as part of my effort to stop buying books (lack of space and money) i've rejoined the Sheffield libraries after some years away, only to find they do graphic novels!

i've come away with Sin City: Booze, Broads and Bullets; Hellboy: Seed of Destruction; and The Authority: Under New Management.

unfortunately, the audiobooks section is rubbish. i might have to sneak into the kids library to see if they have Lemony Snicket on cd.

we've got an INCREDIBLE audio selection, AND we just ordered Blue Velvet on dvd, much to my surprise. And I'm slowly building our graphic novel collection.


Libraries DO rock. Muchly.

Amy, have you considered a job in Sheffield...?

Can't say that I have.

Though sometime in '98, '99, my best friend and I were bored and considered moving to England for a year. Who knows? Maybe in another path-decision I could have been working there.

you were lucky. Its random what you pick up in the comics bit. Usually rubbish......

it is a crap library...

I'm so picking up the LibraryPhone and telling on you to all the Sheffield Librarians.

Here, here!

Used book stores in close second.

quote:

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Originally posted by aitapata:
I'm so picking up the LibraryPhone and telling on you to all the Sheffield Librarians.

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try it they wont answer

I love libraries. Unfortunately, being in a very small town, our library is TERRIBLE.

Much worse than anything you guys have ever encountered, I'm sure.

***

I would love to be a librarian, if I wasn't destined for something else. A summer job as a librarian would be nice.

quote:

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posted by Robbie:
you were lucky. Its random what you pick up in the comics bit. Usually rubbish......

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to be fair, most of the graphic novels were things like Buffy and Transformers, but until i've checked the catalogue i choose to believe this is because most of The Good Stuff was checked out.

my original statement still stands.

Skylark has a point.

I'm forever telling our kids to NOT look for cds/dvds/comics on the shelf, because they're never there. The moment the good stuff gets turned in, two minutes later, it's checked out again.


Do check the catalog! You may have the option of searching by item type, so try doing a "graphic novel" "comic book" search.

quote:

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Originally posted by Grand:
I love libraries. Unfortunately, being in a very small town, our library is TERRIBLE.

Much worse than anything you guys have ever encountered, I'm sure.

***

I would love to be a librarian, if I wasn't destined for something else. A summer job as a librarian would be nice.

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I live in small town also, but we're blessed to have an absolutely lovely library. Is your library part of a cooperative? Because then through interlibrary loans you have access to so much more.

And think about volunteering at your local library! they could probably use the help!

quote:

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Originally posted by aitapata:
Skylark has a point.

I'm forever telling our kids to NOT look for cds/dvds/comics on the shelf, because they're never there. The moment the good stuff gets turned in, two minutes later, it's checked out again.


Do check the catalog! You may have the option of searching by item type, so try doing a "graphic novel" "comic book" search.

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Amen! Or do a keyword search, if you have that option.

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Is your library part of a cooperative? Because then through interlibrary loans you have access to so much more.

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i think the UK public libraries are all part of the same system (they used to be; i know when i was a kid i had a book ordered from Birmingham. can't for the life of me remember what it was) but i don't know if that's still the case. there are several local Sheffield libraries as well as the central one, but all (obviously) far smaller, and my local doesn't do comix at all, although it's audiobook section seems better than the central library. i guess for the old dears who don't want to travel to town, judging by the content...

i like libraries in general, i don't like the one in my town.

and not just because i owe them like a $3 fine.

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Originally posted by jak:
i like libraries in general, i don't like the one in my town.

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That's too bad. Is it the library itself or the people that work there?

about 2 or 3 years ago sunderland library had about 15 graphic novels in the young teens section, including a couple of sandman and a couple of batman.

then something happened!!!

now they have a whole section with just about anything you could want that's available in trade (I even picked up the first lone wolf and cub the other week) and seem more than willing to order anything you ask for, which reminds me, must ask for more transmet, they only a few of those

quote:

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Originally posted by Smaug:
about 2 or 3 years ago sunderland library had about 15 graphic novels in the young teens section, including a couple of sandman and a couple of batman.

then something happened!!!

now they have a whole section with just about anything you could want that's available in trade

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I know our library has been working on increasing our graphic novel selection - as a matter of fact, our YA librarian just designated a new section for them. We're really focused on bringing more teens into the library and keeping them interested.

quote:

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Originally posted by Grand:
I love libraries. Unfortunately, being in a very small town, our library is TERRIBLE.

Much worse than anything you guys have ever encountered, I'm sure.

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I'll challenge that. For me libraries were more a place to hide than a place to find books, like the Sunnydale Library in Buffy, nobody ever goes there. Sometimes I just came for the quiet and brought my own books.

But libraries still rock, and props to used bookstores too. There's something amazingly calming and sane about being surrounded with printed matter. Hard to imagine getting mad in a library.