The Captive Reader

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

My library is slowly starting to reopen.  They’re hoping to have most branches open with some level of service by September but until then are offering some creative options.

Phase One of reopening saw them piloting a take out service.  Here’s how it worked: patrons completed a short survey online (or by phone) to indicate the type of books they liked. This was very high level (do you like: fiction? fiction – fantasy?  fiction – mystery?  memoirs and biographies?  non-fiction?)  and had only a limited ability for patrons to provide more detailed information about their tastes.  You then indicated how many books you wanted (up to a maximum of 10) and the library would put together a selection of titles for you to pick up.  Only 5 branches (of the usual 21) were open and offering this service and they quickly filled their capacity, closing it after more than 800 people signed up almost immediately.  Luckily, I was one of the 800.

I was a bit skeptical about how this would work.   Given how much I read and how limited the survey was, how likely was it that the library staff would be able to select books that would interest me and which I hadn’t already read?  In the survey, I noted that I was interested in gardening books (narrative rather than how to), travel memoirs, nature writing, and history books focused on Europe and the Middle East.

Honestly, I’m pretty impressed with their selections, not a single one of which I’ve read so far.  But I’m still very excited for the library to move on to Phase Two of their reopening plan later this month, when they’ll open five more branches (including my local one) and start allowing people to pick up holds.  We’re still waiting for further details on this (will you be allowed to place new holds?  will they be processing ones already in the system?  or will you just be able to pick up the ones that have been waiting on the shelves since the beginning of March?) but it is progress!

Here’s what the library gave me:

Yardwork by Daniel Coleman (Book Depository)

Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall (Book Depository)

The Secret Wisdom of Nature by Peter Wohleben (Book Depository)

Bullets and Opium by Liao Yiwu – I’m a little disappointed that the only history book they gave me is focused on modern China rather than the regions I am most interested in but I am intrigued (Book Depository)

I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson (Book Depository)

Curiosities and Splendour (Book Depository)

A Journey to the Dark Heart of Nameless Unspeakable Evil (also published as The Worst Date Ever) by Jane Bussman (Book Depository)

Ten Years a Nomad by Matthew Kepnes – this has been on my radar for a while so I was very excited to see it in my bag! (Book Depository)

The Amazing Story of the Man Who Cycled from India to Europe for Love by Per J. Andersson – another one I’ve had my eye on (Book Depository)

White Sands by Geoff Dyer (Book Depository)

What are you reading this week?