My Library is terrible.

[QUOTE=Pecksie;710483]I've found that buying through Amazon (or, I suppose, any of the similar websites) is a good option. I've made a good library for myself, very seldom breaking my self-imposed rule of never buying a book that costs more than one buck.[QUOTE]

less than a buck from Amazon?? WOW :). I get most of my books from the library booksales, and those are a dollar each, hardcover, too.

I am in the US but live in a small town. Actually, my library has really old books, but also newer ones and usually I do find what I am looking for there, but not always; in that case, one can request the book and have it send (free of charge) to our library from many of the branches in the county - wherever they locate the book. This applied to DVD's/videos as well; so I don't think it is such a bad deal in the long run. I too, have found books (even hardbacks) at my little library and brandnew editions for sale between 50 cents and a dollar. I think the paperbacks are 25 cents sometimes. For a time, the library had tons of books on a free give-away shelf. Apparently, they were clearing out old ones; also, people donate their old books, so they had a major overflow. I actually, found some real gems on the freebie shelf; one was a brand new edition (pristine condition) of "Anna Karenina". I thought of going to different libaries in the area, to see if they sold books cheap or gave them away; but I never followed through on that note. As it is written, "seek and thee shall find". Yardsales and thriftstores are also great sources for used books.

I’m very fortunate because as already mentioned by ‘Lokasenna’ above, in the UK the local library will order in any book they don't have in stock. In my city there are also two universities with libraries and plenty of bookshops. Also, the charity shops in the area where most of the students are concentrated have a constant supply of great literature and textbooks flowing through them to choose from. They cost next to nothing to buy and are in great condition, as the students don’t seem to hang on to them for long!

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Originally Posted by Lokasenna

I don't know what its like in the States, but in Britain you can go into a library and ask them to buy any book for you, and they will; you don't even pay a penny (except in taxes, obviously).

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Lokasenna, you are so lucky! that wouldn happen here (Ecuador), in a billion years hehe. Actually there are no libraries in the town i'm living, which sucks! I try to read on line but it is a waste of time or paper...

My local libraries suck as well. The main branch, which is downtown, was a place I used to go a lot when I was a kid and it was a damn good library. Well, I went last year, not having gone since I was about 14 (I'm 27 now). It now SUCKS. They used have just shelves and shelves of classic fiction. Now, there's about 4 bookcases, total. By comparison, there are reams and reams of, ROMANCE NOVELS. My local library carries more romance novels than classic literature. The library at my alma mater (the University of Akron) is WAY better. That's the one thing I miss about college. Having a good library.

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Originally Posted by Lokasenna

I don't know what its like in the States, but in Britain you can go into a library and ask them to buy any book for you, and they will; you don't even pay a penny (except in taxes, obviously).

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Actually that isnt exactly true. There are all sorts of factors that we have tp go through to decide if we will buy the book like is it only published abroad, is it still in print, just how likly is this book to be borrowed.. there is an equation that I am supposed to be revising right now as I have this exam in 2 weeks but for the life of me I cant think what it is .. lets just say the image libraries try to give is they will get you anything and they do try to the best of abilities but there are occasioans when we can't .

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Originally Posted by wessexgirl

In theory maybe. I used to work in Public Libraries, (I'm now a School Librarian), and there is a very tight balancing act. We used to have our Book Fund cut every year, but at the same time we always encouraged our borrowers to suggest things, not just on what books to buy. The level of interaction, (or the encouraging of it) between the service and the users was very good, but in real terms, if they bought everything everyone suggested.... well they couldn't in reality. I know there was special collections in my area, for example where they took a group of teenagers and got them to buy books. But I don't think it could work across the board, as I remember with dismay the almost daily discussions, often heated, from certain members of the public about which newspapers we bought. As a smallish branch Library, we only had a selection, but that never pleased everyone, and I remember a couple of incidents in particular, such as a very arrogant man who was not even a regular user of the Library, demanding that he got a certain paper. What happened? We duly ordered it and never saw him again, and another one who shouted loudly every day about what he wanted and which he never got :rolleyes: .

My own personal Library is probably over a thousand. I am an avid collector, but I haven't read them all, unfortunately. I live by that quote from Borges(?)
"I have always imagined Heaven to be a kind of Library."

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exactly! :D

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Originally Posted by Nightshade

Actually that isnt exactly true. There are all sorts of factors that we have tp go through to decide if we will buy the book like is it only published abroad, is it still in print, just how likly is this book to be borrowed.. there is an equation that I am supposed to be revising right now as I have this exam in 2 weeks but for the life of me I cant think what it is .. lets just say the image libraries try to give is they will get you anything and they do try to the best of abilities but there are occasioans when we can't .

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Maybe I've just been lucky (or have particularly charitable librarians), but they've always got in everything I've asked for, and I've requested some very esoteric texts... one of my hobbies is Judeo-Christian mythology, and some of those books wouldn't attract a mass audience...

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Originally Posted by metal134

My local libraries suck as well. The main branch, which is downtown, was a place I used to go a lot when I was a kid and it was a damn good library. Well, I went last year, not having gone since I was about 14 (I'm 27 now). It now SUCKS. They used have just shelves and shelves of classic fiction. Now, there's about 4 bookcases, total. By comparison, there are reams and reams of, ROMANCE NOVELS. My local library carries more romance novels than classic literature. The library at my alma mater (the University of Akron) is WAY better. That's the one thing I miss about college. Having a good library.

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Well, the Romance genre is the best-selling genre in all the world.

Also in a twist, alot of people who read romance would rather borrow it then spend the money buying it becasue they will only read it the once, so it is also one of the highest borrowed genres.
Popular theory is people dont want teh classics. But I have to saythat m,my own reserach showed that highest 2 asked for wer more classics and more romance books.
seems the ausianc e for those two nevre reach 'readerr saturastion' which is basically Ive read this gere to death can we go with something new now?
:d