In the age of iBooks, Nook, and Kindle...The public library has become a thing of our childhood. What used to be the information supercenter is now a dated glimpse of what was...
That said, I REALLY enjoy the Roanoke Library. My wife and I moved to Roanoke in July 2011, and I kind of stumbled across this little gem. Here's a summary:
- It's small. Cozy, but not too small - every time I go, there's only one or two patrons in the whole place.
- Free Wifi. A lot quieter to study/work here than Starbucks.
- They carry fairly new items (in my category of interests, anyway). I managed to secure the Steve Jobs biography on hold, within a few weeks of publication. Beats spending the money on Kindle.
- A part of the TexShare program, which allows me to borrow books from other libraries after being a local cardholder for 6 months.
- Good movie selection, and blu-rays. Current stuff, stuff I would think would be "too new" for the library. Also, the week-long policy for movies is a plus.
- Decent online holding and renewal system. I can check out a book for 2 weeks, but renew it up to 5 times online. Wow! That's cool.
All in all, this childhood place of memory has re-entered my list of favorite places - good resources, friendly staff, and a quiet environment. read more