I Tried to Use a Library Again

Libraries simply don't suit the instant gratification lifestyle of today.

For many years now, when I need a book, I buy it or burrow it from a friend. More often than not, I use something modern like Amazon to get the book to me as soon as possible.

I am used to this cycle, of ‘want book’ to ‘buy book’ to ‘book arrives in 2 days.’

This week, I realised that almost every local bookstore, including Amazon did not have a niche business book I wanted (or if they did have it, they charged double what it’s worth). So I Googled it, and my local library had a copy of it.

Somewhere in 2020, when I wanted to have audiobooks but didn’t want to pay for Audible, I ended up getting a library card to use free audiobooks from an app. I don’t have the app anymore, but after a bit of rummaging, I found the library card.

Off I went to my local library, absolutely confident that in five minutes I’d be leaving with a book in my hands. How delightfully foolish of me.

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When I was in high school, my parents found an ingenious way to keep me entertained until they could come pick me up after work. After the end of day school bell would ring, I'd walk (or get a lift from my friend’s parents) to the local library.

I would then eat my snack, finish my homework and read one of the many books around. I don’t remember having to put things on hold, I remember the library being full and there being plenty of copies of books to go around.

When I had my year twelve jumper on, people even offered me their cubicle to study in, because they knew I needed it. It was a nice place. I loved it.

Six years later, the library would be demolished and rebuilt in another part of town. I heard it wasn’t worth it anymore, the 80’s vibe has been replaced by an acrylic primary colours vibe. Apparently even the tables are plastic and the chairs aren’t comfortable. I liked the old run down library better.

Closer to home, a new library has been built, and the word i’d give it is crisp. They’ve gone for a light, neutral, green look throughout the building, and at the very least its wood. It feels nice, clean, but I cannot stand the layout. There’s just not enough space in the library for people to sit down and work, so they spill out to the cafe and sitting area outside. Then it gets noisy, people bring children and school kids are wandering around.

Gone are the days when you could shush someone in a library.

Bunjil Place Library

The only library in my state that I’ve been to, sat in and loved every minute of my stay is of course, The State Library of Victoria. She’s a regal building, and it’s never so full that you can’t find a spot to sit.

Unfortunately it’s an hour train ride away from my home, so I only make the trek when I have meetings lined up in the city and can justify paying the train ticket and taking two hours to travel. Then I end up in a cafe on Collins Street anyway to have a sneaky sandwich and a matcha.

The State Library of Victoria

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Back to my local library (not pictured above), I walked in and because I was a nerdy child, I know the Dewey Decimal System, so I found where the book should be- and it wasn’t there.

So I checked other sections and was taken aback by how small these sections were. They had one copy of each book, and some sections were so tiny they were blended together. Self help was ‘Self Help and Society’ and Finance, Business and Commerce were all wrapped into “Economics and Finance”. It was infuriating. This is not how I remembered libraries being. Even little libraries in small towns.

There were also no self service computers, or even a handy iPad, so I went up to the front desk and the computer was so slow, I Googled the book before the library computer found it. The librarian was nice, but I couldn’t tell when she was talking to me, or her colleague who was doing nothing but wiping some books at the back.

Even though I googled the title and decimal for her, she still took about five minutes to tell me it was on loan, and would I like to place it on hold?

I was confused. It was a national bestseller, how is there only one copy? Well, she let me know in a very annoying tone (that said she thought I was stupid), that they had one physical copy and two e-book versions, but all were on loan.

Now I had questions…I remember from my uni days, ebooks are unlimited. If you only had two e-book copies, or two people could only read the ebook at one time, 300 other students would revolt the next day. So we all had access to the ebook system on the online library, otherwise how would we be aesthetic and work from cafe’s?

So I asked her why they only have two ebook copies, and couldn’t she just give me permission to read the ebook as well? The answer is she doesn’t know and no. Her tone started getting annoying, so I asked one last question, does any other library in the area have a copy?

Well that big new library I spoke about earlier has two physical copies, and five ebooks, and all were taken too. She again asked me to put it on hold. I asked her how long, she said probably a few weeks…

I couldn’t stand it, so I said ‘no thanks’ and left.

Then I sat in the car and I was so annoyed that I couldn’t get my book now. I was annoyed at how unaesthetic the local library was, and I swore I wouldn't come back, and drove home to find a copy online, even if it was overpriced.

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Not only are libraries underfunded and unaesthetic these days (unless you want to commute to the fancy libraries), they are made on a system that existed before instant gratification was a thing.

Please, don’t misunderstand, I’m grateful for the amount of libraries in my area. I have a choice of six within ten kilometres of my home. There are students and low income families who rely on these libraries. I used to be one of them…but now I need my book, and I need it now.