"May I help you?"

"Oh, no, that's not my hold, I don't get books."  Really, lady this is a library!  You're seriously in the wrong place. 

The library has become a multi-media experience fully equipped with cds, cd-roms, vhs, dvds, and computers.  Sadly, you no longer need to have an affection for reading to spend a sufficient amount of time at the library.  Now don't get me wrong, it's good that we provide these resources to people, but I think we're being taken a little too much advantage of.  People get down right mean when it comes to their audio-visual expierence, and will seriously lie, cheat, and even steal, to get the cd, dvd, vhs, cd-rom, and computer time they want.  Now stealing didn't start when we made these things available to the public.  The library was no stranger to theft back in the days when books and periodicals were the only thing you could get there, but now, at least it seems to me, people are a little more brazen, especially since a dvd will get you more money on the street if you sell it, than a hard bound copy of "Pride and Prejudice".  I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's my sincere hope that the library, somehow, will get back to basics, or rather, library patrons will remember that our primary resource is BOOKS, and that books are an invaluable source of information, entertainment, and even inspiration.  Sometimes you do get things out of books that you seriously cannot attain through cds, cd-roms, dvds, etc.  So if you're one of those people who does frequent the library quite a bit, but can honestly say you don't get books there, I'd like you to take a moment on your next visit, and please browse the innumerable resources IN PRINT, that a library can provide, be it a book, magazine, or newspaper.  This may sound cliche, but I seriously doubt you'll be disappointed. 

(Of course this rant about non-print materials does not include books on tape/cd, I am aware that there are some people who are impaired in some way, or can't read, and they should not be kept from expierencing the library to it's fullest because of these encumbrances.)

Book you ought to read (or listen to): "Free for All" by Don Borchert
It will give you a greater respect for your local library worker.