Author Topic: Have you visited your local Library lately?  (Read 31580 times)

frugal-one

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #100 on: January 02, 2014, 08:50:13 AM »
I have the kindle keyboard (older model) and absolutely love it. I read alot and even my husband noticed that I read faster on the kindle then hard paper books.

I signed up for eReaderIQ.com and they send you links to free books (you have to download on that day or a few days because it seems to be common practice for an author to put their book up for free as a sort of teaser then change the price).

I have read over 300 free books from them and alos downloading from the library.

I can see where if people were paying money asked for books on amazon they would go broke. So if something I want to read has a price higher then free I just add it to a list I have then go find a free book to read for now.


Thank you so much for the tip on eReaderIQ.com   - lots of great FREE options.  I don't read fiction - just non-fiction and there are quite a few great books.

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« Last Edit: January 02, 2014, 10:06:25 AM by arebelspy »

Dicey

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #101 on: January 02, 2014, 09:45:40 AM »
Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.
I don't know what library you're referring to, but you might be overgeneralizing based on your personal experience.

+1 and thank you for phrasing it so nicely, Nords.

chucklesmcgee, I wonder when you last visited the library??

One huge aspect of libraries vs. downloads is social. I volunteer at the library and have made lots of friends in the community. At most libraries there are great live programs wherein real people share their skills, talents, knowledge or interests. It's just not the same on the internet.

I have a kindle fire (that I bought at a library fundraiser, lol) and I download free books from the library. I use it primarily for travel. I read "real" books at home.

Note to all Seattle PL fans: I live in the Bay Area and was planning a visit to Seattle. My friend there asked what I wanted to do. I told him that he could choose any itinerary as long as it included time for the SPL. He had never been (poor soul) and wondered why I wanted to spend time there. We explored it for hours and had a blast. He then asked me how I knew about it. (Sheesh, buddy, I read!) My libraries are great, but yours rocks!

golden1

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #102 on: January 02, 2014, 11:26:09 AM »
Quote
Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.

Before discovering this blog and some other personal finance sites, I felt similarly.  I hadn't been to the library in about 10 years and I read most of my books electronically so I figured the library didn't have much to offer me.  Much to my surprise, when I visited my local library I was quite excited!  I can check out 5 ebooks at once and download them straight to my Kindle app on my iPad.  The selection of new paper books is pretty good as well.  I went from buying 2-3 books a month to only buying 2 in the last 7 months and checking out the rest from the e-library. 

Iron Mike Sharpe

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #103 on: January 02, 2014, 01:29:17 PM »
The thing I love about my local library system is, let's say there are 5 things I want, but they are at five different branches.  I just go on their website and reserve all five items and tell them which branch I want to pick them up at.  They then send them to that branch and send me an email when they are ready.   I can then pick them up on my way home from work and only have to spend 3 minutes in the actual building.

Eric

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #104 on: January 02, 2014, 01:36:55 PM »
chucklesmcgee, I wonder when you last visited the library??


I'm guessing around the last time s/he visited this thread -- a long time ago

zinnie

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #105 on: January 02, 2014, 02:07:39 PM »
The thing I love about my local library system is, let's say there are 5 things I want, but they are at five different branches.  I just go on their website and reserve all five items and tell them which branch I want to pick them up at.  They then send them to that branch and send me an email when they are ready.   I can then pick them up on my way home from work and only have to spend 3 minutes in the actual building.

This.

And I love my local library and branch system! I don't "visit" the library nearly as often as I download ebooks and audiobooks to my iPad using my library card #, though. It is quick and convenient, and when there is a wait list for something I want I just join and it emails me when it is ready. I have so many things on the wait list that I usually get an email about something that is ready each week.

OP, I can't see if this was mentioned or not already but you don't need to buy an ereader to read ebooks as long as you have a computer. Adobe EPUB, Kindle, etc. all have desktop readers that you can download the files too, and you can also read them online (at least for the libraries that use Overdrive...)

HappierAtHome

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #106 on: January 02, 2014, 05:42:14 PM »
Visited my library website just yesterday to place reserves on a whole bunch of books and DVDs due to be released over the next few months :-) I like not knowing exactly when an item I've reserved will come in. I get a text and get to go pick it up like it's a little surprise gift from my past self.

Better still, I don't have to find somewhere to store it after I'm done reading/watching.

oldtoyota

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #107 on: January 02, 2014, 08:27:55 PM »
Public libraries are really a thing of a past generation: they never really have the books you want to begin with, their search engine's awful, it takes forever to find and it's often still checked out. When you factor in opportunity costs of getting to and from the library and the late fees you'll probably accrue, a kindle's probably going to be worth it if you're a heavy reader.

Like another poster here, I live in a highly educated area. We all use the library, and we all (my neighbors and us) take our children to the library. =-)

It's true that our library system shares some books, CDs, and movies across the library system (usually for less popular titles). It's no biggie because I log into the system from home, put the item I want on reserve and then--after I get the email announcing the item's arrival--waltz in to pick up the book/movie I requested from the self-serve shelf.

It did not take long to get The Goldfinch--a highly popular book now--after I requested it.

Recently, I read that a good number of people now read both paper and digital books. I fall into that category, though I read a bit more on paper than I do on digital.

The cost to get to the library is zero dollars because I can walk or bike. Sometimes, I do drive a car if I am getting a lot of books. We're allowed to check out more than 60 items at a time.

Another lovely advantage to the library is the accidental discovery of a title, essay, topic that you may not have stumbled across in a digital format. I checked out two books of essays the other day and found several essays on topics I'd been studying. This was luck and a lovely coincidence that I rarely experience when I download books...because when I download a book, that is all I get. There are no other books on the digital "shelf" unless I already know to put them there.


oldtoyota

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #108 on: January 02, 2014, 08:31:08 PM »
I do allow myself some spending money for Kindle books.  It may not be mustachian, but I look at this a lot like MMM seems to view organic and other special foods.  I can afford to do it and I believe that reading makes me better, so it is worth it to me, but I recognize it is a luxury and would be one of the first things to go if we suddenly had debt (how does one suddenly have debt?) or job loss.


This sounds good. Did you know a recent study claims that reading fiction is quite good for your brain? I have not read the full study. You might google around to see if you can find it if you're interested. I don't have the link handy or I would include it here.


oldtoyota

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #109 on: January 02, 2014, 08:35:35 PM »
I have the kindle keyboard (older model) and absolutely love it. I read alot and even my husband noticed that I read faster on the kindle then hard paper books.

I signed up for eReaderIQ.com and they send you links to free books (you have to download on that day or a few days because it seems to be common practice for an author to put their book up for free as a sort of teaser then change the price).

I have read over 300 free books from them and alos downloading from the library.

I can see where if people were paying money asked for books on amazon they would go broke. So if something I want to read has a price higher then free I just add it to a list I have then go find a free book to read for now.


Thank you so much for the tip on eReaderIQ.com   - lots of great FREE options.  I don't read fiction - just non-fiction and there are quite a few great books.

[Mod Edit: Quote Tags.]

Which nonfiction books looked good to you?

« Last Edit: January 02, 2014, 08:38:47 PM by oldtoyota »

luigi49

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #110 on: January 02, 2014, 08:45:14 PM »
I noticed lately that there are a lot of homeless people at the public library. 

mahina

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #111 on: January 03, 2014, 03:10:09 AM »
love my library, and order books i want through their website to pick up there.
recently i read 'how to get filthy rich in rising asia' by mohsin hamid. fictional treatment of a man's rise from poverty, with dark humor and admirable concision.

Nords

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #112 on: January 13, 2014, 07:50:56 PM »
I noticed lately that there are a lot of homeless people at the public library.
Hey hey hey, that's just the way I happened to be dressed when I dropped by after a workout or in between chores...

palebluedot

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #113 on: January 13, 2014, 08:22:08 PM »
As a big movie buff I had a bad habit of buying at least 3 blu rays every couple of months (only if priced 9.99 or less)

I cut that completely back in August when I stumbled onto this blog. I now rent from the library and started reading great books! I can request blu rays from other libraries since my local one doesn't carry them. But I still mostly just check out DVDs as the quality is still quite awesome.

Recently read: The Power of Habit, YMOYL, The Millionaire Next Door, The Magic of Thinking Big

Currently reading: How to Survive without a Salary

I have a whole list of books to read on investing, personal finance, and philosophy.

My local library is also only 1.5 miles away. Always a nice bike ride or walk to take.

LibrarIan

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #114 on: January 28, 2014, 07:37:27 AM »
I noticed lately that there are a lot of homeless people at the public library. 

I don't really know if I'd consider this the library's problem. In my region at least, the city planners keep re-zoning everything making it nearly impossible to set up shelters or support locations for homeless people. The privileged planners we have seem to assume that the homeless will leave if there are no services here, but shifting the problem to another place doesn't solve the core issue and a lot of them just don't go elsewhere. So the library ends up being the only place that will let them in, and I see that as a good thing. At least they have somewhere to go that can give them a little bit of help and stop them from freezing to death in our current below-zero temperatures.

tomq04

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #115 on: January 28, 2014, 09:23:43 AM »
We just started visiting our Spokane, WA libraries, and I am impressed!!  The Seattle Library and the po-dunk Richland Public Library are the only 2 libraries I have been more impressed with.

Everything we need, and locations all over the cities, 7 or 8 to be exact, both are 4 miles away which is a bit to far for the pregnant wife to bike a toddler...but thats ok!  I've been studying there on occasion (the office still seems more convenient) and always seem to find a book worth reading while there.

oldtoyota

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #116 on: January 28, 2014, 09:55:28 AM »
I was about to buy two books. I REALLY want them and figured the library would not have them. And...although it's true my library doesn't have either, I am able to get them through inter-library loan so yay for me on saving $30!

libertarian4321

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #117 on: January 28, 2014, 04:19:45 PM »
We use the library all the time for all kinds of entertainment- ebooks, regular books, books on tape (both on disc and downloadable), DVDs (movies and TV shows).  Tons of entertainment for free.

It doesn't cost anything, since my wife can stop there on the way to work.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #118 on: January 28, 2014, 05:36:37 PM »
Took a detour on my walk home from work yesterday to pop into the library. A sci fi novel and two mysteries for me, a couple of science and politics books for the BF, and we're all set for a few weeks of good reading.

My local library has a better selection than most of my local bookshops. No contest.

LibraryGirl

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Re: Have you visited your local Library lately?
« Reply #119 on: January 29, 2014, 04:56:39 PM »
I decided that I loved my local public library so much that I got a job there.  Being in the library five days a week and seeing all the cool books that are being returned has seriously increased the number of books I've got checked out (and the number on my hold list, for whenever they are returned).  Everyday I see something I want to read.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!