I got a library card!

Some of my fondest memories as a kid is of going to the library with my dad.  I would check out 10 or more books at a time (my dad would always pick at least one of them) and we would go every couple of weeks.  It was our thing.  But my other memory of the library?  Me constantly having to pay late fees.  It got pretty bad, not to mention expensive.  I'd get reminder letters in the mail and while talking to Mary Ann recently about it, she mentioned a $100 fee we had to pay in high school (which I don't remember but she's probably right).  I eventually had enough and decided I was never going back, even though I had one last late fee to pay.  But I put my foot down.  NO MORE LATE FEES. 

Fast forward to the present and with the amount of books I consume over the course of a single week -- that just isn't practical anymore.  So I went back yesterday and seriously, I felt like I was sixteen again.  Almost nothing had changed!  I went up to register for a new card and I'm talking to the lady about how I haven't been there since high school so I'm probably not in the system anymore.  She agreed with me.  Two seconds later she says: "Oh, you're still in the system!" Um, I am? "Yes because you have a $30 library fee from 1998 that you haven't paid off yet."  

What the eff.  14 years later and that stupid fee is still haunting me. 

So I paid it off and am now a proud owner of a library card (again).  I swear I'll be good this time.  I stayed at the library for an hour trying to find the books I wanted and checked out six total.  I hope I stick with this because I'll definitely save a lot money but here are some of my initial thoughts:

• It's frustrating (and sad) to not find the books I want immediately available.
• Apparently, I do still need to look up where to find books on the computer (although no card catalog necessary so yay for that at least!).
• My library has something against cell phones (especially iPhones). I saw pictures of iPhones and the words "Do Not Use" everywhere.  
• I can go to their website from home and put the books I want on hold which is pretty nice.  
• Free books. Always a good thing. 

Those are my adventures in library-land for now.  Wish me luck!