Libraries

I am a big fan of libraries - after all, where else can u read books for free?

And I do want to applaud the National Library Board for extending their reach. I mean, libraries in shopping malls? That's a brilliant idea!

However, I do have something to complain about.

Just how is it that the library will only stock certain books in certain libraries?
And in some cases, a library will only have one copy of a book?

I'm not talking of some obscure book here. Take for example Monica Ali's Brick Lane. It's been much hyped-up and was a nominee for the Man Booker Prize, one of the biggest book prizes in the world. And yet, there is only one book that resides in the Bukit Batok library (which happens to be the library I frequent the most)

I do recall searching for a book via the online catalogue and realising that I would have to go to either Sengkang, Geylang or some other similarly far library.

Heck I'd rather just buy the book!

Which actually leads me on to another thing: the Word Shop has disappeared from Marina Square!!!

No More Cheap Books!

Sigh, i fondly recall the day I purchased The Eyre Affair from them at less than ten dollars. So what if it was a little bent? At that price, who cares?

I enjoyed searching the shelves, finding a name I recognised. It's where I picked up books by Salman Rushdie, Kate Greenville and Alice Hoffman for that same low low price.

Now where do i get books at those prices?