So I surprised myself this week by getting a public library membership ($12).

It turns out that the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) goes out of its way to make the whole borrowing process as easy and convenient as possible. Say there’s a book that I want to read that is available at a branch across the city: I can simply put a hold on it and they’ll ship it to whatever branch I request. Once it arrives I have a whole week to pick it up. The same process happens with already signed out books… as soon as I am the top person on the city-wide hold list for a book (and a copy is returned at any location) they will ship it to my branch and email me to come pick it up.

As you are able to have multiple books on hold (25 items) I would imagine it is fairly easy to keep a good flow of books coming in.

Other conveniences that impressed me:

• Loan from any city location, return to any city location
• Online account management: place and edit holds, easy renewal, online catalogue, request materials, “to read” list (things I am not ready to put a hold on yet)
• Free internet for my iPod touch when at Londonderry and Churchill (and likely other places too.)
• E-mail reminders for renewal/due-dates, hold statuses
• Hours mostly match that of the mall near my house (Londonderry branch)

One final note on the detail that inspired this post: I noticed that the EPL didn’t have a somewhat newer book that I want to read in their city-wide database. I filled out a quick request form yesterday and by today they had already put it on order (and consequently I put it on hold so I will get to read it first.)

For $12/year it pays for itself after one book… now all I need to do is actually sign out a book.