Olney Library Kiosk -- More Than Expected

The Olney Library's kiosk has finally been set up at the Longwood Recreation Center; maybe now I can cut down on my treks to the Howard County library in Glenwood.

Yesterday on my way home from Glenwood, I passed by Longwood to retrieve a MCPL book on Hold. I didn't know what to expect at the kiosk/MCPL Express @ Olney. At first, the setup was what I predicted: 2 carts of books, a book return dropbox, and a vending machine that dispenses books and media instead of candy and chips.

Then I saw the wall of lockers containing materials on Hold for pickup. Following directions on an electronic keypad, I typed in my MC library card's last 4 digits and heard a low "Click" ... then a door swung open slowly and silently, like a James Bond gadget. I reached in and took out my book, expecting the door to mysteriously close by itself. Well, it didn't; I'm simply closed it myself.

But wait, there's more. A large box beside the vending machine is a DVD dispenser! I could search for any DVD in the MCPL system and if the DVD dispenser had it, I could borrow it. The DVD dispenser is like a public Redbox, but with no rental fee and a borrowing time of more than 1 night (up to 3 weeks)! Then I perused the small selection of books on the carts and found the bestselling hard-to-find-unless-you-order-it-as-an-ebook erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey ... which of course I had to borrow just to see what all the fuss is about.

Enough about my reading tastes: I encourage Olney residents to visit the MCPL Express @ Olney at Longwood. Of course it can't replace our beloved library, but at last Olney has a substitute that offers something for everyone, including children's, young adult and adult fiction and nonfiction, audiobooks, and DVDs. Happy reading, listening and viewing!