According to Jessica Shaw of Entertainment Weekly (Nov. 30), reading in a bookstore is ’so five minutes ago,’ buying books online is ‘out,’ and getting a library card is ‘in.’

While I’ve always been a fan of the library card, I do have to disagree with her assertion that buying books online is out. I prefer shopping online, especially this time of year. It saves time and frustration (dealing with Christmas crowds puts me in a rather un-Christmas-like mood). And the more time I save by avoiding the malls, the more time I have to read!

Here at USF, your student ID works as your library card. If you qualify for a public library card (this would include students who live on campus) you should get one for there also. Even if you think you will never need it for books, remember that the public library has a lot of other stuff available, such as DVDs. And who knows? You may end up needing a book after all.

Have you lost something while on campus?  You can check Vann Library’s Lost and Found by stopping by the second floor circulation desk.  Quite a few things have been turned in and are waiting for their owners to claim them. 

I can’t imagine how someone gets along without some of these things - glasses, car keys, calculators, photos - all kinds of things get turned in to the library’s Lost and Found.

 The most common item seems to be flash drives.  It’s really easy to forget to remove that little drive from the computer.