The Lost Art of Browsing.

The Lost Art of Browsing.

Milk, bread, eggs?  Check.  Oil change? Check. Skates sharpened? Check.  Reserved library books picked up? Check.  Hey, wait a minute!  What's the rush?  What about browsing the library shelves?

I know, there’s your list, and why walk around the library aimlessly looking for something you “might” like?  And, to top it off, if your list is like mine, it is filled with books that have been recommended by your friends, your favorite talk show hosts, the neighbor next door, the magazine you picked up at the doctors’ office, and, oh, so many more.  You know you’ll never get to all those titles, so why spend time you don’t have looking around the library?

Well, here’s the little known secret to browsing in your library.  Where else can you follow your heart’s desire, in public, for free?  And sometimes, in fact many times, your heart will lead you to places you never imagined.

I know firsthand how browsing can take you by the hand and shake up your life.  Just ask my family who still jokes about the trip out west when we tried to visit 7 provincial parks in one day after I found a Canadian parks guide.  Browsing can also expand your horizons.  It was over 10 years ago that I brought home a book on the Alhambra, never expecting that my husband would one day say, “Hey, what about traveling to Spain?”  Browsing can also change your life.  Artisan bread, anyone?

So, all kidding aside, browsing through the stacks is your chance to explore and find your own treasures.  It’s easier than you think to find those books on subjects that speak to your heart and change your life.  So, pull on your boots and start your own treasure hunt.  I can assure you, your library is filled with countless gems.