ANAHEIM : Futuristic Library Satisfies Many Tastes

Some say you can’t have the best of both worlds, but Kevin Moore, manager of the city’s central library, is trying to attain that for patrons.

Bookworms and those who would prefer to watch a story on television or listen to it on their car stereos can find what they are looking for in the city library system.

The main branch is possibly a forerunner to the library of the future. There, customers find shelf after shelf stacked with cassettes--audio and video tapes--of the classics, how-to books and other informational guides.

“Things you wouldn’t find in a regular video store, you’ll find here,” said Moore, who keeps the 1,600 video titles free from so-called “Top 40” flicks.

“You’re not going to find ‘Ghostbusters’ here, but you will find ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ ‘A Street Car Named Desire,’ and ‘Great Expectations,’ ” she said.

Books on tape are another aspect of the library’s shelves-of-the-future image, and they are borrowed more than books.

“They’re waiting in line for those,” Moore said, “Ninety percent are in circulation all the time.”

She said current bestsellers and books of recent movies, such as the Tom Clancy novels and “Presumed Innocent,” are among those books on tape most in demand.

But true bookworms need not be alarmed by this flood of technology in the Anaheim libraries, and those who still want to curl up and pore through the classics, or learn everything there is to know about the Beat Generation have a special place in the city library system.

The relatively new Haskett Library may look like a regular library, but on its shelves browsers will find tucked-away classics and exhaustive collections of books on a single subject that may not be stocked on typical library racks.

“Haskett’s devoted to reading. If someone wants to know all there is to know about the Harlem Renaissance or wants to read the complete works of (Czechoslovakian playwright-turned President) Vaclav Havel, we’d have it there,” said Moore. “A popular library branch isn’t going to have these because they just don’t circulate as well as Danielle Steele.”

The center, now 2 1/2 years old, is still in transition collecting rare books and building its eclectic collection, and should be completely stocked in another two years, Moore said.

Many high school groups use the center for class projects, but it is open to anyone who wants to do a little more than skim the surface of a topic.

In whatever form library patrons take their regular dose of literature, Moore says, she finds certain satisfaction in providing a little something for everyone.

“It’s all to further the educational, cultural and literary needs of the community,” she said. “We want them to know the classics, so why not listen to them? It’s just another way of learning.”