Back from Indiana

I spent a long weekend (last Wed thru Sun) outside of Angola, Indiana visiting an old Navy buddy and his wife. It was really relaxing for me-cornfields, a county fair, visiting my friend’s family and his friends (I go out there about every 4 or 5 years, so I know his family and friends pretty well). The Fort Wayne (closest big city) daily newspaper lists new library books received and has a list of “Most Popular Library Books.” What is striking is how similar the list is to what is asked for at NYPL–Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, etc. And the #2 book on the non-fiction list is GED Test Preparation!
My friend’s wife has library resentment. Since they live outside the town limits, they would have to pay $100 a year for a library card. They used to live in Ohio, and even though they lived outside the town of Bryan, Ohio they were able to use the library there because county residents have access to the town library for free. But not so in Angola, Indiana. So she doesn’t have a library card, and buys paperbacks at yard sales for a dime or a quarter, and swaps titles with her friends. I think the Angola Public Library needs to look at their policy. Can they really afford to turn away readers like my friend’s wife?