While I understand that my cold weather is not your cold weather, Florida did have record-breaking cold overnight Monday into Tuesday. This was what I had at 8 this morning:
Now, by mid-afternoon, it was more like 60, and probably in the sun it felt decent. But inside, not in the sun, I was layered up.
Brrrr.
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I've written before about how I have not only a library card for my county's library system, but reciprocal borrowing through the next county's library. Since I read more and more ebooks, I love having two cards* to use: I read an absolute TON, increasingly so this year, as escapism, and I do buy some, but I would be bankrupt if I bought them all.
*Technically, I have a third: there's an org called the Queer Liberation Library and signing up for that gave me another 5 loans a month from Libby, nothing to sneeze at.
I was therefore crushed, and I mean CRUSHED*, to get an email from the other library system saying that they are changing the reciprocal borrowing program to eliminate ebooks. Almost the only thing I use it for! (The closest branch to me is an hour's drive, so obviously I'm not making that trek on a regular basis to borrow physical items.)
*Now, a few days later, I'm starting to get over the shock, but that just means I changed the title of this post from "Kind of Heartbreaking" to "Depressing" Library News. Dial it down, there, ccr.
In the email, they note that they offer a non-resident card that can be used for ebooks as well as other things---for $60 per year. Sigh.
I get it. I do. But ow.
So my Libby borrows would go from 35 a month to 15, and Hoopla from, well I don't know because it tells me how many more I can borrow this month but not for any amount of googling can I find out how many I get per month, why is this a hard question, ugh.
Ahem. I go from more to less, basically. And I probably will suck it up and pay for the non-resident card, since I can afford $5 a month to read 20 books. But, you know, ugh. Change.
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I took Newman to the vet for his checkup, and though he wasn't pleased about the experience, he was a very good boy, and got a mostly clean bill of health.
He needs dental work ($$$), and they're testing to make sure the worms are completely gone, but he's at a good weight (about 12 and a half pounds, he's not a lightweight) and there were no red flags. They also trimmed his claws: I'll do that going forward, but for now the needles are gone and he can make biscuits on me without making me shriek.
Which makes both of us happy.
Libraries are such an incredible gift. I don't mind paying or donating. It sounds like you're on the same page. (see what I did there?) I do resent paying for so many streaming services because what I want to watch is NEVER on the ones I have.
ReplyDeleteI do need to think of it as supporting the library, you're right; I love libraries and they do so many amazing things. It just threw me off to have the terms changed on me.
DeleteI don't know how anyone figures out what streaming things to subscribe to. Fortunately for me, all I really need is hockey-related, though that's complicated enough.
I cannot imagine Newman being anything but a good boy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should think of that library charge like a streaming service charge.
I should reframe it that way!
DeleteI have library cards at three different library systems! You might want to check if Broward County's is still free for FL residents. I think they might charge now, but it was free. Also - pro tip: Usually, you only have to pay that fee when your card expires, not every year. At least that's what has happened to me with the two different library cards I had in systems outside of FL. I have one for the Charlotte-area library system that just expired after 3 or 4 years, so I finally have to pay the "yearly" fee again.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Broward does do an instant ecard, but it's for those who "currently live, work, attend school or be visiting Broward County." Which isn't me! But I'll look into other ecards that might have looser eligibility. Thanks for the idea!
DeleteI'm not a phone person, but this might be a good time to call and ask if there's a limit. Meantime, glad for the good vet news and softer paws!
ReplyDeleteAww I am glad he got a good bill of health!
ReplyDeleteI'd have the same reaction to taking away the ebooks and upping the charge too. You're used to what you're used to! Ugh. I didn't realize my taxes don't pay for my library so when my card expired and they wanted me to pay $160 for a year (in 2021, I wonder what it is now) I had a similar reaction (and use a library in another state now).