I used to think the anime section at my local library was a joke, but a trip to the new branch changed my mind

I went to the new downtown library branch in Springfield yesterday, and I was honestly shocked. I figured the anime area would be a tiny shelf with a few old DVDs, like at the old branch. Instead, they have a whole dedicated corner with maybe 200 titles, including a lot of recent series on Blu-ray. They even had a display for classic 90s shows I haven't seen in years. What really got me was the binder full of laminated, printed episode guides for some of the longer series, which I guess a staff member or a volunteer must have made. It made me realize that some places are actually trying to build a real collection for fans, not just toss out whatever's cheap. Has anyone else found a surprisingly good anime spot in an unexpected place like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

graymiller2mo ago

That binder with the printed episode guides is a game changer. I've seen a few libraries do that for long running shows like One Piece or Detective Conan. It saves you from grabbing a random disc that's in the middle of an arc.

gavin_burns492mo ago

My buddy borrowed a random Naruto disc and got totally lost, so @graymiller's binder idea is actually pretty smart.

kellymurphy1mo ago

Gavin's buddy must have felt so lost... I've been there myself actually. Rented a random box set of Bleach from the library once and ended up watching the Soul Society arc finale without any context. Total confusion for like 45 minutes until I realized my mistake. A binder with episode guides would have saved me from that headache, especially for shows with complicated arcs like Naruto. Poor guy probably thought he was watching a different show entirely at first.