The picture above was taken at the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

Ever since I was a little girl my mom took me to visit the library. I have loved books from an early age and as I grew I found comfort and wonder in the wealth of knowledge that is stored within that one building. Anything you want to learn or read about you can find a book about it at the library. And if they don’t have the book you’re looking for in your town, the staff can find the book you need at another library and have it requested for you. Residents in Connecticut obtain their library cards from the library in the town they live in. But once you obtain that library card you can use it at any library in the entire state.

Many people do not use libraries to their full potential because they aren’t aware of the resources available to them. Most libraries in the state of Connecticut use one of two systems, Bibliomation or Connect. Though I’m sure there are other softwares out there as well, most libraries use one of the two previously mentioned. I personally tend to use the Bibliomation online site since my library uses that software and that’s where my account information is stored. The great thing about the Bibliomation system is that its so easy to use. I can look up a book and find every library in CT (with Bibliomation software) that has that book , what section its in, whether it has already been checked out by another patron or if it is on the shelf, and the exact place where I can find the book should I chose to go to that library. Here is a link to the Bibliomation site in case you’d like to check it out for yourself: http://acorn.biblio.org/eg/opac/home.

The resource librarian in your town is a great way to find what you’re looking for. If you’re doing a school project or need to read a book about a particular topic, they can find a listing of books that can help you not only in your town’s library but from libraries all over the state. And if you need a book that’s too far away to drive, the resource librarian can request it from that library for you and it will get sent to your town’s library for you to pick up. I’ve used this many times as I work through my TBR listing I’ve compiled over the years.

Using your town library is not only a great way to save money but it is a great use of your town’s public services. It’s your library, Use it!