Know your symbols

I think the library is a very underutilized resource.  With the influx of nooks, e-readers, iPads, etc., I feel like people have stopped going to library and reading actual books.  I am determined to not let this happen, at least not for my family.  I am usually reading 3-4 books at a time and 90% of them come from the library.  Our local library is less than 1 mile from our house, which is perfect for me to run in and pick up the books that I have reserved online.   I have an online library account and I simply log on from my laptop iPhone, find the book I want, and have it sent to my local library.  I get an email (usually 2-3 days later) letting me know my book is ready for pick-up.  I have about 7 days to pick it up, which usually gives me enough time to finish whatever library book I am currently reading.  This library feature is awesome and I would highly recommend it! 

The only downside in retrieving books from the library this way, is that I don't actually get to see the book until I swing by the library front desk and check it out.  So, last week, I reserved a book (David Sedaris' new book "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls" if you must know), and then promptly received an email that it was waiting patiently for me at the library.  I swung by and picked it up, without checking for any thing other than the correct title.

Oops.

Just in case you ever reserve a book online, take a second to review the symbols.  I neglected to look closely at the symbol next to my new Sedaris book:

This quaint little symbol means large print.  Get it? LP? Yeah, well, I didn't put 2 and 2 together until I got home and looked down to see why my new book was almost 5 HUNDRED PAGES long.  Oh right, because there is an average of 15 WORDS PER PAGE.   

Review the symbols when you reserve your books at the library or your "200-page easy-read" might have turned into a "500-page even-easier-read" - says the village idiot