The library adventures of a bibliophile

Going to the library is, for me, the literary equivalent of a scavenger hunt.

First, I gather the clues. This usually involves reading reviews, blurbs or interviews about various books that might pique my interest. When I stumble upon a title that sparks a flame of curiosity, I visit Amazon.com to browse reader reviews and download free chapter samples.

In a brick and mortar book store, my process is similar. I’ll spy an interesting title or favorite author and read the back cover and inside copy before flipping to the first page. Can the author “hook” me with a great opening paragraph? This is my test. If I can’t stop myself from reading beyond that paragraph, and I have cash on hand, I buy the book. Otherwise, back to the shelf it goes.

Similarly, when I read the first chapter samples Amazon sends to my Kindle, I buy the ones that both capture my interest and cost less than $9.99. The books that cost more go in the Kindle’s “library collection,” and the rest get deleted.

At the moment, the “library collection” contains about 100 samples. I’ll weed through them every six months or so, dumping the books I’ve read or have no intention of reading in the near future. I enter the rest of the titles into the New Hampshire Downloadable Books Consortium. The books that are available in e-book form are added to my online “wish list” and downloaded when available; the rest remain on the Kindle until my next visit to the library.

Currently, I patronize the Keene Public Library in Keene, N.H. Although the Hinsdale, N.H., library is closer — and free to use — it keeps terrible hours and contains only a small stock of books. The Keene library is a good 20-mile drive, which makes going there an actual event. I also have to purchase a “non-residents” library card to use its services, but I love the place so much that the time and cost are worth it.

Upon entering the gorgeous old building, the scavenger hunt begins. I browse through the shelves filled with new releases. Inevitably, I’ll already be familiar with many of the titles, but it’s satisfying to pull the physical tomes off the shelves and feel the weight of their contents. Each book I touch promises to teach me a new subject or transport me to a different time and place. I toss the books I can’t resist into the treasure sack that’s slung over my shoulder. I do try to limit myself in this section, though; loan periods only last for 14 days instead of the standard 21, and it’s often harder to renew a new release if I haven’t had a chance to finish it before the due date.

Confession: Due to my schedule and the library’s distance, I’m terrible about returning library books on time, and I often end up paying a late fee. However, I always feel horrid when I’m tardy and accept my financial punishment. I also make a sincere effort to only check out a few of the due-back-sooners and more of the due-back-laters.

Once I’ve finished with the new books section, I head to the computerized card catalog. Although searching for titles and authors on a computer is a practice I engage in on a daily basis, I do miss the old-fashioned way of tracking a library’s contents. It was just so satisfying to flip through the cards and find just the right one properly categorized amidst the thousands.

Still, technology has its perks, and convenience is certainly at the top of the list. So I pull the Kindle out of my purse, open the “library collection” and begin entering titles into the online card catalog. The books that are available get written in my reporter’s notebook. Title and author for novels, title and Dewey decimal number for nonfiction.

With a proper list in hand, I dive head first into the stacks. I prowl through the mysteries before moving over to general fiction. I cross the room to the sci fi/fantasy section, searching for any titles that may appear on my list, then stride purposefully to the back of the room, where I can follow the numbers listed on the spines to the subject of my choice. Here is the humor section. Here is biography. History is over there. So is true crime. Keep wandering down the aisles and eventually I run into cookbooks, poetry, young adult and reference. So many topics, so many discoveries.

As I locate each of the books on my “wanted list,” I reread the cover copy and first page to confirm that yes, this is a book I want to read. Those that still look interesting end up in the treasure sack. Once it becomes so full that the straps dig into the tender skin on my shoulder, I empty the bag onto a nearby table and begin the weeding process.

Since I work for a living, and enjoy spending time with my husband and pets and friends, I need to keep expectations at a reasonable level. (Well, slightly higher than what is reasonable because life is short and I do like to indulge.) The books that survive the final culling are my prizes. The rest go back to the shelves with the promise that I shall return for them another day.