Memorial Day (Monday, May 30) and the official start of the East End’s busy summer season is around the corner, so now’s the time to take advantage of all the special things that will be nonexistent or difficult to enjoy in the Hamptons once the crowds arrive from points west.
We continue our countdown of 20 things to do before Memorial Day in the Hamptons with:
#8: Visit Your Local Library
How often do you go to your local library? Yeah, we thought so. The library is a great source to find a great book, but it’s also filled with movies and television series to borrow—and it’s definitely less expensive to borrow Breaking Bad from than it is to buy the series on DVD or Blu ray. Yes, you heard right, libraries have television series available on Blu ray!
We also like the audiobook section. Listening to books on CD or digital formats is a great way to pass the time on the way to work, while you’re doing chores around the house or just hanging out at the local coffee shop. Now’s a great time to check out the library or get your library card if you haven’t been there before. Even after Memorial Day, the library is a nice, air-conditioned respite from the intense heat outside, and there’s always something going on, whether it’s an art show, workshop or presentation, for adults and kids.
As for specifics, Sag Harbor’s John Jermain Memorial Library is a fantastic spot for all sorts of books and media, but we especially like the well-stocked graphic novel and comic book section. If you want to see what inspired AMC’s The Walking Dead TV show, you can pick up most of Robert Kirkman’s original comics in trade paperback form here, not to mention other classics such as Bryan K. Vaughan’s Y the Last Man, Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman, Watchmen creator Alan Moore’s classic Batman vs. Joker tale The Killing Joke and so much more. Ask Sue, the children’s librarian to show you what’s good.
Among our many other wonderful local libraries, Southampton’s Rogers Memorial Library has an excellent used book sale, open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays all year, and Wednesdays from May to December. Located beneath Cooper Hall, the sale (really a shop) is packed with great titles in all genres, as well as piles of DVDs and CDs. If that’s not enough, every purchase comes with two free books from the special giveaway shelf by the door, as if prices weren’t low enough. Get there before summer begins to nab the best books ahead of all those savvy New Yorkers.
While you’re at Rogers Memorial, definitely check out their huge selection of DVDs and Blu rays. They have all the best shows, including a bunch you may never have heard of and won’t find on Netflix, Amazon or Hulu. Borrowing Masterpiece’s series Poldark is a great place to start.
And if you didn’t already know, a card for any library in Suffolk County will allow you to borrow books from any other library in the county, so all of this greatness is at your fingertips in any East End town.
