They have libraries there, too.
Here if we wish to travel from one place to another we use “roads”. These “roads” are similar to broad paths or tracks, with a surface of asphalt or concrete, and are wide enough to accommodate several vehicles, although there are strict rules governing their use. Typically they are funded from taxes or levies and are free to use, and there are complex networks both within cities and crossing the country, enabling the swift, easy transfer of people and goods. I wonder if any other countries have these “roads”?
[Eurodouche]Oh excuse me but over here in Europe we have roads way older than your entire country, sniff sniff ahem ahem![/Eurodouche]
The British Library is an amazing resource and anybody can register to use the reading rooms and access the books etc. but it is now a pain as access is so easy you frequently can’t get a seat - they’re all occupied by students from nearby UCL making use of the warmth and free, fast wifi :dubious:
Oh, and the Bodleian is the library of the university of Oxford so only accessible to students and staff unless you pay an annual fee.
I hear that in Europe they think 100 miles is a long way.
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
What I love about my county library is I can borrow books on my Kindle. Many a time I’ve searched for titles snuggled up in bed wearing my jammies.
Yes, Ours also has a wide selection of downloadable books.
Well, I believe they coined the term “lieberry”. Possibly this was conflated to cover the concept in general.
I’ve visited many libraries in various cities.
Some keep their fiction current. You can read the newest book by John Grisham or Tom Clancy.
Other libraries are way out of date. Their fiction selections may only go back to hardbacks from the 80’s, if you’re lucky.
Little Rock public libraries offer Kindle book loans. I can browse them online and borrow. The new releases are often already checked out. They can be put on my reserved list.
In Australian regional areas (small towns that may not have a population big enough to support a bricks and mortar library) we also have mobile libraries that are essentially a fifth wheeler caravan or semi-trailer that travel from town to town offering library services on a rotation basis.
Ever heard of the phrase - stupid question?
As a Librarian, I don’t think the question is stupid at all. The OP was curious about other parts of the world, so he asked on a forum with members from various countries. It’s a perfectly interesting question if someone hasn’t experienced a lot of different cultures and parts of the world. I have had plenty of graduate students from overseas all very brilliant in their respective fields, quite astonished that the libraries in America are either 1.) exactly the same as in their home countries (somehow they thought we would do things different) or 2.) the differences that do exist seem incredibly odd to them (for example, smoking policies).
I agree with ZPG - it struck me as an honest question, honestly asked.
Anyway, the situation in Australia is much like it is in the States, allowing for the lower population density. Bookmobiles are a little more common in the areas outside of capital cities, but otherwise I’ve found them just the same.
Moderator Note
Let’s refrain from thread-shitting in GQ. No warning issued, but if you think a question is stupid you don’t need to respond.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
OK, not the OP but here’s a follow-up question:
My local library here in Copenhagen, Denmark, has started stocking both computer games and boardgames, too, which you can lend just like you would a book. Is that a thing elsewhere? Do you have it in the States?
Same in the UK, though I imagine it’s a service under considerable financial pressure in these austerity times, just like the bricks-and-mortar side. Indeed I was surprised to see a mobile library in my area (in inner London) - I assume it might have been a special service for those who find it difficult to get into a bricks and mortar library, or it might have been an experiment, as I’ve never seen it since.
This is our local library service.
I’m just outside the M25 and we have a mobile library that serves the smaller villages. There’s a sign post in Theydon Bois that says ‘mobile Library >>’. I know that the sign is telling you were it will be parked and not where it actually is right now, but it always makes me smile.
No no no, we think that 100 kilometers is a long way.