One day I mentioned being at the library to a coworker. He looked at me, eyes wide, and said, "who goes to the library?"

I do. When I read today about the Philadelphia library system threatening to close due to lack of funds, I felt a stab in the heart for the people who no doubt love that service, or worse, those who rely on that service.

When I was a kid, we went as a family to the Pasadena library on Sundays. It was something we could do as a family that made us all happy and was free, which was important. We sometimes got there too early and stood outside, watching the librarians do last-minute chores through the glass doors, a little anticipation building up in my veins. I wanted to get inside and get another pile of 7 or 8 books to take home to read.

Once inside, we would often go our separate ways. I would collect my Sweet Valley Highs and Agatha Christies, then disappear in the nonfiction aisles, cracking open huge books about gemstones or artists or anything else with bright colors. The world outside the library was a cold one to me, but when I was deep in those close aisles, sitting on the floor, flipping through a book, I was calm.

Today I'm a proud Houston Public Library patron, though my reading time is diminished and a pile of 7 books would take me six months to plow through, I'm embarrassed to say. I don't linger at my neighborhood library, as it caters mostly to loud children (it's a huge disappointment, to be honest), but I pick up my reserved books and CDs there a few times a month. I do love the downtown library, though. It's a place where you can lose yourself in the aisles and find a quiet spot to read.

I would be devastated if what happened in Philadelphia happened in Houston. Not that the library system is shutting down because people weren't using it, but maybe this news will encourage those of you who don't use the library to do so. Need some reasons?

• It's a great place to sample music. Lately I've been heading to the CD racks first to see if anything I've missed is there. I'm surprised, even at my dumb little satellite library, at how much those racks change on a weekly basis and how current the discs are. (I picked up Ra Ra Riot's last album a couple of weeks ago because I knew they were going to be in town -- Sept. 25 at Warehouse Live.) My boyfriend has explored much of the library's jazz collection, which has led him to buy a lot more jazz albums. Downtown's CD collection is at least as big as the tiny CD Warehouse I used to shop at. It's less a great way to steal music (though it is that) than to pick up something to try out without committing to it.

• It's not nearly as efficient as Netflix, and you have to pick up the discs, but you can see a lot of movies for free through HPL's reservation system. (Looking through this month's new titles: the Criterion Collection version of Last Days of Disco (sorry, I just reserved that one); the Randy Savage ultimate collection (ha.); I Love You, Man; some foreign films, documentaries, etc. If you can't afford Netflix these days, this is a good alternative.

• Other stuff I don't like to buy that I can get from the library: travel books, cookbooks, knitting books.

• HELLO FREE WIFI AND CHAIRS. And downtown has an Inversion Coffee inside.

I know this all sounds very earnest, especially coming from a publication that has been accused of nurturing douchebaggotry in Houston, but even cynical hipsters need to be earnest about something other than indie-rock. I don't see why reading can't be that something.

Houston Public Library: www.houstonpubliclibrary.org
Harris County Public Library: www.hcpl.net