Commentary - More than just books: Library offers wealth of information

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Hines
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea --  If you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, then you probably shouldn't judge a library by its walls.

It's small compared to most libraries, no special paintings, tiles or landscaping grace the overall structure of the Rosenblum Memorial Library here - buts it's what's inside that counts, right?

Let me illustrate.

Walk inside and your first instinct may be to jump on one of the 27 commercial access computers. Walk a little further and discover rows of DVDs - more than 3,000 actually.

Venture to the next room and you'll find reference sections with study and lounge areas tucked quietly away for use. Feel like taking a quick rest? Too bad, keep walking; you'll have time for that later.

This time something very familiar - library book stacks -- like a flashback from high school. It'll make you wonder how you ever wrote a research paper without the internet. Do kids these days even know what the Dewey Decimal System is?

Moving on.

This is where the library gets high tech, video chat computers - in their own private booths. Ok, I wasn't even expecting that.

Now to one of my personal favorite spots: the magazine section. The library has subscriptions to nearly 79 periodicals, that's one less than me - just kidding. With magazine prices these days, let someone else pay the yearly fee.

On the way back to the front now, don't forget to check out the wall of music CDs - yeah, it's not exactly iTunes, but still.

Here we are at the circulation desk; don't forget to register to become a library member. That will give you access to all that you've seen (or read) here along with access to the library's online foreign language courses.

On your way home, be sure to check out the 24-hour Library Annex in the Community Activities Center.

Whether you're just looking for a quiet place to get away, read, or study - the Rosenblum Memorial Library has something for everybody.

But you don't have to take my word for it.