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Library vs. Bookstore
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I'm a fan of the library lately, mostly for economic reasons. I do love bookstores, and I also enjoy used bookstores! It's just relaxing, like you said! My husband, however, refuses to get library books. His chief complaint? The time restrictions! Haha.
So if he hears about a book, it's Borders for us!
I do love the smell of new books but I have volunteered for several years at my library so it is a no brainer to me. My library lets you borrow up to 150 books at a time for 3 weeks. Most books can be renewed for another 3 so there is not time problem for me other than I can't always get all of the ones I want read even if I only bring home 20 at a time. I try though and that is the fun of it. The library also offers DVD's and current ones too. I have the The OTher Boleyn girl waiting for me today. That is pretty cost effective to have free books (and if you put a hold before it comes in...you get to be the first one to read it...mmmmm smell the ink) free movies and I also download free books to my mp3...it is a win win WIN situation.
When I was a kid, I went to the library every week to get new books. My parents didn't have the money to buy all the books I read. These days I only go to the library of our local university to pick up books for my study. They are far to expensive to buy them. When I am looking for new books to read, I go to the bookstore. I can spend hours there. Luckily my husband and I read the same kind of books but from time to time I buy books that are just for me. Like books by Marianne Macdonald or Luanne Rice :-) Some months we spent more money on books then we should but others we spent none on them because we decided to first read all the books we bought before.
My city has an insanely nice library system with a branch only a ten minute walk away. They have most everything I want to read and the rest they can get for me via inter-library loan at no cost to me.I've had the smoky book problem once or twice and once someone had torn out pages from one of the books, but considering I've checked out hundreds of books I'd say their quality control is very high.
I do still buy books on occasion, though almost always from second hand bookstores.
My first choice is to always buy my books. That has always been what I've done, even if I don't know a thing about the book. I have had to start using the library because how much I'm reading now, so I've become a little more selective as to what I will buy. If it's a classic, it will be purchased.
I am a huge fan of wandering about bookstores, but I really only buy favorites and I try to buy books from Half Priced Books for amazing deals. I could spend an entire Friday evening in the bookstore, preferably with a coffee. I too, love the smell of new books. I LOVE the library. I go there all of the time. My dad joked when I got engaged last September by asking me if I was going to invite the staff to the wedding. They all know me. Our library is awesome - they get TONS of magazines and books, PLUS all new movie releases! I NEVER pay to rent movies at the video store. Recently, they have started purchasing most tv series on DVD too...which is great - I have been watching Gilmore Girls which I had never seen before. (Awesome show, some of the best writing on tv, ever. Great wit.)
When my husband proposed to me, my dad also told him "You know, if you marry her, you also get all of the boxes of books in the attic."
My boxes of books came with me when I got married as well! The only problem is that my husband likes to read and so we have quite a few boxes between the two of us.
I'm a big fan of bookstores. I could spend hours there, and not even realize doing so. My husband and I have SOOOO many books....we're going to need to buy another book case.
We're getting one for Christmas from World Market! :)
I get all my books from the library. Then if I like one enough, I will spend money on it. I have only done that with two books before.
I live three blocks from a really wonderful library, and now that I am retired from teaching I have time to go there any time I want. About the only time I buy books any more is second hand, and then only if I'm having trouble getting what I want from the library.Like others here, I still love wandering through bookstores and browsing the merchandise.
That being said, it's not always frugal to purchase books - especially at the rate I often go through them. The books I do purchase I often share with my mom, and vice versa.
But I recently got my library card! I haven't visited a library since college, so it's a nice return to form. However, when I was browsing there tonight, I did come across a book that reeked of cigarette smoke, if such a thing is possible... needless to say, if I want to read that book, I will be purchasing it instead of borrowing!