Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

I keep seeing posts on different threads where many of you mention how much you spend on books. I have seen at least one discussion on borrowing ebooks from a local library. I haven't noticed anyone mentioning borrowing books the old fashion way. Is this because you like to own the books you read? Is it because your local library does not carry PRN & UF?

absolutely :) i even use them for ebooks now.

but i still buy treebooks *wink* when i want to add to my collections or a series etc. (hopefully with a coupon etc)

i use both...if its a book i think i'll re-read then i'm more likely to buy the ebook. if its a new author, series i'm on the fence with etc, i'm more likely to go to the library. my local library is in a consortium with 12 others, so i can get pretty much any book that is interesting - I just got the new Darynda Jones book fresh out of the box - which was good

I use the library all the time!! My library actually stocks NEW RELEASES in YA fiction, if you can believe that, which makes it a super popular place. (for me, anyway!) I do buy lots of books too, which would explain why I can never afford to eat out. Ha.

all the time! great for research and reading the books that come out in hardcover (which is expensive!) before paperbook.

I use the library all the time. I dont usually buy books. Though I would love to, it's just not possible. If my library doesn't have a book, they usually get it from a partner library or they buy it. I'm lucky enough to have such a great one :)

I borrow ebooks from the library all the time but have not gone to get books the old fashioned way in a while. My kindle's just too convenient--I can borrow the books, download them, read them, and return them without having to get up, plus I don't have to worry about late fees. Pre-kindle, I went to the library once a week, sometimes twice.

I wish i could use my local library, unfortunately the only books they have are history books from Puerto Rico and USA, not even ancient history. Our library here is more like an extention of the public high school library (which isn't very varied either).

I go to the library a lot! I get so many books from the library that I have to make rules for myself regarding when I'm allowed to read library books instead of books that I've already bought that I haven't read yet. My compulsive book-acquiring doesn't discriminate between library books and cheap used books, which is why I have vast numbers of both.

I love the idea of Kindle library lending, but I've only borrowed a few books that way; they just don't have much that I want.

I go to the library all the time. I can even go to thier website and place a hold on a book from any library in the county. Then they send me an email when it's in. I also take out books on CD and movies.

my library is also really good about ordering books if a patron requested them - I wanted to read a YA dystopia, and there was only 1 copy and i'd been on the wait list for like 5 months...the librarian ordered it for me and I got it ahead of others waiting

I just started going to the library. It's connected to about 30 libraries so I can generally find what I'm looking for. If I can't, I can have it sent to my normal library and pick it up. I haven't tried getting ebooks yet, that's next. :)

I would have to use the library or I would be broke! They don't carry everything though.

I go to my local library on Fridays :) i place holds online pick them up and look for new ones.

Lately I've been using them for ebooks. Prior to that I hardly used our local library because it's just not conveniently located for me, which led to lots of $$$ in late fees. I was devastated when Borders closed, as I used to spend a lot of time and money there, and happily so. Now I'm reduced to online purchases via BN or buying used via ebay or half.com and ebooks from our local library!

I use my local library and The Free Library of Philadelphia all the time. Really helps that they have Kindle books. Over the last year I'd get some books, that I was unwilling to pay the high purchase price, from the library. Unfortunately my reading experience was diminished by having to lug a heavy hard cover around and not having a light to read in the dark. So once the Kindle books were released via the library in Oct my use of the library increased dramatically.

Most of the time in the last two months I haven't even had time to get to the few books I've bought because I need to finish my library books that are about to return.

Our local library isn't very large. They do carry some of the books I enjoy, but often the waiting list can be an issue. All of that aside, I have used them on occassion. It does really boil down to the fact that I prefer to own the books I like and it drives my OCD nutty if I have to give a book back and then wait before I find a copy to keep for my shelves and/or kindle.

Nope, haven't used it in several years

It's my other home the library lmfao I only buy books that i fall in love with because i like to keep track of my own little library in my room. Yeah if it's just out the book is pretty expensive, so but ill still buy it and go without something like bus money for uni ROFL books are so much better :)

Not at all. {hanging my head in shame}.

Really sad, but with kindle and coffee shop at the bookstore, I just prefer to buy books.

I'm curious about all the small local library responses. Every library I've ever had a card at has been attached to a larger city or county wide library system where you can request books from other branches. Is that not always the case?

Yes! We have a surprisingly good library system here. I can look for book via their online system, request/put a hold on a book, and have it sent to my nearest branch. Their system is automated and works well. They also lend audio books and have a growing amount of digital content. They don't charge fines or fees unless the book is outrageously late (several weeks).

Besides, I'm broke and by borrowing from the library, I'm able to try books in various genres by authors that are new to me, without worrying that the book might end up being a DNF. In fact, because I didn't pay anything, I don't waste times slogging through a book I hate. If it hasn't grabbed my attention after about 100 pages, it goes right back to the library, guilt free.

I use mine all of the time. I am always checking out books and walking to mine to just sit and read.

My library does that,too. About fines. If you go in and hand it to a clerk and ask they can remove the fines. I think it has more to do with the librarians being nice rather than we only get deliveries on two days of the week.

Thanks for answering. I've been curious about it since another person posted on one of my email groups about going around to all the various branches to pick up their books.

I use the library all the time. I buy books frequently but find the library an easy way to try out the first book or so of a series before I invest in it for my keeper shelf. I get to try a lot of different genres this way as well.

i know some states charge for books to be borrowed for other libraries within the state...within the DC region, I want to say its like $5 a book (i'm getting this as secondhand info from a friend)...but in Maryland its free

I am a Library addict!!! Almost everything I read I borrow from there first. I am generally there around 5 times a week. LOL I "buy" a lot of my books from library book sales. I actually only buy new books if I LOVE the author or series and have a GC. I also buy from second hand or thrift stores as well as yard sales, or I swap books. But my library is my most favorite place to be because don't have guilt when I walk out with a huge stack.

I'm in the library at least twice a week borrowing and drive by 3-4 times returning books. I use it mainly for audiobooks since I have a 3+ hour daily commute and audiobooks are really expense.

I'm trying to save money so one of my goals this year was to stop buying books and read what I own or borrow from the library. I tend to get books from the library that I need to complete a challenge since I don't always own what I need. I like some young adult stuff and I get all of those books from the library because I know I will not keep them so no sense purchasing.

I haven't tried ebooks from the library yet but my library does offer them. I only listen in my car so ebooks wouldn't work for me.

I do.

I still use the library for books that are not auto-buy authors for my Kindle. But if I really like a book from the library and will want to re-read it, I will go ahead and buy the ebook.

I go to the library to borrow audiobooks for myself. I commute daily, with lots of time on the road. I prefer to listen to a book than hear music most days.

On weekends I take my children for whatever activity they have set up. My kids get to play, learn and check out books in a good enviornment while I read in peace. It's the little things in life.

I have to. I buy too many books as is. Now I only buy the one that I really love and want to re-read.

i'm the same for audiobooks - my library has a pretty decent selection of those play-away devices - which are good because I can't have an ipod at work because of security issues - but those were approved because there is no way of recording on them...the library is also on my drive home, so I typically stop if I need something

I definitely rely on my library, and it is my first choice to get a book! However, I find they don't carry a lot of the books I want, which is SO frustrating! Also, they will sometimes carry the first two books in a series, and then not have the rest of them. That drives me crazy (but this is only because I feel compelled to finish a series I show even mild interest in!).

I'm really terrible (yeah, awful) with my kindle and the convenience of downloading books from Amazon and Smashwords I don't really check with the library. There are so many ebooks at good prices compared with printed or hardcovers. And there are a lot of free ebooks as well. I only buy new releases if I absolutely have to read something right away, otherwise I wait for it to go down in price. Now it's even more convenient with Amazon allowing for lending of ebooks so my friends and family do a lot of ebook sharing or book-pooling :D I really should make an effort and at least check out the information on my neighborhood library especially now that many of them are carrying ebooks, it's just that hate waiting in line to read a book so I just buy it or swap with my sisters, mush faster LOL!

Same dilemma. So annoying when they have bits and pieces, not even the whole series.

I use my library all the time. It's the first place I check for books I want. The next place would be Amazon and Half Price Books.

I use my library for ebooks and audiobooks all the time. The ebooks for my kindle have been great, and the audiobooks are from Overdrive, which there is an app for that (!!) so I have the audiobooks downloaded right to my iphone and listen to them all the time. But, although they do have a lot, there's a large number that I want to read that they don't have, so those ones, if I'm desperate enough, I will buy on Amazon.

I was buying my ebooks for my kindle, but I had an accident of some kind and fried it! I recently went and got my library card three weeks ago and have been to the library three times a week at least since then. My library here is great, they have most of the books that I'm looking for and because I'm behind on most of the series and am trying to catch up on my pnr books I've not had to wait for books. There are 13 branches of my library and they are all connected so I can request a book from another branch and have it the next day as long as it's not checked out. Unfortuntly I've been trying to get some newer books and I have a longer wait. But thats ok because I have plenty to read! There have only been two books that I have looked for that they haven't had at all, so I'll have to buy those off of half.com.

I buy alot of books because I read series and just like collecting them; but only paperbacks. So I use the library for audiobooks, trying new authors, and newly released books in hardback cause I won't buy 'em...

I always bought my books as I liked to collect them However when your left with boxes and boxes of books & nowhere to keep them. I made the decision to bye an Ereader(best investment ever) with an external 32gb memory for Extra storage I now download everything I read including new releases.I still use my local library with my 6yr old daughter so as to encourage her to read to her its like a day trip away she loves it.

I love owning my own books whether hardcover, paperback or eBook. But I DO still frequent my local library.

I've always been a library person, since I was a small child and they would only let me borrow one book at a time, and wouldn't let me return the one I'd borrowed and read within the day - I had to wait till the next day to return it.
We're very lucky in my region as we have a group of six libraries in our area, plus the mobile one and that group is affiliated with many more libraries all over the state. This means that when I finish one book in a series I can go online, search for the next in the series, over a large number of libraries, and then put a hold on it. it is then delivered to the library closest to me. It's a wonderful system and I bless the day they brought it in.
Now, I have an Ipad 2 and love reading ebooks on it, and our library now has downloadable ebooks and audio books, many of which are in the paranorma genre. So now, I check there before I do the search of the actual libraries. Between the two, I get most books I want to read without paying a penny. (unless I'm late returning them, of course) ;o>>>

I am always at the library! I go usually twice a week, to return or pick up items and browse the shelves. I would never be able to read all the books that I do if it wasn't for the library, they are awesome!!!

I have used the library for ebooks, but they don't usually have very much to choose from n the genres I read.

What do you guys use to read/borrow the books from your libraries? I had been using the Overdrive app but wasn't sure if there was a better way.

I get books, both ebooks and physical books, from the library as much as possible. However, we live in a relatively small town, and our library doesn't have a great selection.

I also use www.paperbackswap.com to trade books rather than buy them when I can.

I use my library too. If someone recommends a book or I'm reading a series and am ready for the next book I'll order it online and then pick it up at my local. I love it. It really has saved me a ton of money because I used to just buy it used on Amazon or Half.com and most of the time I didn't want to keep it afterwards. I still buy books from authors I love or books that aren't available at the library and I buy e-books which my library doesn't have at all. I've just started reading the library's e-books. I do get audiobooks from the library but usually whatever I want to listen to isn't downloadable so I'll get the CDs, playaways or cassettes. I love the cassettes because I can play them in my house and car but most libraries don't have them anymore. CD's are so full of skips that I don't download them to my MP3 because of that. Playaways are okay but I only listen to those at home. Libraries are great and the way mine has become so busy - no parking spaces available sometimes - a lot of other people are discovering/rediscovering them too.

I must admit that thanks to ebooks, I haven't visited the library in a long time.

I love my local library! That's the main source I go to get my books!

Before I had my Kindle, I went so regularly to the library that several of the librarians know my and my kids by name- they even have nicknames for my kids. But, since I have gotten the eReader I go less often (but I still go as there are some books unavailable in electronic format) and my kids love to check out their DVD's and use their free computer access.