GIVEAWAY CLOSED!
Every week during Bathroom Reading Month, we will host a giveaway for a book of your choice from the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader collection. Just to spice it up, we will ask you to answer a question on the blog. At the end of the week, we will pick a random winner from the answers and post it on the blog along with our favorite answers. Remember that this is in addition to our “mother-of-all” contest: enter to win the entire in-print library of Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers.
Week #3: At the Library
QUESTION: If you were stuck in a library,
what section of would you spend the most time in and why?
Answer the question in the comments section of this post to be entered to win a book of your choice from the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader library. Answers must be posted by June 19, 2013, midnight PST to be eligible to win. A winner will be announced on Friday, June 21, 2013. Open to US residents, 18 year + only.
Need a little inspiration? Read all about one of the nation’s most famous libraries from Uncle John’s Plunges into History Again.
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LET THERE BE LIBRARIES
Andrew Carnegie was no saint—just ask anyone who worked for him. But he was considered the patron saint of libraries.
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish immigrant whose family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he was 13. His first job was as a bobbin boy, a kid who handles spindles in a cotton factory. Then, he got a job as a messenger, and next, he started working his way up at the Pennsylvania Railroad. As he got older and his talent with money became apparent, his mother mortgaged her house to provide him with some seed money for investments. Andrew parlayed his stake into a small fortune. He started his steel business, and in 1901, sold it to J. P. Morgan for $480 million (390 million euros).
SHREWD, BUT NO SCROOGE
Carnegie was always a big believer in charity. In 1889, he wrote an essay called “The Gospel of Wealth,” in which he proposed that it was the responsibility of the wealthy to share their fortunes for the betterment of the people. But he didn’t just believe in throwing money into the wind, either. So, in his later days, he pondered how he could do some good without wasting his money. A childhood mentor, wealthy retiree Colonel Anderson, provided his inspiration.
Colonel Anderson owned hundreds of books. He let neighborhood kids browse his shelves on Saturday afternoons, take books home, and come back for more—just like a library. That was how Carnegie got his childhood education, and he was ever grateful.
CHECK THIS OUT
Carnegie built Pittsburgh a grand library in 1899. One library might have been philanthropic enough for most men, but Carnegie was a library-building machine—2,509 in all. He built them in every state in the United States except Rhode Island. He built them in the United Kingdom too, including his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland. He built them in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia—even Fiji.
By the time of his death, Andrew Carnegie had given away 90 percent of his fortune. And his name didn’t appear above the entrance of any of his libraries. Instead, there was the simple inscription: “Let There Be Light.”
The fiction section, especially with my favorite authors
the music section
If we’re talking Library of Congress, it would be the HQ section, for women studies. Also PR and PS for fiction.
Graphic novels
Oh my goodness! That is so tough! I’m torn between my love of history, theater, literature, and crafts. Then I’d also love to read some great fiction, some children’s books for comfort, a fun mystery to amp up fear factor – I just love reading everything and can find value in every section.
Non-fiction, especially biographies/autobiographies. Stories of peoples’ lives fascinate me.
I would be in the Janet Evanovich section. YAY Stephanie Plum!
History is AMAZING! I wish I could have lived back in the time with the pony express, staking your claim to a piece of land, and riding a steam locomotive! So many immigrants came to this Country in search of hope and a new life and they came with nothing and yet, they helped invent the greatest things! What WAS it like to have to ride to town on a horse? Birth babies by yourself? Have loved ones go to war and fight against each other? Rebuild a better nation? Be there for the invention of electricity? Go to a… Read more »
Definitely fiction. My favorite being like fantasy and mythical stuff because who wouldn’t want to be immersed in stories of fairies and dragons etc. haha 🙂
history – to help increase my knowledge of US history to aid me as a docent at the Autry Museum of the American West, and Mysteries usually cozies for a break in the history
Fiction!!!!Stephen King!!! Do I need say more!!!
Depends. Where do they keep the Uncle John’s?
Nonfiction…biographies…most likely presidential biographies!
The section I would spend the most time in would be the science fiction section. Being “stuck” anywhere is not a lot of fun. The escapism in a good sci fi read would help me to get through the hours until I was able to leave….when given lemons…make lemonade!
As Jeremy stated, whichever section has the UJBRs. Not to suck up, but because that’s probably what I’d go for first anyway.
Knowledge and Trivia. It truly has nothing to do directly with Uncle John’s… that’s a happy coincidence. I love reading these types of books because I LEARN. I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY SINGLE TIME. And Knowledge is INDEED POWER. I like Science Fiction and Fantasy and Autobiography as much as the next reader. But to LEARN…. there is no greater gift a Book or Author can give to me.
This is a hard one because I love both history and literature, but I think I would stay in the 900s since there would be biographies and autobiographies (which I love to read) along with everything that’s happened ever.
It would have to be the comedy section. If I can’t laugh, night as well not be around!
I would the local history section because I’m a snoop. (who knows, I could find blue prints to the library I’m in and start digging and find a fortune!)
I would probably end up in the “plays” section, reading and imagining the actors sparring with words on stage! (or young adult fiction, scoping out the next book my daughter might want to read!)
Fiction or magazines 😛
Section 598
I could not stayin just 1 section! I would compulsively wander until my arms were full!
….correction on email from previous comment….
humor or reference (UJBR’s)
non fiction, especially biography, people with nothing, becoming someone., Thanks, but it reminded me of that “Twilight Zone” episode where Burgess Meredith breaks his glasses.
First I always search for Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader (can never seem to find one in the library not even in the bathroom). Then I find Stephen King books.
I would stay in the fiction section, to escape the cold harsh reality of being stuck in a library.
Fiction, which I love.
Simple. Periodicals… you can find reading material covering anything and everything from historical & current events analysis to sports to science to pop culture. You could find yourself reading Time Magazine one hour and Popular Science the next and maybe throw in a Highlights Magazine just for old time’s sake.
The humor section. Growing up we didn’t have much money, but I could hop on a city bus for a dime to go to the main library downtown. Couldn’t afford much books, but the library had Charlie Brown books (And yes I know they’re called “Peanuts”).
It wouldn’t be the horror or the business sections. Guess if I was stuck there the new age and read up on astro planeing.
the philosophy section. make you wonder about the origin of the universe and stuff for hours.
Probably the Cooking Section — I love reading cookbooks more than I love cooking! LOL. But I do like to get ideas for making dinners!
Fiction. Let it take me away.
Travel, I love to seen new places.
The kids section, it’s still fun light reading.
I couldn’t move you said we would be stuck (it should be “locked in a library.”) If I were locked in I would either be in the Humor section or in the back room where they keep all the books that are not in demand anymore and have them for sale, it is like a treasure hunt you don’t know which books are there.
The business section, because I want to start a business someday
The History section.