הספרייה שלי

• הספרייה – “ha sifriya” – the library
• שלי – “sheli” — of me (i.e. mine)

Every so often I will venture into my local library to see if there any cool books I can read for free. The larger libraries, in particular, never cease to amaze me. Well, I’ve had a new revelation the past couple days. I knew that they had some language-related material — dictionaries, 30 year old “teach yourself” books, etc. I have just discovered, however, the “hidden collection,” the stuff you have to ask for behind the register. A fast inventory of my local coolness:

• Complete collection of FSI Hebrew tapes (great for my upcoming pre-Thanksgiving roadtrip)
• Copies of all the Hebrew courses that I considered buying but did not for one reason or another
• Extensive courses for Portugese, Spanish, German, Japanese, etc.
• Unbelievable collection of African language material (I really wish I were interested in them!)
• Pretty sizeable courses on Persian, Finnish, Irish, Norwegian, and many others

And the only requirement is that I live in the area and renew every month or so! Moral of the story: before I start another language, scope out what the library’s reserved collection. Try it yourself — you might just be surprised!