Anyone that has ever helped me move knows that I love books. (Strangely, after hauling boxes and boxes of books up and down stairs, these friends find ways to be too busy to help with the next move.)
Anyone that has seen the balance of my bank account knows that I need to limit the number of books I buy. There is no way I could afford to purchase everything I read. But I want to.
The good news is that the universe, my friends, and my family find ways to help me get my hands on those books.
First of all, I am blessed to live in an area with a fabulous library system. Libraries are amazing!
You can spend an afternoon wandering and browsing, or with current technology, you can reserve a book online and they will have it ready for you. You can be in and out in just minutes!
I now use the library for most of my fiction reading. I will occassionally reread a novel, but for most things, once is enough and getting the book from the library saves me a lot of money.
Non-fiction is trickier though, especially if it is something that is related to my work. When I read non-fiction, I like to read with my highlighter ready to mark up anything that is particularly interesting. Librarians don't like that very much! Book collectors and librarians think that books should have pages that are free from markings, food smudges, etc. Being the child of a book collector, I know how to read a book and have it still look brand new when I am done. I also understand the value of a signed or rare edition. As a teacher and learner, I know that the books that have really been understood and enjoyed are the ones that are written all over and are a little more beaten up from traveling everywhere with the reader while he or she was reading it. (Side note to music teachers--If your students' lesson books are pristine, you can pretty much bet on the fact that they are not getting enough use at home.)
So basically it comes down to this for me: If I want entertainment and/or escape, I can borrow the book. If I want to really get something out of it, I need to buy it.
Here's an example: One of the 3 books I am currently reading is Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God Book One. I had 2 reasons for getting this one from the library. First, I had no money, and second, because I'm a bit of a skeptic. I have no problem with the idea of personal revelation, but I am a little cautious when someone says, "God told me to tell you..." You'll have to wait until I've finished for my full review, but what is important in the context of this blog is that even though I don't buy into everything he writes in the book, there are several places that I loved and that gave me new insights into what I believe. If I'd been able to use a highlighter and a pen while reading, I might have received even more inspiration of my own. This might just be a book that I have to buy after I read it.
So, when I have to buy a book, where do I go? Usually the only time I buy new books is if I have a gift card from Barnes and Noble or Borders. Yeah for gift cards! I love used book stores. Here in the suburbs, Half Price Books (they have gift cards too!) is the only place I've found. Like the name implies, their books are generally half off the cover price. That's a good deal, especially when you find older editions and the cover price was $1.65. I also love their clearance shelves with books for $1 or $2.
There are a few other used bookstores in Minneapolis that I love but don't get to very often anymore. The thing I love about used book stores is that you have to browse and in doing so you often find gems that you weren't even searching for. The drawback is that their stock is limited. They might not have a copy of what I really want.
That is where online shopping comes in. I've used amazon.com for both new and used purachases, but my new favorite is half.com. I've found some great deals there.
It is possible to build a great personal library on a budget. Most of the books I own were purchased used.
Now is your turn to share. Do you buy or borrow or do a little of both? If both, how do you decide which thing to buy and which to borrow?
-- Posted from my iPhone
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