Waiting lists...What's the longest you have waited for a book?

[Leslie]

With the economy slowing down in some areas quicker than others is anyone else noticing more books on hold at the library? Or even for longer periods of time? I have made a pact not to purchase any books without a gift card in order to save money!

In Tulsa, OK it takes anywhere from 3-6 months for a simple book if it has been in any "must read" lists or mentioned by celebrities and news. However if its a HUGE book like Twilight or something recently made or movie shown it can take 9 months or longer.

For instance I got put on the list for The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society last August. There was only 72 holds and I got it yesterday for the regular print (large print & audio still have many holds). Twilight I am 245 on the list, that may take over a year! It took 4 1/2 months to get Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I was even on hold for a few weeks for Anthony Trollope's 4th book in the Barchester series.

[Holli]

I was in the 300's when i first requested Edgar Sawtelle at the library here in Columbus, Ohio and that was about a month ago. I just picked it up yesterday so not too long here for the waits.....

[Tera, First Chick]

my problem is more waiting for my library to get the book in since I live in a smaller town. When we do get it in because it's a small town it's usually pretty quick to go through the list of holds if I don't get to snag it first.
Would you guys like me to create a sticky thread for books that people are done with and willing to send off or books people are looking to read? Sort of a book trade with chicks?

[Holli]

That would be awesome Tera!!!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys*]

That would be great!

[Cyndi]

I waited about 3 months for The Wednesday Sisters.

[Mary]

I waited a year for "The Robber Bride" - (Margaret Atwood) to come out in paperback.....Yes...there is such a thing as libraries but when it finally came out in paperback, I bought it and just loved it. ....I enjoyed it so much that I made a promise to myself...never to wait for a paperback release again....go to the library or buy it!!!!

[Dolly]

Geez, I thought being 14 on the hold list was bad...but it seems like it takes as long to get as the longer lists I see.

I am like Tera, I live in a smaller area so they don't get too many copies of the books...

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

I waited a year for Eat Pray Love and it didn't come in for me at the library until after I'd already bought the paperback!

I'm currently waiting for The Heratic's Daughter - I was supposed to be 5th on the list, the library got it in October so at 8 weeks max renewal I may not get it until June or July so I think I may buy it after Christmas.

I have noticed if you go to the smaller branch(es) of the library instead of the main, there's little to no wait time for even the most popular books.

[Mandy]

Jo wrote: "I waited a year for Eat Pray Love and it didn't come in for me at the library until after I'd already bought the paperback!

I'm currently waiting for The Heratic's Daughter - I was supposed to b..."

wow. i live in a really big county, so it is not uncommon to be #300-something on the hold list for popular books. i waited 3-1/2 months for Room by Emma Donaghue. and that was this year (2011), so it was not exactly new. bestsellers routinely have hold lists with at least 220 people in the queue.

that said, the library system is pretty good about buying many copies of popular books, and the hold process is system-wide, so it doesn't matter which of the 30 or so library branches you get your books from.

[Viola]

Mandy wrote: "Jo wrote: "I waited a year for Eat Pray Love and it didn't come in for me at the library until after I'd already bought the paperback!

I'm currently waiting for The Heratic's Daughter - I was su..."

Awww, Mandy, you could have just asked to borrow Room from me.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I have never waited for a book. My library has thousands of books on its shelves that I haven't read.

[Tera, First Chick]

That's the glory of smaller libraries. I came from King Co. WA and their library is all intergrated so you can get a book reserved from one end of the county to the other regardless of you home library. Only problem is it's also the largest county in WA with Seattle and Bellevue and all the other major cities within it. It would take forever to get a new book and that's if no one along the way lost it or didn't return it on time.
Small town TX pop. 23k and I never have to wait for new releases. Maybe I'll be second on the list but if the library has it I can usually get my hands on it within a couple of weeks.
One of the best things about TX compared to WA for me, because the weather STINKS!

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

The only time I've waited for a library book was in college. One of my theatre classes.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I still buy books or I rent them. I usually don't have wait too long from the library for a book. I waited longer for books to come out. Longest I waited for a book to come out is 5 years.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Mandy wrote: "Jo wrote: "I waited a year for Eat Pray Love and it didn't come in for me at the library until after I'd already bought the paperback!

I'm currently waiting for The Heratic's Daughter - I was su..."

I live in a very small borough in a very big county but up until this May, our library was independent of the county system and even though it had borrowing rights from certain county branches, the books would go out throughout the county system first before coming to our library. I never experienced as long a wait on any other book aside from EPL. Now that our library is part of the county system and a county branch, things are coming in much faster.

[Jyoti]

three years, for seeing my own book 'Dream's Sake' landing in my hands in published form. Now that has finally happened :-)