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Have to love your public library...

cdfac

cdfac

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Even if you don't live in a decent sized city or a university town, it's worth checking out your public library's music collection, especially if you like classical and/or jazz. But you probably know this already.

What you might not know is that if your library does have a pretty good selection of CD's (mine has at least several thousand), there are most likely a good number of Hybrid SACD's hanging out in the classical section! Without really looking, I happened upon 4 of them in less than half of the "Symphonies" section. Not having much experience with SACD, I didn't realize that not all of them come in cases with rounded corners. The Hyperion and Pentatone did, but Sony and Telarc discs were a total surprise until I got home.
 
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There are times when I miss the big open spaces of the country, but when the local library is a 15 minute walk away via a park, it reminds me of the benefits of living in the burbs. We are down there every month for CDs and DVDs. Been watching The Beatles Anthology on DVD these last couple of days thanks to the resources at the local library!
 
My library "Syndicate" has a wealth of music, all for me. It shares several library databases from many counties. I just login, key in a band/name and see what comes up. I'll do twenty/thirty Cds at a crack. And the Syndicate does all the work, including delivery. I get an e-mail from my local branch telling me I've got holds to come pick up. One case where my tax dollars work for me.

S.J.
 
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I have been morally against ripping and burning for many years but the quality and selection at the library has compromised these ethics. Like S.J. I'm happy to get something out of the tax dollars too!
 
Darn! I haven't been to a library in years. I only have one library near me, actually I wouldn't quite call it a library, more like a closet full of worthless items. It's small, real small. It is a branch of a library network, but the other libraries are some distance away and I mean distance like 25 miles for instance and I really don't want to have to make that trip to check out a CD and return it. It's cheaper to buy it used.
I wish I had a library within a reasonable distance as this sounds like a good idea.
 
I recently visited our Library and discovered that they had quite a collection of CD's. I looked at several that I thought I might take home, but they looked like someone cleaned them with sand paper!! :yikes: I left them there as I can't imagine they would be playable.:tears:
 
Not all libraries are created equal. The DVDs in out public library are used by children as toys. As for the music CDs, they do not have what I am looking for...


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- Vacuum tubes are where it's at!
 
Anubis said:
Darn! I haven't been to a library in years. I only have one library near me, actually I wouldn't quite call it a library, more like a closet full of worthless items. It's small, real small. It is a branch of a library network, but the other libraries are some distance away and I mean distance like 25 miles for instance and I really don't want to have to make that trip to check out a CD and return it. It's cheaper to buy it used.
I wish I had a library within a reasonable distance as this sounds like a good idea.
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If they are a network, can you get the other locations to send material to the one close to you? That's how it works here. I don't even have to go to a library to look for material. I just look online where all of the libraries' inventories are listed, order, and it is at my neighborhood branch in a few days. A two minute drive, or ten minute walk, no need to go to the other branches.:music:
 
The library here now offers "Freegal" downloads. Thousands of free songs from the Sony Music Entertainment catalog. You are limited to three per week, but they are DRM free and legal to keep forever. They have a pretty decent selection to choose from and so far all have been 256 kbps.
 
I enjoyed a great public library system in Iowa City. Great selections in every department, books, music, movies, whatever. Surprisingly Asheville's library doesn't hold a candle to the Iowa City library.
 
I love to hear the positive vibes re: public libraries, because I work at one! And, among other things, I select the music cd's (honest!) :yes:
I share the frustration of how they are mistreated. We own a JFJ Disc Repair Machine that is able to repair all but the deepest of scratches.
 
Mine surprisingly has a hybrid SACD of Ziggy Stardust. It's just sitting with the regular CDs. I doubt they even know it is one since it works as a CD.
 
cdfac said:
sorry to hear that. but it's maybe not so surprising if you know this little factoid about IC:

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=39253&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
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Well, yes, I do. I'm an Iowa grad, and my original intention was to (someday somehow) get into the writers workshop and go on to write my Great American Novel. I became a journalism and English double major instead and graduated and got a job. Ho hum.

Years later I came back to Iowa City and got a job as editor for the Universtiy, and wrote several stories about the workshop.

Iowa City is a great place! I'm a bit envious of you. I wish I still lived there.
 
My local library (Germantown, MD) has a very good and eclectic selection of CD's, though some are in pretty rough condition.
 
Our local library has a nice ever-changing collection of CDs. I find myself willing to give a listen to many that I never would have if it wasn't free.
 
I troll the libraries in the fall/winter. We have a really nice county wide system in Waukesha county WI.

They have books too. And "periodicals". I have never tried any of the DVD's though.

Oh mostly troll for music CD's.
 
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