Are you looking for more ways to live more sustainably, or simply to own less ‘stuff’?This Valentine’s Day weekend get to know your local library, send them some love and give yourself an extra high five for consuming less. You may even have a library near you in walking distance. You can visit the library and check out a physical book, download an E-Book or Audiobook straight from your phone, or go above and beyond and pay those late fees you forgot you had. <3.
Digital Library: E-Books & Audiobooks
Funding for Public Libraries come out of tax dollars. This is a service that you are likely already paying for. With the selection of digital copies of books, whether your preference be reading or listening, there is plenty to choose from. I check out books from the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon. For Multnomah County and most other libraries, all you need is a valid photo ID to apply for a card. Here is a link to the many library locations around Portland. Once there you can apply for a card. After you have received your card and set up your PIN, you will have everything you need to access your account online at the library’s website. You can then access the Library catalog to check out or place a hold on E-Books and Audiobooks.
Three apps that my local library suggests borrowers use are: OverDrive, Libby, and Kindle. They can all be downloaded to your phone or tablet. I mostly listen to Audiobooks. I have used all three. I feel that Libby is the most user friendly.
Everybody Reads 2020: There There
What if everyone in Oregon read the same book? That is the idea that inspired the Everybody Reads community program, organized by Multnomah County Library and the Library Foundation. Each year one book is chosen. The library buys additional copies of the book to lend to readers. They also publish discussion guides, host events, and organize a reading by the author.
For 2020, the Library chose Tommy Orange’s debut novel There There as the 2020 Everybody Reads Book. Orange’s book follows 12 Native people in America on their way to a powwow. The book explores identity and belonging. There There was a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Fiction and made the top 10 Best Books of 2018 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review.
Tommy Orange will be speaking at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 7:30. Tickets can be found here.
Summer Reading Programs
Summer is one of the best times to escape into a good book. Most libraries have Summer Reading Programs for kids, teens, and adults. These programs have prizes and giveaways to help motivate readers throughout the community. Here is a link to the Summer Reading Program prizes and winners from 2019.
Staff Picks
Not sure what to read? Your local library are filled with passionate staff readers excited to recommend their favorite books. Check out the Staff Picks from Multnomah County right now.
Used Book Sale
For Portland residents, the Multnomah County Library has a Used Book Sale two times per year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
- Friday, April 24, 6pm-9pm: Members Only Pre-Sale
- Saturday, April 25, 9am-9pm – Trivia Contest + Cash Bar 6pm-9pm
- Sunday, April 26, 11am-5pm – Educators get 50% off with Teacher ID
- Monday, April 27, 9am-3pm – 50% off EVERYTHING or $25/box
Goodreads App
Enough about the library. Now, I have to tell you about my favorite app Goodreads! I use this app while perusing the bookstacks at the library. Goodreads is free and is filled with recommendations from other readers. I use Goodreads to create lists in the form of digital bookshelves. In the app, I have three different ‘shelves’: my Want to Read, my Currently Reading, and my Read books. My favorite shelf is ‘Want to Read’ which I often use to pick out my next read. The shelf can be sorted in a number of ways. The ‘Read’ list comes in handy for keeping track of which of the books I’ve read by my favorite authors. For some of my favorite prolific authors, like Chuck Palahniuk or Nicholas Sparks, it helps me to ensure that I’m not picking up a book I read years ago.
I used to write lists of books I wanted to read in notebooks or on scraps of paper. These scraps of paper were hard to keep track of. Some I shelved in the books I finished. Others may have been returned in library books.
The stats tracked by the app are amazing. At the end of every year Goodreads provides a visual report of all of the books you’ve read. For example it will show you the book voted most popular by other readers, the most reviewed book, your longest book, etc. You can also track your stats throughout the year. If you have a Goodreads profile, you can access stats through your profile. Once there click on ‘My Books’ and then select ‘Stats’. Here you can see your reading over time cut by books, pages, and publication year. One of my favorite features is the ability to set a goal for number of books read by the end of the year.
There is also a social aspect to the app. You can connect with your friends on Goodreads, see what they are reading, and keep track of their want to read shelf. My bookclub has used this to connect with one another.
Note: if you do download Goodreads, my first advice to you is to manage your notifications appropriately. I didn’t when I first downloaded it and was receiving hundreds of email notifications weekly from all of my friends adding books to their shelves. In short, turn them off.
If you are curious to what I’m reading now or want to read in the future, follow me on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/elysse.
Download the App
Happy Reading!
