Visa, Discover, or library card?

Linda Sappenfield — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:39:00 GMT

You may have stowed your shopping bags in the car before entering the library, but we know where you've been. The signs are evident: posture wilted from hauling around your purchases, eyes glazed by an overabundance of merchandise. And your countenance clearly registers second-guessing on some of those gift choices.

The library could be the perfect venue in which to regain your equilibrium. After the rush and dazzle of Retail Land, we represent relative calm. If you re-think your selections afterward, the consequences don't involve credit adjustments. We furnish options that are either just-right-sized or even limited, but for the best of reasons (the obvious one being that our stuff is free!). You'll find thoughtfully focused displays throughout the library; these less-is-more offerings seem especially timely:

The "New Fiction" area upstairs: If someone else snagged your preferred bestseller, use your RRPL card to place a hold on it (think of this as no-cost layaway). Then, scan the shelf for something a little different to entertain you while you wait--perhaps a new author or a type of book you don't usually gravitate towards. A peek at the shelf just now included

these finds: The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico by Sarah McCoy, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen, and Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood, among many others.

Abridged audiobooks: A condensed format enables you to try a title you wouldn't otherwise have time for. By listening to an abridgment of, say, Kathy Griffin's Official Book Club Selection, or Tony Dungy's Uncommon: Finding Your Own Path to Significance during your commute, you could garner some new insights for holiday party conversation.

Christmas Family Night: Definitely one to a customer, this free annual holiday treat is yours to enjoy on Friday, December 11. The library will present puppet shows, a craft "make it and take it" workshop, and more. No cash, no credit card, no confusion!

Reader's Exchange : Round Rock Public Library, Readers Exchange, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

Visa, Discover, or library card?