Oh, yes. The muse I didn’t know I had.

Should you enroll in an MFA program?

Google Books Saved My Soul
I love Google. Most people are entirely unaware of Google’s super powers, among them the ability to locate a book anywhere in the world and help you get it sent to you at your local library. Here’s how I did it (and how you can do it too). NOTE: You have to be a member of your local library. It’s free.

1. Go to Google Books.
2. Search for the book you want by title or keyword. You can do this in one of two ways. You can type the title or keyword into the search box and click the search button or you can click a genre link in the left sidebar and search that way. Example: I clicked on the Poetry link and typed in “Komunyakaa”. Google showed me two links asking me if I wanted books by or about Komunyakaa. I clicked “by”. A list of book covers appeared. I clicked on the “Cien Cai Dau” cover.
3. This is where it gets incredible. Google Books has a sampling of the contents of the book that I can read through, but it doesn’t give me access to the entire book. There are links in the right sidebar that allow me to learn more about the book, search the table of contents, write a review, or add it to my personal library. I’ll add the book to my library. I can also search the book, buy the book from one of the bookstore links just below the search box on the right, or find it in a library.
4. Click the “Find this book in a library” link.
5. You will now be transported to another website: www.worldcat.org. You should be looking at what appears to be a digital version of a card catalog. That’s precisely what it is. You should see the name of the book, the author’s name, publisher’s information, ISBN, and some other information. Below that, you’ll see a search box asking for your location. Type in your city, state, or country, and click “Go”. You’ll get a list of libraries that carry the book.
6. Being that I’m in Adams County, Pa., the book I’m looking for is located in Carlisle, one county over, so it’s fairly close. Click the link to the library that you are interested in getting the book from. You’ll be transported to another page within WorldCat to show whether or not your book is available. If it isn’t available, hit the Back button on your browser and click another library. Repeat that step until you find the book available.
7. Good, my book is available at Dickinson College. I’ve ordered books from Penn State this way. It works like a charm. Now, this is where the ordering process will vary depending on your local library system. In Adams County, Pa., we have a county-wide system. In DFW, Texas the library system is set up as a city-wide system. If I’m ordering a book from within Adams or York County then I have a localized way of performing an interlibrary loan, but if I go outside of these two counties then I have to use the statewide system. It looks like that’s what I’ll have to do. You need to find out what the interlibrary loan policy is at your local library and what the process is for ordering books that way. Some libraries may let you do it yourself from their website. Others may require you to make a phone call or to visit the library in person. Either way, you need a library card. Once you find out what your library’s process is for making an interlibrary loan you’ll have to provide them with the information to get the book you want. Here’s what you should have at hand:
   • The name of the book
   • The author’s name
   • Publisher
   • Card catalog number
   • ISBN
   • Where you found the book, as in which specific library

   The more information you have about the book you want to order, the easier it will be on the librarian, or the electronic system, to help you find it.

8. And that’s about it. Now you wait.

It will probably take 2-6 weeks for you to get your book, depending on how far it has to travel to get back to you. It will be clearly marked as an interlibrary loan and you’ll have to keep the paper marker that comes with the book and the book together. That way, when you return the book to your local library they will be able to get it back to its home library much easier.

See, isn’t Google Books wonderful?

P.S. OK, you got me. You can just search WorldCat directly and bypass Google Books, but I figured I’d take you the scenic route.