Here, mystery novels are the killer apps

Linda Sappenfield — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:52:00 GMT

Remember your first visit to Round Rock Public Library? If it occurred during the summer, you might have wondered, as some folks do, where the "library for grownups" is. There you are, surrounded by hordes of young folks and their parents, possibly concluding that you wandered into a children's branch by mistake.

Looks like a happy place, you're thinking, but where are your books--and how about your summer reading program?

Come on up to second floor. We'll provide cardholders with a reading program log, the first step to recording your summer reads and qualifying for the prize drawing. We can escort you to the fiction section and explain where the DVDs and audios for grownups can be found (mostly downstairs--who knew?)

This year's adult reading program theme-- Books: Apps for Your Brain--was chosen for its timely representation of both the mental benefits of library usage and the fun of sharing your latest find. In that way, it resembles the children's program.

Here's an essential difference we've noticed, though. Children appreciate our providing good reasons to read; busy, time-starved adults sometimes need excuses. We're glad to oblige. Feel free to use these handy justifications for participating this summer:

You can sound high-tech. For your SRP selections, inform everyone that you're "downloading some new apps".
Have you heard about Playaways but have no idea what they are? Summer is the ideal time to audition one of them.
You can count Reference Desk visits or peeks into our "Around the House...." databases on your reading log.
Keeping up with library blogs--including this one--counts as reading activity.
Your Tax Dollars at Work: Calculate how much money you're saving by borrowing books and using library databases.
For a short-short list of staff picks (three), consult the What I'm Reading Now display at the Reference Desk.
Help us maintain a high level of foot traffic by confiding your discovery: the library's extensive adult fiction collection. Sounds racier than it is, but we're OK with that.

Reader's Exchange : Books: Apps for Your Brain, Round Rock Public Library

Here, mystery novels are the killer apps