Book Haven discussion

If you do both what do you use more? If you buy,what are the reasons you prefer to buy and not burrow or vice versa? Me I prefer to burrow books from my public library since I know once I read a fiction novel I probably won't read it again. The only books I reread are non-fiction to look back on.What about you?

i buy 90% of my books from charity shops i like to find books i would otherwise never have read, if there's a book i really want i'l buy it new when its out as a paperback

i usually get them from the library,but if the library doesn't have them or if I really want them, i'll buy

I almost always get them from the library. Reference books are the only books I buy. Guitar books, reptile field guides, and palenentology books. I have copies of a few of my personal favorites. Dracula, Carmilla, Ceasars Bella de Gallia, Jim Corbett books.

I buy all my books. I seldom use the library, although I enjoy visiting and reading books there...B

I buy my books, from fiction to non-fiction. We don't exactly have that public library where you can borrow books. But I can still borrow books from my university's library. I don't usually borrow unless I really need to read the book for school and it's not available in bookstores.

Mostly buy so I can go back to them but I like borrowing as well...especially books I'm not sure about or books that I feel is overpriced.

I rarely buys books unless its one I know I'll want to read again and again. I always go to the library and put books on hold before hand

Library! By increasing circulation I increase funding!! ;o)

I'm about 90% library now, where over a year ago it was the reverse. The library's not too far and I was wondering if they had a book I wanted to read and they did. Ordered it online and they tell me when it's in. At that time I thought I'd just saved $8.00 and then started ordering books more and more. Now I only buy if I can't find it (although my library is linked all throughout the state of California) or if it's a favorite author that I want all of their books. Such a money saver!

I do both, buy and borrow. If it is an author I know I like I will buy it since I am a chronic rereader. If it is a new title by a new author, I will borrow it from the library first to see if I like it. If I do like it, then I will often buy it, sometimes new, sometimes I will wait to see if I can find it used. Depends on how much I liked it.

I buy most of my books. Because I can't visit the library often enough, and I frequent thrift shops, I find lots of interesting reads for cheap. It also helps because I go back and read things multiple times when I run out of new material. :)

I used to buy about 90% of what I read either new or at the thrift store or UBS. For years I bought 20+ new books a month. Now it's different. I buy maybe 3% of what I read and get 97% from the library. After my divorce my household income was cut down to half of what it was before. My living space also went from 3,000 Sq Ft to maybe 1,000. So now it's the library for me if they have what I want. If they don't then it goes on my wish list and I might get it for myself for my birthday or Christmas.

For me it's a little but of both. I buy books from authors that I already know and love and check out books from the library on new authors or authors that have work I haven't been overly pleased with lately. If I love the book I've checked out, I add it to my Birthday/Christmas lists to have it on my bookshelf to read again whenever I want. If I don't, well, it was a library book :)

Both! Library for new/unknown authors so I can try lots of them, and buy for authors that I know I already like.

Also, if I like a book enough to borrow it 2 -3 times from the library, then I'll go and buy it for my shelf (I like to reread old favourites!).

If I had a limitless supply of money and a place to hold them, I prefer to buy them. Thankfully my local library is huge and can store all the books I wish I could buy.

I am very lucky with the library system here. It's rare nowadays for me to look up a book where at least one of the libraries in the state doesn't have a copy. We have a great inter-library loan system that seems to encompass the whole state.

I work in a library so I tend to borrow them. (P.S. I love your "do you 'burrow' them from a library?".....I had visions of you digging your way in, in order to get books when the library is shut!!)

Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: "I am very lucky with the library system here. It's rare nowadays for me to look up a book where at least one of the libraries in the state doesn't have a copy. We have a great inter-library loan ..."

Oh, I know, I use the ILL system too. We have to pay a dollar for that but it's not too bad.And usually in my county they have every single book, so it works out great.

I usually borrow them from my school's library, if they don't have it I check if any other afilliated library has is as they can lend it to us for free (and those libraries are across my country).

But if they don't have and I really want it... I have to search in the local book stores, THEN if they don't have it, I buy it from Amazon, it never lets me down.

I used to borrow lots of books from the library and loved it, though I don't do it as much now simply because I don't have as much reading time anymore :( I tend to buy most of my books now but am more selective and only buy the books I really know I could read again. I really should get back to the library again...in between chasing after my live wire of a toddler!! :)

Carolyn F. wrote: "I'm about 90% library now, where over a year ago it was the reverse. The library's not too far and I was wondering if they had a book I wanted to read and they did. Ordered it online and they tel..."

Me too! I was spending masses of money on books but then I had to stop suddenly, but couldnt give up reading (obviously!) so I started visiting the library again. When I was little my dad would take my sister and I when we saw him each week, and when he moved away we stopped, so it was nice to start going again.

I do both--I like the library for new books it would be expensive to buy and books I can't find in bookstores.

I buy books. I have anywhere from 50 to 100 books on my shelves to be read at any one time and more on my kindle. I read multiple genres. I may be in a fantasy mood when I shop but not again for a month. It may be two months before I have time to pick a book back up. I don't like dog-eared pages, stains, being on a waiting list or rushed to finish.

Buy ebooks to save space

www.bookmooch.com

I buy and borrow books but from my friends, not from the library

I mainly borrow books from the library (paper books and kindle books). There is a huge book sale in February each year that benefits the library system and I will buy books there. Usually hardbacks are a dollar and paperbacks are fifty cents. I bought about twenty books this year and only spent ten dollars or so. My library is 25 miles from my house so when I check out books I usually get about ten books. I think last time I got about 12. So most of the time I try to only check out books through my kindle to save gas.

Huh, I always thought that the people that worked in the library would generally get more books

Anyway, I prefer borrowing to buying because when I pick up a book I don't really know if it will be a good book, so i don't want to waste money