'Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card'

If you grew up in the '90s and were a "PBS Kid" like me, I have no doubt that you were singing along to that entire video. I must admit, I shamelessly sing this song whenever I hear the words "library card," so you can only imagine how this fancy little diddy has been stuck in my head all day after getting my brand spankin' new Kenosha Public Library card! 

After weeks of getting settled into my new apartment in Kenosha, I can finally call myself an official resident – library card and all.

So what exactly did my card and I find on our first of many visits to the Northside Public Library? Some pretty amazing things:

1) Lots of people!

I couldn't help but smile when I pulled into a nearly-full parking lot. Upon entering the automatic doors I saw people of all walks of life taking advantage of what the library has to offer. From the little boy staring curiously at a chess board to the a young man reserving a study room; from the two girls feverishly looking up books on the online catalog to the elderly man in a cap reading near a window ... just being in a public library surrounded by diverse books and people feels good somehow.

2) Lots and lots of books to rent (or buy)!

I limited myself to only renting two books from the library, because I'm already reading a few and own a couple others that I can't wait to dig into. I've been super into Ray Bradbury lately, so From the Dust Returned was a must. I also stayed on my Kerouac kick and rented The Haunted Life. 

But as I walked to the circulation desk, I saw the "Friends of the Library Book Sale" shelf, whose proceeds go to improving the library. With most books being just $1, I couldn't help but buy an armful:

• The Five People You Meet in Heaven,
  by Mitch Albom
• Tuesdays with Morrie,
  by Mitch Albom
• For One More Day,
  by Mitch Albom
• The Burma Road,
  by Donovan Webster
• The Bookseller of Kabul,
  by Åsne Seierstad
• The Shoemaker's Wife,
  by Adriana Trigiani
• A Thousand Paths to Tranquility, 
  by David Baird

I found my selection had a little mix of everything I like: A couple New York Times bestsellers, a bit of Eastern philosophic thought, books about other parts of the world where I would love to travel and some good old fashioned history to teach me a thing or two.

Today's haul from the Kenosha Public Library.

3) Lots and lots and LOTS of future opportunities!

You know I love libraries for a gazillion reasons, but one that I have yet to mention is their use of bulletin boards! Public libraries advertise so many events going on in the community. During my trip to the Northside Library I got a few ideas of upcoming things to do, including Saturday's Spooky Sprint and Fall Festival, a showing of a travel adventure series film about Budapest and Istanbul in November and, of course, this weekend's Friends of the Library Book Sale at Kenosha's Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. 

For a list of all Kenosha Public Library events, click here. I hope to see you at some of them!