Thursday, April 11, 2013

THIS RV BRAKES FOR LIBRARIES


A library stop in Elko, Nevada

Most people think of RVing as taking to the open road, sightseeing, perhaps hiking and fishing. The outdoor life is vital for us, too, but we enrich our travels by spending some time in libraries along the way.
Our local branch of the county library is always a good place to begin. The Pollock Pines library is a cozy one-room operation, nestled beneath pine trees and dogwoods. It has a basic set of travel books that help with general planning; for more specific needs, we can Google on the library’s computers or on our own laptop. Just before leaving home, we may check out a few books to take along. Being a mystery addict, I am likely to take some paperback whodunits or DVDs, which are perfect for entertainment during enforced layovers in rain-drenched campgrounds.
Libraries themselves can be mysterious. In Tonopah, Nevada, we saw a tiny library on a side street. The intriguing sign on the front lawn read A.D. 2500. What was that about? Because Tonopah is on the Extraterrestrial Highway, we speculated that it might mean After Descent or (more scarily) After Dominion.
Lockport, New York,  has a beautiful library where I did some online research for a book while Thane admired the architecture. We hadn’t realized Lockport was on the historic Erie Canal, but the librarians soon set us straight. Following their directions, he saw the canal and locks, and took many photos.
In general, the libraries in large cities or in wealthy suburbs offer the most in books, architecture, and other attractions. Some newer libraries even have coffee shops where patrons can have coffee and a snack while reading books and magazines. The new Alameda, California,  library (built for $25 million with state funds and a local bond issue before the current recession) is spacious and beautiful.
The old library that it replaced was beautiful in another way, having stained glass windows, marble floors, wooden paneling, and lovely ironwork. It was a Carnegie library, one of the hundreds of United States libraries provided around the turn of the twentieth century with financial help from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Many of these libraries have a characteristic Greek Revival architectural style, with a stairway leading up to the entrance and pillars on each side of it, that is easily recognizable. We have seen Carnegie libraries all over the country. It is always a pleasure to visit one of them and perhaps curl up in front of a fireplace with a good book for a while. Unfortunately, they are gradually disappearing.
Librarians are usually experts on their local areas. When we drove into Las Vegas and had trouble in finding our way to the main strip of casinos, we stopped at a library for help. The idea that anyone could have trouble finding the flashiest square miles in America must have considerably amused the librarians, but they printed out a map of the city and marked it clearly so we could find our way.
Wi-fi is available in libraries nearly everywhere now. If I am writing or editing something, access to the Web is essential; even for e-mail, we need wi-fi every few days.  Occasionally we must pay a small charge for access, but it costs less (and is less fattening) than buying coffee and pastry in an Internet cafĂ©.
While in a library, we can catch up on magazines and newspapers without spending any money or accumulating paper that must be recycled or thrown away. (We are frugal environmentalists.) Because local newspapers can be read in libraries, we can get an understanding of local issues that would be unlikely otherwise.
Thane devours magazines about anything having wheels—planes, RVs, or motorcycles—or about astronomy or photography. At the library in Pocatello, Idaho, he was delighted to find the latest issues of his favorite magazines on those topics. The library in Bismarck, North Dakota, was another treasure trove of magazines. When I had to fly home because of a family emergency, Thane spent a blissful day in the Bismarck library. I’m not sure he even noticed I was away. North Dakota seems to have excellent libraries, possibly because people need help in getting through the long winters. When we found ourselves in Minot waiting several days for RV repairs, we spent many happy hours in the city library.
In Oregon we bought a large box of cherries at a roadside stand, then realized they would spoil before we could eat all of them. A librarian at the Bend library saved the day by helping me find a recipe for cherry pie.
In general we have been lucky in finding libraries open whenever we happen to stop, but were disappointed in Winnipeg when we found a “closed” sign on the library door, with no explanation. A passerby shrugged and commented “It’s summer,” as if that accounted for it. 
Sometimes libraries in rural areas can be surprising. When we drove into Frazier Park, California, the day was late, and we needed to find a campground for the night.  As we searched, we noticed a library sign and decided to ask there for directions. This library is a gem—a recently built Arts & Crafts creation, complete with stained glass windows, sculptures, music, computers, community meeting rooms, and so on. The helpful librarian pointed us up the mountain to the lovely Chuchupate Forest Service campground, which we would never have found on our own.
So, some day you may see our Winnebago View in a library parking lot. We will be indoors happily catching up on e-mail, work, and reading. Or asking for directions.