I decided to go online this weekend and look to see if there was a library here and if so, where is it, and how easy would it be for me to get a library card being a very temporary resident. To my delight I discovered there is a beautiful library and it is open until 1pm on Saturday. I hurried over to check it out, with our lease agreement in hand, to try and sign up. Because I had identification, the lovely "Sandy", didn't need the $50 deposit for people without ID and she issued me a card right away. I was
good to go. You see I have a real soft spot for libraries. Growing up in Oak Park, Illinois, we had an unbelievable library which I used all the time. This isn't how it looked then, this is how it looks now.
This building is 4 times the size of the one I used as a child, which seemed immense to me.
Entry view. Photography: Scott McDonald ©Hedrich Blessing
Newer libraries have to be bigger I guess. Here's Bundaberg's Library.
So I am thrilled that a place which has always been a comfort to me is here, in a BIG way, in little Bundaberg, Queensland.
http://library.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/
This library has all the books, magazines and media you would want, plus a Cafe, and best of all Wi-Fi for free. This is HUGE as the cost of internet here is expensive and my habits of going on line, checking email, downloading this and that, checking Facebook, watching the credit cards, bank statements, and generally not thinking at all about my data consumption, has my bottom line shrieking! I have already, in the 10 days of having a personal wi-fi, had to recharge (read add money, lots of money) 3 times to stay connected. We had free wi-fi when we were staying at the Best Western, so I did all the stuff I normally do, plus Facetime, and checking out things to do in Bundy, and all the usual meaningless time waster stuff. So finding a place that is comfortable and easy to get to, where I don't have to buy anything to stay, is great. The blogging and downloading of pictures from my IPad and phone are real data drains, and I can do all this here, for as long as I want. (Colin, my youngest son, is probably laughing reading this because of an ongoing discussion we've had about our Unlimited Data Package from Verizon, our cell phone provider in the US. Verizon is no longer offering unlimited data and any change, from any of our 4 lines, will cancel this for the whole group. John and I are now spinning off the plan as we don't want to pay for phones while gone this year....bye bye unlimited data......)
An aside here,
I just had a reporter from Bundaberg's TV Channel 10 asked me to comment on an apparent hacking of the Library's website last night by Syrian extremists. NO, I'm not kidding......They posted anti-government propaganda and extreme Muslim rants. I didn't comment because I didn't know anything about it, but even here, you're not immune from what is happening all over the world.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/bundaberg-library-website-hacked-by-people-claiming-to-be-from-free-syrian-people/story-fnn8dlfs-1227181518953?nk=5055318b763fb47e45eb6915b6e954d1
So I will leave this entry with good thoughts of why free libraries exist in this country, and most democratic, free societies, a thank you to the good people who work in them (shout out to Joy, my niece, who is a librarian) and the happiness they bring, even to visitors. I would encourage everyone who is in a new place for a time, to check out the library where ever they are and enjoy what they have to offer.
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