Despite what my little sister thinks, I’m still quite young. My car is even younger, yet it only has a radio and a CD player — no Bluetooth, no AUX hookup, nothing that might let me stream music as is the usual method nowadays. It’s a good, reliable car, I’m not going to trade it in just because it’s a little behind the times. I’m not the only one in this position.
The library offers a variety of formats to best serve all of our patrons. So while you can check out music through the Hoopla app and play it on your phone anytime, we also have a nice selection of CDs. The music section is tucked away between the DVDs and the audiobooks on the second floor, so you may not have noticed it before if you weren’t looking for it. Come up and browse, or read on for my highlights.
A few years ago, the aforementioned little sister bought me “Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s)” (CD 781.66 Buffett) as a joke because it was so far from my usual taste in music. The joke’s on her. I particularly like track number three, “Fins.” Following that unanticipated success, my older sister gave me “The Very Best of the Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer” (CD 781.63 Bea), with gems like “Barbara Ann” and “Kokomo.” These are great albums to perk you up when it’s gray and dreary outside. My commute to work has never been more cheerful.
I’m typically more partial to folk and indie/alternative rock like “U.F.O.F.” by Big Thief (CD 781.66 Big), and the eponymous “Tracy Chapman” (CD 781.66 Cha) and “Hozier” (CD 782.42 Hoz). “Cattails,” “Fast Car” and “Jackie and Wilson” are my favorites of those albums, respectively. I love a song that tells a story, and each of these tracks blends layers of narrative from the lyrics and instrumentation in a way that just astounds me. Branching out, Janelle Monae’s “Dirty Computer” (CD 781.66 Mon) is an experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction, social commentary and Prince.
If you need to convince a gaggle of teens that you’re still hip, check out our Popular Music and More Popular Music sections, with artists from Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy to Beyonce and Britney Spears. Or, if you’re more old school, we have “The Very Best of Aretha Franklin. The 60’s” (CD 781.644 Fra), “The Best of John Denver Live” (CD 781.63 Den) and “Selena: Greatest Hits” (CD 781.63 Sel). Whether you like blues, musicals or Gregorian chanting (CD 782.3222 Mad), we have something for you.
Check out what’s happening on our website at www.cdpl.lib.in.us or call us at 765-362-2242. The library is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Susanna Howard is a library assistant in the Reference and Local History department at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
