The Best Library

I just found out today that the web address for the Corvallis-Benton County Library is thebestlibrary.net (and .org). I thought that was pretty funny. How do they know they're the best library? According to Domain White Pages, someone else owns thebestlibrary.com, but it didn't seem to be an actual library, so I didn't bother checking out the site.

It is certainly a fantastic library, worthy of a dedicated post. For a town this size, the library is a decent size, with great hours, with plenty of events for kids of all ages and some really neat features and services that a lot of people don't know about. A few of my favorites:

• Teen Gaming Night. For a couple of hours, kids from 12 to 18 can gather at the library to play board games and video games. The 12-year-old in the Corvallist household says the best part is playing Dance Dance Revolution on a giant projector screen. It sure beats the poorly-chaperoned Boys & Girls Club middle-school dance nights.
  
• Access to Computer Services. Even in computer-friendly Corvallis, not everyone has a computer at home. The library has computers that are free to use (unlike Kinko's $12/hour machines) separated by age groups so that adults have unfettered internet access while kids are relegated to machines with filters.
  
• Book Clubs, for adults, teens and tweens. You can even join a variety of online book clubs.
  
• The Bookmobile. No transportation? Live in the outer reaches? The library's mobile unit brings books and library services to neighborhoods all over Corvallis and Benton County. In addition, there's a "Dial-A-Book" service for housebound library patrons and library service is provided to inmates at the county jail.
  
• The Library Website. From the comfort of your home, you can reserve books you would like to read, print off tax forms, order books from other libraries, find age-appropriate homework help links for the kids, and my new favorite feature:
  
• Downloadable Audio Books. Lamenting a lack of time to catch up on the classics? You can now download a huge selection of audio books from the Library 2 Go website, absolutely free, and burn them to CD or transfer them to your MP3 player so you can catch up on Anna Karenina during your morning walk. I have never been able to stay awake while listening to audio books in the car, but I'm sort of sick of listening to Rick Steves podcasts during my workout and I've been meaning to finally get through Paradise Lost.

It is indeed one of the best libraries I've used. When I was a new mom, I would bring my baby to the library in a stroller and read magazines in the giant overstuffed chairs while the kidlet napped to save unnecessary expenses. That kid is the one now dancing like crazy on teen game nights and ravaging the manga section every weekend.