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Do you buy, borrow or take out from the library?

Do you buy your books or borrow them from the library?

  • Buy from the Bookstore

    Votes: 29 39.7%

  • Borrow from the Library

    Votes: 13 17.8%

  • Both

    Votes: 31 42.5%
  • Total voters
    73
I bought most of them from bookstores. I hardly ever borrowed books from library, just a few times per year. It's nice to smell old papers and whatnot, but I like to own books and love to read good books over and over again so yeah ;)
 
breading1 said:
I used to buy, but once I've read the book, it sat on the shelf or in a box gathering dust. Has almost no resale value to talk of. Usually goes to charity after a few years.

So now I try to borrow when I can. :)
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You've pointed out one of the biggest problems with buying new books. For people who don't re-read or collect, buying usually amounts to a bad investment. The same could be said for music discs. Once something like that gets consumed it tends to take up space. After 10 years, bookshelves start bulging with books that really have no value apart from decoration. The book buyer might pay fifty cents each, maybe. So hopefully the book was a great one! :D

Which is why librarians see me much more these days.
 
ewomack said:
You've pointed out one of the biggest problems with buying new books. For people who don't re-read or collect, buying usually amounts to a bad investment. The same could be said for music discs. Once something like that gets consumed it tends to take up space. After 10 years, bookshelves start bulging with books that really have no value apart from decoration. The book buyer might pay fifty cents each, maybe. So hopefully the book was a great one! :D

Which is why librarians see me much more these days.
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I have the bulging bookshelves you describe and for me their value is not important. I didn't buy them as an investment. I'll admit that I won't buy a hard cover or some trade paperbacks because of the price, but I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for new books, such as a typical paperback . I figure that most of this money goes to the author, publisher, printer, bookshop owner & employees. All these people help to produce and distribute the books I love and by buying them I show my appreciation for their work and support the industry so that my favourite authors can write more books :)

I also realise everyone is in a different position and am not trying to say borrowing is bad, I used to borrow frequently and I'll also buy discounted books. Just saying why I don't mind paying for new books. even if I only read them once.
 
Fiction - mostly borrow, otherwise we'd go broke because we read so much (we live in a small, isolated town and reading is a major pastime in our house). We do collect books that we really like and intend to re-read again and again, such as the "Cat Who" series by Lilian Jackson Braun, the Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, The Little House series, Mary Poppins, etc., and we pick up classics and other good children's literature at the library's used book sales.

We do purchase a lot of non-fiction for research and study purposes, usually used on eBay, Half.com or abebooks, and occasionally special new books from Amazon (birthday/Christmas presents, etc.).
 
Even though I checked buy, I tend to do both. Sometimes I find that libraries have books that you want to read, especially in regards to books that have gone out of print or stock. I mostly buy because I really want the book or its something that I have enjoyed in the past or because the store has give me a lot of coupons to purchase books. Also purchasing books allows me to do things that I would never do to books that I would borrow.
 
I used to borrow from the library when I was younger but then I got to the point where I started to collect books and have my own little library. :D
 
I buy. I love libraries, but I like to take my books with and go sit there and read. Just as a place other than my office or kitchen or living room to enjoy a book.

I never sell books either. I like to read, keep, collect, display, whatever. Particularly if I liked the book, I just can't fathom the idea of parting with it after the fact.

For purchases, I've found the local book store(s) to be severely lacking. I usually order new online and have them delivered to my door.
 
library

library
i stopped buying books about 20 years ago,as i found i just had too many for my smallish apt
i donated many cartons to the library,mostly paperback
i have both a city and a county card
the city is larger,but parking sux
the county branch is smaller,one town over, but has a larger overall collection and a much more helpful staff and an actual parking lot
i reserve things online from the county,they call
i do tend to often be late with returns,but those few bucks in fines(nickel a day county,$2 max,dime a day city,no max) i count as my contribution to all that free pleasure i'm given

i do buy certain books,usually special things i can read over and over,so i'm never without a book
 
Mostly borrow or I would go broke! The ones I do buy, I give to the library for their summer book sale. Lately Ive been naughty and bought maybe 8 books. While I was holiday shopping on Amazon what was the harm in including a few titles for myself:D I also go to the same book sale and stock up for the year on other titles. Its a symbiotic relationship:)
 
I do both, but I prefer to buy my books, for reasons like my most recent checked out book which someone had taken a black marker and blocked out large sections of the book complete with crazy rants in the margins addressed to the author as if she was one day going check out the same book. While the comments were amusing in a crazy sort of way the blacked out sections of the book were not and it was my branch's only copy, now I have to wait for another copy to be ordered or order my own copy to finish the book.
 
I rarely buy new books. I buy from a charity shop that sells books for 89p or at a place called Emmaus, which is a second hand shop and they have a room full of books, floor to ceiling and they are around 50p each. So i usually end up with lots.
 
Borrow or Buy-Which do you prefer?

If I'm interested in a book, I always buy it. I know it would probably be far cheaper to borrow from the library, but when I become interested in something I tend to end up loving it. It's very rare that I find a book that I thought I'd love and end up disliking it.

Plus, if I do find a book that I purchased and didn't like (or find it enjoyable but not enough to ever consider really reading it again) then I just donate it to my local library afterwards.

Which do you prefer? Owning the book, or borrowing it?
 
depends on the book--I have bought paper copies-Kindle versions and alot of times I go to the library or borrow from friends.
 
Short answer:YES!!!! Long and practical version: We've drastically reduced our book buying over the last three or four years. Even though I've culled out my shelves several times in the last year, you wouldn't know it to look at them; our house still looks like a used bookstore. Nowadays we rely on interlibrary loan to take care of most of our books for pleasure, and to test-run books we're considering buying for reference. Even for our homeschooling needs, we use a lot of library books to flesh out our program. It's an ongoing process; I'm still trying to teach myself this new concept: "I don't HAVE to own every pretty book I see, really."
 
I tend to get books from the library anymore. Purchasing books usually involve getting books that I've already read and liked, or installments in a series. I've bought so many new books in the past though that I'm good for reading material over the next couple of years and I wouldn't have to go to the library. ;)

abecedarian said:
I'm still trying to teach myself this new concept: "I don't HAVE to own every pretty book I see, really."
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Amen, sister! :lol:
 
I almost never borrow, from a library or friends. I'm of the type to thoroughly research something before I read it, and can't remember the last time I read something I didn't like. And I love being able to go through my books. Plus, I don't really have that many expenses, so a good part of any money I get goes towards books. Or sushi. But mostly books.
 
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