Public Libraries and All Their Glory

This blog post is dedicated to libraries. Our generation has neglected the incredible wealth of entertainment that libraries provide. We don't realize how much we care for them until you're placed somewhere where it is impossible to stream the new Game of Thrones episode from your ex-boyfriend's HBO account. With hours and hours of downtime between the last signal set and placing a cow on the slope after nightfall in summer, you find yourself incredibly bored. You turn to busy work, and if you're lucky, data entry, but after a while, you need a break, or worse, all busy tasks have been completed. So what do you do? At home, in the real world, it would be easy to binge an entire season of Broadchurch on Netflix, but up at the cabin, you're left with the emotionless eyes of the belly dance instructor on the work out DVD left behind to entertain interns. Or you can turn to one of the books collecting dust on the shelves and read yet another bird identification guide or old National Geographic magazine. After a few weeks, or months, of reading book brought from home and anything found around the cabin, you may begin to crave other forms of entertainment.

Libraries are a free source of multiple types of entertainment, and should be taken advantage of. If you can prove you live in the county, you can get a library card and take out the maximum rental allowance. But many times, your field site may not have an address. But fear not! You may be able to get your hands on a temporary library card. This may be difficult to obtain, but try a few librarians at a few libraries, and one may just take pity on you. The temporary library cards won't allow you to rent more than a few items at a time, but it's better than nothing. You could also ask your employer to write a letter stating that you do live in the area at a field site with no address, and this may allow you to obtain a regular library card.

Libraries seem to have a surprisingly awesome collection of DVDs. But beware, many library-goers are not the greatest at taking care of DVDs. To avoid frustration, check the DVD's condition before renting it. I watched an obscene amount of movies, some great and some not so great, during my internship when all tasks were completed for the day. I love reading, but after the 12th book in seven weeks, you really crave some mind-numbing television.