Exploring the Stadtbibliothek Baden

Autumn is coming, after all. After an incredible summer and beautiful Indian summer, the days are getting shorter and the cold temperatures make us want to stay home. I’m looking forward to this. I love staying snug and warm, cozily wrapped in a blanket, a good book on my lap, and a cup of tea at my side. But let’s be realistic: In the daytime, the gripping thriller is a children’s book, and on my lap sits my daughter, carefully listening to the stories I tell. And that’s a wonderful thing. My moment of happiness.

Up to now, I used to read stories from my sister’s hand-me-down children’s books. But since we slowly but surely know them by heart, I figured it’s time for a change! So, I decided to visit the public library Baden for the first time after 30 years! I was looking forward to discovering what my family and I will find at the Stadtbibliothek Baden.

It’s been decades, since I last visited the Stadtbibliothek Baden – I don’t really know why. Certainly not because I don’t read. To the contrary, I read a lot, but I always used to buy the books. Actually, not that smart – after you finished the book, its only purpose is to adorn the bookshelf. Besides, sharing is caring.

So, the Stadtbibliothek it is. I remember when I went there as a kid: Standing with my mom in front of the towering shelves searching for Enid Blyton books. The old-fashioned room is empty, the air always a bit stale.

Same place, thirty years later. My daughter and I enter the Stadtbibliothek Baden and we are amazed. The library is buzzing. People of all ages sit at their laptops and work in the cozy and colorful café. Others browse through their selection of books, and some read the daily newspaper while enjoying their coffee.

The first thing I do is to buy an annual library card; for only CHF 50.- a year, my daughter and I have unlimited access to magazines, books, board games, toys, CDs, and DVDs – a bargain, considering the CHF 33.- I spent for the last book I bought. The nice lady at the desk tells me that renewals and reservations can be made online, furthermore, I can record the selected books, games and DVDs myself at the scanning station. In addition, the Stadtbibliothek Baden is connected to a digital library in collaboration with ebooksplus.ch. Well, I’m not there yet. I’m still an analog reader.

«Returns are possible at any time at our return boxes and you can find information about our numerous events such as App @ Kids, Mobile @ Kids, Social Media @ Kids, reading circles, and game nights on our website. From November to January, the public library is also open on Sundays. Do you have any other questions, Mrs. Frei? »  «Umm no, all good».

We browse through the large selection of books and return home with a bag full of stories. Children’s stories, of course. Soon, I will come back – alone.

Tips and links Kinderregion

Events at the Library:

• BilderBuchZeit (picture book time) and other events for children at the Stadtbibliothek Baden
• Story box and more: Children’s program of the Winterthurer Bibliothek 
• Story time for small children and other events at the Stadtbibliothek Rapperswil-Jona
• Story time and additional offers of the Bibliothek Zug
• KinderTREFF and other events for children at the Pestalozzi-Bibliothek Zürich
• Buchstart (book launch) for small children and other events at the Landesbibliothek Glarus
• Zänigschichtli (stories at ten o’clock) for preschool children at the Kantonsbibliothek Schwyz