too many books, so little time

Having recently visited the Filipinas Heritage Library, I suddenly(?) realize how much I miss hanging out in libraries. Maybe it's the part of me that fantasizes about being part of The Breakfast Club, but how can anyone say no to being confined in the library? I do loves me a library.

For a high school research paper I had to go to different libraries, and my personal favorite is UST's. Except for how we found it, of course:
Me: It's supposed to be around here.
Lauless: We can ask. (turns to a passerby) Excuse me, we're looking for the library?
Passerby: (pointing to the building beside us) This one.
Me and Lau: (with FOB looks) Okay. Thanks.
Anyway, it's big and dusty (when I went there), and it's so old fashioned you're tempted to study Medicine or Law just to partake in the wonderful world of airconditioning in the floors for those books.

I like a library with tall wooden shelves, wood panels, and that feeling of home that comes with an old library. Yes, I just described a pyromaniac's wet dream, but hear me out.

Having been an upperclassman in high school when they were moving books from the old library (which rocked) to the new library (which sucked), I wonder now why I didn't bother taking any of the books. I mean, I spent a lot of hours in the library (lunch during recess, library during lunch. Sigh. I miss being thin). I had a right to get those books nobody wanted to borrow.

And where did those books go when they moved? I mean, the new library's tiny. Cramped. Certainly not of the same caliber (or size) of the old library.
But what kind of library has Sweet Valley in it? What kind of demented school would offer Sweet Valley and Sweet Dreams in the library? We can get those books from our seatmate (hi, Neyz!). Luckily the same library had three copies of Catcher in the Rye, and the complete Jane Austen selection, so how can anyone complain.
Oh, wait. I just did.

We had fun in the old library, didn't we, classmates?


As for University, how can anyone complain about a school that has a whole building for a library? I ruled the reference section (hello, Latin and Greek dictionaries), but too bad you couldn't bring those books out. And the magazine and newspaper archive? Loser haven. Just don't ask me what I was doing in there, because I've blocked those memories out.

The Heritage is more accessible now. No more of that "tell us what books or topics you need" crap. You can browse for yourself! For the most part.

Powerbooks Warehouse/Outlet store is open all year 'round, with 20% discount the whole year. The current sale has books discounted at 30%, with some titles at 50 or 70 percent off. Yay!
By the way, people. People. Just because Powerbooks and National Bookstore are owned by the same people, and because National Bookstore has good books, does not mean Powerbooks sells school supplies. Seriously. If I hear any of you approach a PB customer service desk one more time to ask where the school or office supplies are, I will beat you. Or have you beaten. Or laugh with derision in your general direction.

Booktopia buys secondhand books, but they dictate the price. As if I could part with my books.

And Fully Booked offers a discount when it's your birthday. I hardly ever get the opportunity to go to Rockwell, but what the frak, right? Enjoy.

Just a few reasons for you to start reading again.




Oooh, on a more brain-numbing aspect, I am hooked on Battlestar Galactica. For once, a variation on Captain Cardboard (hello, Jamie Bamber) is doing it for me.




Buffy: That doesn't really work for me. We're just going to the magic shop. No school supplies there.
Dawn: Yeah, mom, I'm not going to Hogwarts. (Off Buffy's look.) Geez, crack a book sometime.
(Buffy)