These Days We Borrow - Not Buy

by Scott Parkin, Staff Writer

With access to all of Fairfax County's library system, Reston Regional Library is a rich community resource located at 11925 Bowman Towne Drive. Photo by Reston Letter Staff.

Before my wife and I moved to an apartment, we had a home library. Like many baby boomers, we enjoyed having books—lots of them—on every floor. We kept adding to our collection for years, until the move forced us to stop.

Downsizing from our Reston townhouse meant boxing more than 300 books and either donating them to the Reston Regional Library or seeing if the Reston Used Bookstore at Lake Anne might pay pennies on the dollar for newer titles.

In 1972, I worked briefly at the Strand bookstore in lower Manhattan. The used bookstore’s outdoor sign boasted a million books. Fred Bass, who hired me and co-owned the store, spent most days pricing remainders, review copies, and truckloads of books from private collections and estates.

The Strand’s display system was chaos. I had some library shelving and circulation experience, but keeping up with Fred was nearly impossible. Most books sat in piles rather than alphabetized on shelves. If you wanted a hardback copy of “Slaughterhouse-Five,” you asked Joe; he had a photographic memory.

Luckily, our Reston library is far more organized, and we’re steady customers. According to its website, it holds more than 145,000 items and circulates about 500,000 annually—not just books but also audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs. In 2003, Reston’s library was reportedly the busiest in the county. I believe it now ranks second or third and is slated for a new building as part of the Reston Town Center North development plan.

These days we borrow rather than buy, unless there’s no other choice. Still, we’re thankful Barnes & Noble is back (after years away), along with Scrawl Books and the Reston Used Bookstore at Lake Anne.

If you don’t have a library card and you live or work in Reston, we urge you to get one. September is National Library Card Signup Card month after all.

Scott L. Parkin is president of Reston for a Lifetime (www.RestonforaLifetime.org/), a non-profit organization with a mission to inform and educate residents about how to age in place. He has lived in Reston since 1986.