Rediscover your local library

Until last September, I didn't even have a library card. I got it when I had to read a weight loss book for one of my classes, and didn't want to have to purchase one. I figured there was nothing else for me there, so I continued to buy books that I wanted to read new, or used on Amazon.com. But why buy when you can read them for free?? And really, what's the point of owning a book that you're probably going to read once and then leave on your shelf for years before you even think of reading it again.
Yesterday, I was thinking of once again purchasing some books online when I remembered I had that library card. I went to their website, and after realizing how easy it is to search the catalog, I (almost) completely abandoned the idea of ever buying a book again. Using the online catalog, you can bypass the whole searching through the shelves ordeal (which I totally appreciate...darn dewey decimal system) by simply making your request online and having it pulled for you. You can even request a book from another branch and pick it up from your local one. How convenient!
I made a request from my local branch and a few from others, then set out to check out the Brentwood library which, to my surprise, is actually walking distance from my house! I had no idea it was even there...shows how observant I am, considering I drive past it daily!
The building is shared between the library and City Hall (didn't know that was right there either) so it looked bigger from the outside, but was still relatively big and not too shabby on the interior. I went ahead and grabbed the item I had requested online (Lord of the Rings on CD...thinking of listening to it on an extremely long car trip I have coming up) and looked through the cookbook section. It was actually quite large! I picked up How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and was pleased to discover a book I didn't even know existed...Cooking Healthy Across America by none other than the American Dietetic Association (ADA)! It's a collection of recipes submitted by several R.D.'s who are part of the Food and Culinary Professionals practice group. How exciting! I couldn't not get it. It's organized by region of the U.S. and the sections highlight the best of local fare in that area. I must really like the food "From the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Northwest" because I have that section thoroughly marked up by post-it notes. I already tried the Pastitso (Greek Lasagna) recipe...clearly not native U.S. fare, but it turned out great for something I had never made before. The recipe made a whole 13X9 inch pan full, so we'll definitely be eating leftovers for the next couple of days!
So the whole point is, don't forget about your local library...you never know what you'll find there, and you may be pleasantly surprised!