Famous in the Library, or Why We Bought a New SUV

Paul and I are famous in the Mid-Columbia Library system*. Here’s why:

When I go to the library, it’s usually at a read-to-children time, and all the parents’ vehicles fill up the parking lot. I usually park in the dirt overflow. But recently my Lincoln bottomed out in the overflow area, because the ground had subsided over the winter. I told Paul I could no longer park there, and cautioned that he not do so either. We had been needing 4-wheel drive capability since that bad winter before last, and this was the last straw, prompting our search for a new car, an SUV with better clearance.

After we had narrowed our search to just two vehicles, Paul sent me to the library to research Consumer Reports. He was hoping I would find out the Toyota was the better vehicle, and I was rooting for the Honda. At the library I needed help – I had not even found the periodicals section, and didn’t know how to look up the issue I needed. The very sweet young librarian helped me to find the auto issue and the annual issue, and I told her that I was looking for a new car because I could no longer park in the overflow area. And while I was out, Paul bought a digital subscription to CR, and had already researched what he wanted to know!

Meanwhile, the sweet librarian told a colleague my story, and it ended up in the Library system employee newsletter! The colleague had been pushing for more dirt in the overflow area, and this just proved to her how badly it was needed – patrons were having to buy new cars to get to the library!

When I went to the library a couple of days ago, the young librarian and her colleague were both on duty. I got a big hug from the colleague when I showed her my new car (parked leisurely in the overflow dirt), and was able to give them a conclusion to the story. When we did our test-drives of the two vehicles, I drove from the dealership in Kennewick to my library branch, and got permission to drive off the pavement into the dirt. Then Paul drove back to Kennewick, while I used my new decibel meter app to record road noise on the freeway.

So because I bothered to chat with the young librarian who helped me find Consumer Reports, and because I later spoke to her colleague about my new car, I found out we’re famous at the Mid-Columbia Library!

* There are 12 branches in the Library system, in Benton County, Franklin County, and part of Adams County. My closest is the West Pasco branch.