Some readers pine for the time when they were the only ones in the library. How long do you think taxpayers will support an institution that serves so few? Libraries are available for all. If they didn't keep pace with the changing community, they would go the way of the dinosaur.

These readers do not understand the true purpose of the library; they are nostalgic for an earlier time. Do they want to go back to black-and-white TV or telegrams? Why should they expect a dynamic, service-oriented institution to remain the same?

—Bobbi, via e-mail

—Heloise

Dear Heloise: When we get new phone books, I go through the old one and take out the section that includes important phone numbers, a city map and street information. I keep this in the glove compartment of my car. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy for me and for friends.

—Vivian in Mississippi

Dear Heloise: To minimize accounting errors, I tuck debit-card, ATM and deposit receipts underneath my checkbook in my combo wallet/checkbook. If I don't have time to record the transaction immediately, I can always go through the receipts every time I pay some bills and update my check register.

—Janet Horne, Salisbury, Md.

Dear Heloise: Too often, I get magnet ads or cards from companies I don't frequent, while having regular paper business cards that I need to refer to more frequently.

I peel off the plastic covering on the face of the magnetized cards and glue the plain paper cards to the magnetic sheets. Then I can put them on my refrigerator or other places, and it costs me nothing.

—Bobbi, Keizer, Ore.

Dear Heloise: I use a 4-by-6-inch sticky note to write my grocery list on. I can also stick a few coupons to the back of it, and everything is right at my fingertips for a trip to the store.