Anyone for Coffee? (no boys allowed)

[Virgil]

I wish I had your problems (or all your unread books ). I'm almost always so short of money that I depend on the books library has to offer (read: none published after WWII) .

Poor Schoky. It's tough being a college student. But someday you will graduate and get a job and you'll have money. And then you can get any book you like.

[Schokokeks]

Poor Schoky. It's tough being a college student. But someday you will graduate and get a job and you'll have money. And then you can get any book you like.

Thanks, Virgil. It's actually very encouraging to hear that from someone who's gone through the same .

[Koa]

Poor Schoky. It's tough being a college student. But someday you will graduate and get a job and you'll have money. And then you can get any book you like.

...and no time to read them

I love pessimism And I think in general time can be found for things we really want to do. But still, I love to spoil things

[Niamh]

Schok- If you love reading you'll find the time for it when you finally get into the big bad world. god, sometimes i'd love to be a student again. havent been for four years now! Your lucky! Is there no good library in the city you go to college that you could join?

[Schokokeks]

Schok- If you love reading you'll find the time for it when you finally get into the big bad world.

Oh well, since I always read at night, putting off all assaults of sleep, not even Koa could spoil that for me. I will always be reading .

Is there no good library in the city you go to college that you could join?

The really frustrating thing is that my college should be the place to house a good library, shouldn't it ? Sadly, that's not unlimitedly the case, as especially highly demanded books are only availably once, and there are practically no books offered that date after say 1970. It's particularly the case with belles-lettres, non-scientific, fiction books that I'm looking for most of the time. There are a few classics available, such as Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde, but so far I've not succeeded in finding e.g. Vonnegut, Kerouac or Updike.
The public library in my town just recently got an award for allegedly being Germany's best public library, but if it is, I really don't know in what desperate state the others must be in. My idea of a public library is that it houses a more or less large number of classics and new publications, mostly fiction. The one I have access to is fairly okay concerning German literature, but is a catastrophe with English (or any other foreign) literature again.
And then, adding to the unfairness that enrages me , I've noticed during my travels that books in shops are a great deal cheaper in Britain than they are over here, not only the classics but also contemporary ones that appeared recently, which are practically unaffordable here .

So, now that I've got that out, I need a biiiig cup of tea .

[SleepyWitch]

Oh well, since I always read at night, putting off all assaults of sleep, not even Koa could spoil that for me. I will always be reading .


The really frustrating thing is that my college should be the place to house a good library, shouldn't it ? Sadly, that's not unlimitedly the case, as especially highly demanded books are only availably once, and there are practically no books offered that date after say 1970. It's particularly the case with belles-lettres, non-scientific, fiction books that I'm looking for most of the time. There are a few classics available, such as Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde, but so far I've not succeeded in finding e.g. Vonnegut, Kerouac or Updike.

really? our departmental library has lots of books, classics as well as contemporary (including Vonnegut, Kerouac and Updike). We've even got Harry Potter, children's books and some sci-fi because one of our professor specializes in them. (I'm studying at Erlangen-Nuremberg, by the way)
aren't you at Heidelberg? Isn't it supposed to be the greatest and most venerable univ in all of Germany?

So, now that I've got that out, I need a biiiig cup of tea

fancy some Twinings Earl Grey? i got some in London this weekend.

[Virgil]

The one I have access to is fairly okay concerning German literature, but is a catastrophe with English (or any other foreign) literature again.

Wouldn't that be natural for most libraries? Our local libraries don't have many foreign language books. But I can't complain. New York Public Library is outstanding. Local neighborhood libraries may be shallow but one just needs to trek into downtown for one of the best in the world. I have never not found a book I was looking for. Except that someone may have checked it out. And now a lot can be accessed electronically. Here are a couple of web sites if you want to look around.

http://www.nypl.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Public_Library

[totyfroty]

hello girls
how are you
nice thread

have a ncie day

[Schokokeks]

really? our departmental library has lots of books, classics as well as contemporary (including Vonnegut, Kerouac and Updike). We've even got Harry Potter, children's books and some sci-fi because one of our professor specializes in them.

Our library in the English department also has these books somewhere, but 80% of the total amount of books may not be taken out of the holy halls (Präsenzbestand). And those 20% that you may take home with you are actually editions from 1900 of classics, not anything that would be classified under "modern English literature".

aren't you at Heidelberg? Isn't it supposed to be the greatest and most venerable univ in all of Germany?

Yes, it is. But still, there's no Vonnegut in the library . Or maybe the 'venerable' is really the reason why .

fancy some Twinings Earl Grey? i got some in London this weekend.

Oh yeah, definetely ! I'll bring along the cookies .

[Schokokeks]

Wouldn't that be natural for most libraries? Our local libraries don't have many foreign language books.

Aww, I suppose you're right; my friends keep telling me that I'm expecting too much . But anyway, amongst other things, I'm studying English literature, and should be able to access the titles on the curriculum without a/ spending all of my non-lecture-time in the badly lightened library-cellar or b/ having to hit the financial bottom when buying them all, shouldn't I ?

Now things aren't as bad as they might sound now , but it annoys me all the same.

http://www.nypl.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Public_Library

Oh, these have made me envious . The NYPL looks very elegant, and so far I've found quite a number of German books. But then again, who's fortunate enough to live in New York ?

[SleepyWitch]

Wouldn't that be natural for most libraries? Our local libraries don't have many foreign language books.

that's different. English is the lingua franca of the world today, so it's absolutely essential for non-native speakers to learn it ---> public libraries in Germany and other non-English speaking countries should provide a decent range of English books. Whereas it's not necessary for Americans to learn German/French/Italian/Japanese etc since they have English as their mother-tongue.

[Virgil]

that's different. English is the lingua franca of the world today, so it's absolutely essential for non-native speakers to learn it ---> public libraries in Germany and other non-English speaking countries should provide a decent range of English books. Whereas it's not necessary for Americans to learn German/French/Italian/Japanese etc since they have English as their mother-tongue.

OK, but it's an incredible burden on the library. As Governments make trades on financing things, libraries are one of the first to get cut when money isn't enough. At least around me. And frankly, when you have a choice between cuting police, fire, health care or libraries, then the choice is understandable.

Out of cuiriosity, and this question is for all, is your local library funded by local, state, or national government? In the U.S. it's pretty much local. So big cities have an advantage here for a good library system since they have more money than small towns.

[Niamh]

Schok- when you come to Ireland you have to go to chapters bookshop on Parnell st, which is just off our main st O'Connell st. They generally sell books for dirt cheap. Esp hard back editions.

[LauraJayne]

Hi :]

I'm just looking around the forums, wondering if any of you lovely ladies would object to me participating here?!

xxx

[Niamh]

You are more than welcome to join in! and welcome to Litnet!