On browsing and drive-thrus

Today marked my second visit to the library in as many days. These were harried errands because the work was piling up and time too precious to spend taking a break. But I wanted my books as soon as I could get my hands on them.

And so I marched into the downtown branch of the Denver Public Library, went directly to the reserve shelf, grabbed and checked out my books (reserved each night before electronically) and strode out of the library without nary a moment to browse.

Though I'd have liked to.

Unfortunately for me the library's hours largely mirror my work hours. I clock in at 9:45 each morning and leave at 6:45. Three out of five workdays the library's hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The other two weekdays they open at 10 a.m. but do not close until 8 at night. Problem is, I have the tiniest of windows to get home before my young daughter goes to bed. It's a drag when you miss saying goodnight to your daughter.

What I wouldn't give for a 9 a.m. opening, just one day during the week!

For the time being that leaves my best, most convenient browsing option to the Internet. Don't get me wrong, DPL's virtual access is amazing and I can obtain nearly everything I want from my living room any hour of the day, just not so much the physical books or access to the physical library.

I've always felt at home at the library and some libraries even feel like sacred places. My first local library was in a former church, the children’s section housed in the area of the old alter. With the sacred also comes the profane, and when I was slightly older I first knowingly encountered homeless people at the downtown branch of the Milwaukee Public Library. There's nothing inherently profane about homeless people, but there is about homelessness. And on through the years I encountered wonderful, larger-than-life (yes) people at the library and the magic has never worn off. I met my wife at the library and it only took me the better part of two years to ask her out.

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A friend in Wisconsin wrote me earlier in the week after checking out this site and he offered a very different take on the physical library than my own when describing his library uses. My friend loves his personal book collection but he also uses his library's electronic reserves and inter library loan quite a bit. He does not feel much attachment to the physical library, however:

"So, I'd reserve a book online using my library account, and when I was alerted that the book was on the hold shelf (under my name) I'd go pick it up and check it out. And then I'd quickly get the hell out of the library.

I have a few other librarian friends, and they couldn't quite get the concept that I don't want to "hang-out" at the library. They didn't understand, that for some, the library isn't a community center; it's a service provider. From that service, I want a book, and I want to pick it up quickly and easily and then be able to return it in the same fashion. I don't want to loiter."

I wonder if he's on to something. Will there come a day when libraries are more of a drive-thru service than community space? Have they already reached that point? I wonder if I haven’t adapted to that model already.