San Francisco is My Home

24
Mar

Library Science

Author: kris, Category: Landmarks

I rhapsodize about the SF Public Library at the drop of a hat. The main branch — so lovely! The winding staircase drenched in light, the many book-filled floors, the friendly people, the cheerfully burbling anti-theft detectors at the door! As if this weren’t enough, a recently approved ballot measure is allowing the library system to clean up their act, systematically upgrading the libraries branch by branch. Check out the newly renovated Noe Valley branch to see the results.

In addition to this, I want to share some library wisdom I’ve learned. A lot of this is probably true for all libraries, but in any case it is cool:

• You can request any of the check-out-able items that the library has system-wide. These are added to a wishlist in your account, and you’re notified when the item becomes available. You can request that the library send it to your local branch, and then you have about a week and a half to come pick it up.
• Having an SF library card gives you access to all kinds of cool stuff, including the online Oxford English Dictionary, the best and most complete of all word compendiums. Buying access to this yourself is (for me, at least) prohibitively expensive, so the fact that I can get at it for free is terribly exciting. Also, I am a big nerd.
• In addition to books, the library also has DVDs and CDs and stuff. This is not news to anyone but me, because before I got all library-happy this year, I think I had not used a library since 1988. My how things have changed. I wonder if I can get the new Vanilla Ice single on these round shiny discs that play music just like a record?

If you find all this as exciting as I do, you might want to check yourself into San Jose State University, which provides the only local program offering a Master’s degree in Librarianism.  I, too, thought it sounded boring, but since my best friend started working the program my eyes have been opened. Her experiences with digital archiving have taken her to Juvenile Hall, the local Maritime Academy, and will perhaps (fingers crossed for her) take her abroad to Kenya and beyond.

And…that’s all I have to say about libraries. For now.

In case you’re wondering about this fabulous painting, this image is from here.