prefer reading on the Kindle now for practical reasons!)

~~~

I’ll save the rest of my harvest festival photos for another post (or two), I think.

This November month has been all wrapped in grey clouds so far, and seems likely to continue the same way…

Booking Through Thursday: Libraries

from Deb

How often do you visit a library? Do you go to borrow books? Do research? Check out the multi-media center? Hang out with the friendly and knowledgeable staff? Are you there out of love or out of need?

Not as often as I used to. Some of the things I used to need to visit the library for, I can do from home these days – including search the book catalogue and make reservations and renew loans. With a click I can order a book to be sent from the main library to my nearest small branch library and get a message when I can pick it up there. The branch library is only ~ 5 minutes walk from my home.  Since the Kindle came into my life (back in the autumn) I’ve only borrowed a few audio books. But I still pop in at the library sometimes for a bit of random physical browsing.

Talking of audio books, I’d like to warmly recommend this website that I recently found:

 www.booksshouldbefree.com 

Lots of free AUDIO public domain classics.
Well worth checking out if you like listening to books.

Modern Library

Hello, I’m your New Librarian. I’m sorry, you seem to be having some trouble with your PIN code. You need to talk to one of my colleagues.

Colleague?

Keep looking…

Yes, We are Modern Librarians too. We’ll take your books, if you want to return them. We can read bar codes. Oh. You haven’t borrowed the books yet? Then you’d better hold on to them… What you need is someone who speaks PIN!

Hello. No, I’m afraid I don’t speak PIN…

Well, finally I found a more human-looking kind of librarian behind a desk. I nervously confessed I couldn’t get the machine to register my loan, and she looked at me as if I had dropped in from another planet - and asked if I had a PIN code.

Yes, said I. I do have a PIN code and I use it all the time at home on the internet. But I couldn’t get that machine over there to accept it…

So the human Librarian walked over to the machine with me. And of course after just a stern look from her, the machine accepted my PIN code without protest; and the bar codes on the books as well.

There are few things that makes one feel as stupid as machines who like to play tricks with newbies but then pretend to be perfectly innocent when their Master (or Mistress) show up.

I still haven’t dared try to personally feed that huge green book-eating monster, by the way.

The reason why I still feel a bit lost at the “new” library (renovated and modernized last year) is that usually I do most of my borrowing and returning via the small branch library close to where I live; where they still have personal service behind the desk. I can also access the library catalogue at home on the internet, and order books to be sent to the branch library and pick them up there. So the only times I “need” to go to the big library is if I want to browse IRL and get a closer look at books before borrowing them.

Booking Through Thursday: Queue

http://btt2.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/queue/

What are you reading now?

Would you recommend it?

And what’s next?

Just started on a new audio book - well, not new as such - I've even read it before. In between other books this summer I have been (re)listening to a series of Swedish novels set in our capital Stockholm between the 1860s and the 1960s - a sort of family saga through generations. I've now come to the fifth and last. I would recommend them all, but it seems only the first two have been translated into English: City of My Dreams and Children of Their City. The author is Per Anders Fogelström (1917-1998).


Recently finished This Body of Death by Elizabeth George. She usually manages to keep me mesmerized while reading, but afterwards I find that what "sticks" in my memory is mostly the development in the relationships between the main background characters - the detectives and their families and friends - rather than the specific mystery in each novel; which was as usual quite an intricate puzzle, approached from several different angles. From the "private" perspective I was not too happy with the way some things were left at the end. As a mystery though, I think it was rather clever, and it wasn't until towards the end that I began to connect some of the things which at first did not seem to be connected at all.


During the reading of this book I also came to question if I ever read the previous one in the series (Careless in Red). I think I must have missed that one; so now I've ordered that from the library. Luckily it turned out they had it as audio-CD in English. 


Our town's main library has just been reopened in newly renovated premises (after a year and a half or so in temporary premises). I looked in for a quick glance the other day. Of course they have shifted everything around so it will take a while to re-learn where to find things. New white bookshelves made it look airier and brighter than before. The shelves are also still half-empty because they gave everyone really long loans over the summer, to help with the move.


My favourite improvement so far is in the online catalogue. They've made it even easier to queue for books online now by also including the option to choose at which library I wish to pick them up. So I can order any book from the library catalogue, from home, and instead of having to go to the main library to pick it up when it comes in, they will send it to my local library which is only ~5 min walk from where I live. Excellent service. (It was possible to do this before as well, but then I had to go to the local library to ask them to order it for me.)

Booking Through Thursday: Own or Borrow?

All things being equal (money, space, etc), would you rather own copies of the books you read? Or borrow them?

All through my life, I have always done both: Bought some, borrowed some. As much as I love books, I dare not think what my home might look like if I had bought and kept every book I ever read... In real life of course both space and money DO matter; and living in a small flat rather than a big house puts a limit to how many books I can have in my own home. And I do not really like permanent piles of books on the floor so I try to keep within shelf-space!

A key word to me is probably "easy access" rather than "ownership". Most of the books I buy and keep (especially in later years) are such that I find it likely that I may want to reread, look things up in and refer to, "at any time". With new books/ authors I often borrow first and then if I find them really good I might end up buying my own copy. Other reasons to buy rather than borrow may be that the library doesn't have it (for example if I want to read a certain book in English); or I want it NOW and there is already a long queue for it at the library; or I know I want to read it, but not just now, and when I do I can't be sure it will be available; or I suspect it may take me longer than the library loan time to read it.

But I love the fact that we have free public libraries which provide a wide choice of literature for anyone regardless of how much money they have. I'm sure there are lots of books I would never have read and lots of authors I'd never have discovered if I had had to buy every book to be able to read it.

Some of my Arthurian and other mythology books.