I’ve spent a good chunk of this week downtown for Fort Collins Startup/Artup Week, attending panels on innovations and leadership in theatre. While I was in the neighborhood I carved out an opportunity to visit the local branch of the Poudre River Public Library.

To be honest, I am not as avid a library-goer as I would like to be. I remember visiting often as a child — mom had to impose a “no more than you can carry” rule. I’ve fallen out of the habit and now buy more books than I borrow.

When Dan and I were planning our cross-country move, I pared down maybe 40-60% of my books — my goal is to keep the number low and take better advantage of the library system. (Books as gifts always still welcome!)

The Old Town branch is lovely and appears well-trafficked. It’s not an enormous library, especially if you’re used to popping into the Main Library in downtown Cincinnati as I am, but that’s no problem: I prefer to request my books online and pick them up later, and this process pulls from a wider circulation.

I left with my library card and a small handful of poetry collections. (For those of you playing at home: Bob Hicok’s Elegy Owed, Sherman Alexie’s One Stick Song, Jane Hirschfield’s After. Already waiting for me at the library’s pickup station: John O’Donohue’s Eternal Echoes by my friend Kate’s recommendation.)

P.S. I intentionally covered up part of my library card number, as though someone were going to — what? Check out books under my name?