Library or Bookstore?

[sprinks]

I love the feeling of being around so many books, so even if I was to buy more than borrow, I would still go to the library for the sake of being around so many books!! But as it stands, I borrow more often as I am often low on money! I use birthdays and other events as excuses to get people to buy me books!! . Thats one thing I've always loved about getting awards at school, is that the award comes with a book voucher!! Oh I loved the year where I ended up with about $150 (AU) in book vouchers!!!

[sofia82]

I love buying books, and feel so good in owning the book, whenever I want, I read them. But, the money matters I cannot buy anybook I like, just essential ones. Borrowing books makes me nervous about the due date, I have to finish reading as soon as I can, and of course not write in the book.

Hey Sprinks, good for you that you get books as presents, I wonder why people around me do not pay attention to this desire of me. I have a cousine, she thinks of spending money on books as nonsense. Always she says, how you dare to spend your money on all these books.

[Albatross of Hu]

I almost always buy my books. I like being able to refer back to them as reference for other books or when speaking with family and friends.

[tractatus]

I mostly buy, people mostly borrow from me, they rarely return, so i buy again.. thus it goes..

[PeterL]

I used to have Tractatus' problem, then I stopped associating with humans. But I was going to comment that stealing is cheaper than buying and more convenient than borrowing.

[Trekker114]

A little bit of both. I buy my favorite books - the ones I will read over and over again. When I'm reading a book for the first time I usually just borrow it.

[sofia82]

I mostly buy, people mostly borrow from me, they rarely return, so i buy again.. thus it goes..

I used to have Tractatus' problem, then I stopped associating with humans. But I was going to comment that stealing is cheaper than buying and more convenient than borrowing.

I cannot tolerate such things especially borrowing my books and not returning. I had such problems so never lend a book and if lend, ask the one to return.

Yes, I agree stealinf is cheaper but others do the same cheaper one which made you stop associating with humans.

[tractatus]

I used to have Tractatus' problem, then I stopped associating with humans. But I was going to comment that stealing is cheaper than buying and more convenient than borrowing.

Once I met a girl whose library was formed of stolen books; mostly from libraries. I can say % 50 of the books were stolen. She was have quite rare books, i cant do it but i envy of some books.

I cannot tolerate such things especially borrowing my books and not returning. I had such problems so never lend a book and if lend, ask the one to return.
Yes, I agree stealinf is cheaper but others do the same cheaper one which made you stop associating with humans.

Well I dont tend to lend, but i have that oriental sickness; i cant say "no" easily. I remember I bought Shibumi three times, a few Borges three times, etc.

[sofia82]

Once I met a girl whose library was formed of stolen books; mostly from libraries. I can say % 50 of the books were stolen. She was have quite rare books, i cant do it but i envy of some books.

I cannot belive one can steal from alibrary but there are people who are so skilled in this

Well I dont tend to lend, but i have that oriental sickness; i cant say "no" easily. I remember I bought Shibumi three times, a few Borges three times, etc.

I have just this problem with one or two books. Although I lend two books to one of my colleagues and not seen him for 5 months, this week I will see him at the university and I'm going to ask him to return my books

[stlukesguild]

I have been afflicted with the dreaded bibliophilia from when I first learned to read. From the time of my first job (paperboy) I have been shelling out far too much (or so others might suggest) cash upon books. When I was younger and struggling financially (actually... come to think of it, I'm still struggling... but you get the picture) I bought books as cheaply as possible at used book stores, flea markets, garage sales, and the like. I always preferred owning a book to borrowing it because my reading habits are such that I never knew what book I might want to jump forward or back to. I now own what most others consider to be a formidable number of books (some 3000+)... a small personal library... certainly better stocked in many areas than most public libraries... and yet I still cannot stop myself from entering the book stores at least once a week.

Personally, I think Anatole Broyard, in his marvelous little essay, Lending Books, gave the greatest description of my own feelings as a "book lover" about owning and lending books:

"... my friends come to me to borrow books because I have more than most people. In their innocence they have no idea what I go through in lending a book... Nor do they suspect that I feel about lending a book the way most fathers feel about their daughters living with a man out of wedlock... It's irritating to think that others consider reading a leisurely holiday activity. They enjoy a fling with books, while I'm married to them.

Not many of my friends are poor, and thus the question arises: If you truly wish to read this book... why don't you go out and buy it?... People often act as if books were mysteriously difficult to procure. To the doting book lover, the idea of reading a borrowed book is disgusting; an unclean habit akin to voyeurism.

The moment a book is lent, I begin to miss it. According to T.S. Eliot, each new book that is written alters every previous one. In the same way, each absent book alters those that remain on my shelves. The complexion of my library, the delicate gestalt, is ruined. My mind goes to the gap as one's tongue goes to a cavity... Until the book is returned, I feel like a parent waiting up in the small hours for a teenage son or daughter to come home from some dubious party..."

[Joreads]

I only allow a trusted few to borrow my books. Some people are careless in the way the treat them and when they decide to return them.

[Tersely]

I only allow a trusted few to borrow my books. Some people are careless in the way the treat them and when they decide to return them.

Ha. Take my mother in law for example. I let her borrow mine and all my books come back with creases, stained pages, torn cover and at that point I usually just let her keep them. Going to the library in a small southern rural town and the books are in the same/worse condition. I buy but its a circle of destruction I can't escape.

[sofia82]

Buying. I'm a true bibliophiliac, but I don't want to be cured of my obsession.

What an obsession!! I just struggle with this obsession as it costs me a lot as soon as got millionar I yield to this obsession.

[EricP]

I always assume that a book I lend to someone will not be returned. If I'm still fine with that possibility I'll lend it out. Right now I have about 6 or 7 books lent out and I'd be surprised if half of them get returned to me. Most of these were books I have already read or ones I bought used. I only have one friend that I would lone a book I care about to, and that's only because I know where he lives!

[thelastmelon]

I prefer to buy books, but I'm running out of space and money for it. So, lately I've had to do a little bit of both to keep up.