Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Results are in...

Last month we provided a survey at MPL in conjuction with National Library Week. There were 78 responses to our survey and many of them told the same story. We are one extremely busy community.

Across the board, people who enjoy reading lament their lack of TIME. We don't have time to read due to our community commitments and our responisbility to our families. We can't read while we are busy coaching, biking, baking, golfing, gardening, quilting, shopping, spending time with our family or watching the Green Bay Packers. After all this activity, if we sit down with a book in our hands we will probably fall asleep after the first page even if it happens to be our favorite author.


How can we get more book time packed into our lives? Many of the respondants to the survey do not take advantage of the convenience offered by audio books. Audiobooks on CD can be borrowed from any of our member libraries and we can ask for titles from other libraries in Wisconsin. If you spend time in your vehicle or at the gym, a good audiobook can make your trip go much faster or your workout less painful. We also offer audiobooks through the Overdrive database. These audiobooks can be downloaded onto devices such as an MP3 player, phone, or eReader. It is then a simple matter to listen to a book while doing housework, walking, or cooking. Also, most eReader Devices will work with our Overdrive database with the exception of the Kindle (this may change in the near future), allowing you to read or listen to books wherever you go!


If you don't want to spend time browsing our shelves, we have a variety of book lists on our catalog. Look under the link "Have You Read" and you will find a variety of book lists of different genres and prize winners. Look under the link "New Books" and you will find new books listed for the entire library system. Did you know that the MPL staff also hosts a book discussion group open to anyone the third Thursday of the month? A different staff member chooses a book and leads the discussion every month. Check out our latest selections on our website or stop at the Reference Desk for more information. Due to the variety of reading tastes in our staff, you will not be reading the same old thing every month.



Don't forget about using the resources of our library staff. These people are readers who enjoy sharing their favorites with you. Can't navigate the read-alikes in Novelist? We can help you. Want a chronological listing our your favorite author's books? We can find it for you or show you how to find it. Want a good book suggestion? That's why we're here.



Finally, here are a few tips for those of us that just want to hold a book in our hands while we get lost in it. 1) Keep a book in the car in case you are one of those people who waits in the car while other people finish their practices, shopping, or work shift. 2) Don't limit yourself to one format of a book. There are many people who read at home and then listen to the book while they're in the car. 3) Have a book set aside specifically for breaks and lunch while at work. There is no shame in reading more than one book at a time. 4) Plan to spend time reading just like you would any other leisure activity that is important to you.

Thank you to all who participated in our survey. We can't add time to your lives but we hope to add quality to your search for that next favorite book.