At the Library
Day to day, I watch the tides of interlibrary loan. Books and media of all sorts move in and out of my department. Other libraries' items flow in for our patrons, and our items flow out for others. The variety is amazing. Just this past week, we have received or sent items on a wide range of topics, including art, history, religion, science, economics, and psychology. Materials in multiple languages have crossed my desk - English, Spanish, Polish, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, French, and Gujarati. In addition to the novels, movies, music and children's books of all flavors, we have facilitated access to books on subjects as diverse as woodworking, philosophy, teaching methods, and real estate. Practical matters like nutrition, car repair and sewing were represented as were academic studies like chemistry and medicine. Our patrons are interested in everything from computer programming to learning Korean to politics and world...