On the Same Page: Make Reedsburg Public Library part of your travel plans

Reedsburg Public Library is a worthy travel destination in itself! However, as you make your vacation plans for this summer, be sure to take a detour to the library to find travel guidebooks and other materials to facilitate a smooth trip!

Reedsburg Public Library has an extensive collection of up-to-date travel guidebooks. Located in the Dewey Call number 914 to 919, these travel guides can help you find things to do and see at your travel destination, and also list lodging and eating accommodations. Library staff orders at least one new travel guide each year for the most popular vacation destinations around the world and domestically, from travel publishers such as DK Eyewitness, Fodors, Frommers, and Rick Steves.

Interspersed among the guidebooks are informational titles and “coffee table” books about foreign countries and states, which may round out an introduction to your destination. State guidebooks include not only manuals from traditional publishers, but many “off the beaten path” type publications, that feature the little known, the out of the way, and the curious! Guidebooks for national parks can also be found here. Hikers should note that several volumes of the Falcon guides to hiking trails in Wisconsin and other states are located in the call number 796.51. Guides to canoeing and kayaking routes can be found down the shelf in the call number 797.

Films for the prospective or “armchair” traveler can be found in the 914 to 919 section of the nonfiction DVDs. The entire “Discover Wisconsin” travel collection is available for day trippers, while a number of series including “Rick Steves” cover other national and international destinations.

Those traveling to a foreign country for the first time may want to brush up on their language skills. Books for learning languages are located in the number 430 to 499 in the library’s nonfiction section. These books often contain CDs for language learning or free websites to access as you work through the book. RPL also subscribes to the online resource “Transparent Languages,” which can be accessed under the “Research Resources” tab on the library’s website, www.reedsburglibrary.org. Enter your library card number here and set up a password to begin free lessons in any of 120 different languages!

Finally, if you are not finding the language or travel materials you are looking for, be sure to ask library staff for assistance! Books and audiovisual titles can be requested from other libraries in the South Central Library System. If the title has no holds, it will be delivered to the Reedsburg Public Library in a few days. While you’re at it, check out a few books for recreational reading on your trip, or download some titles from Libby, or the library’s HOOPLA app.

For questions about any library program or service, call the library at 608-768-READ (7323) or email info@reedsburglibrary.org.