Also a related question: How do you time library books so you have the books you nneed when you are wanting them. Are books that are requested are either taking FOREVER to come to our library and we skip them and move on, or I buy it off of Amazon and its here in TWO days. Or I plan ahead and get the books too early and have to bring them home and keep renewing them. That puts a cramp on the free reads the kids have. We used tohave 4 library cards, but they were all maxed out at 50 and it was insane. So I've limited it to 1 card. I'm trying to limit my purchases, but the lubrary book timing thing hasn't been working for me. How do you do it at your home?
Timing Library books?
(16 posts) (12 voices)-
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
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Probably not the answer you want, but I buy most of mine now. Same problem you have, couldn't keep it all coordinated. And I had lots of library fines because sometimes we didn't return them in time. I try to use sites like Paperback Swap and put in my list of the next year 6 to 12 months before I need them. I also keep a wishlist on Amazon for the upcoming year and about once a month or so will search through used book sites to see if I can find anything. About 3 months out I start actively purchasing what I don't have. I also use whatever free books I can off the internet.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Sara B.
MemberSorry, I buy, too. Our small town library has almost nothing I need/want, and ILL is so unpredictable. :-/ So, much to my dh's dismay, I buy pretty much all of them. I scour book sales, thrift stores, Goodwill, Half Price Books, and yard sales before finally heading to Amazon.com or AbeBooks.com or something. I have a book sale I'll be going to in a couple weeks, and that'll be the official kick-off for next year's book search. (Though I actually look all year long, as opportunities arise.)
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
You can get an awful lot of what you need by having a list ahead of time and hitting library sales. I've found a few in thrift stores/Goodwill type places like Sara mentioned, but library sales are the BEST. It's sad though that they are getting rid of so many good books.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
my3boys
MemberI do the same as these ladies mentioned....the library only works for certain books.
HTH
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Tecrz1
MemberI purchase history spines since we use them so long, but we get most of our other books from the library. I am pretty relaxed so I just get a new book when we finish the old one. For example if we are close to finishing a literature book I check the list and reserve another online. I make great use of the online website! I reserve all my books and renew them online. There have been times we finished a book and had to wait a few days until our weekly scheduled library trip but we just supplement with a different book or enjoy the little break. I use inter library loan for books my library doesn't have and sometimes those take a while but we just read something else in the meantime.
I also was able to get a teachers library card so I can keep my books for 8 weeks and renew in 4 week periods. I can also have 150 books out at a time, give the librarians a subject and they compile resources, and NO late fines! Plus at the beginning of each term I put in a request for a teachers collection - basically my huge list of all the books I want for that term. I have renew them once in order to keep them 12 weeks but I get an email reminder so j never miss.
I use the library because we have a small house and I don't have room for too many books. That may change if we ever move to a bigger house!
TaraPosted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Oh, Tara, you are so lucky! Our local libraries do not offer that for homeschoolers. In fact, no area we've lived in has done that. I can see where the library would work well in your situation. It's easier for me to relax about literature books but it drives me crazy to wait 6 to 12 weeks for history books. Science we can usually find a substitute for, but not always. Sometimes the cost of the ILLs are as much as buying a nice used copy.
I think buying vs. library depends a lot on where you live and your comfort level with waiting/moving ahead when books aren't available.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
I do a mix. I buy most of our history books ahead of time through Paperback Swap or Amazon. I use the library if I can't find a reasonably priced book ahead of time.
Then when we finish using the books I decide if we really really loved it enough to keep and use with younger children down the road. If not then the book gets sold or put on Paperback Swap giving me money or a credit for more books. That gets recycled into the next year's books. :)
I think if you want to rely on the library then flexibility is key. Buy your spine but then go with the flow for the rest of the books.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
4myboys
MemberI also order and renew online. I get an email reminding me when books are due, so I can renew right away if I need to. We live about 25km from the library so I really like to be able to do this. I also don't often have a lot of time to browse. I've been getting to know some of the librarians, but so far I haven't used the resource quite to the potential I would like. I've got some questions to ask next time I'm in!
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
jawgee
MemberWe buy the spine and then use the library for most of our other books. Our library is excellent (although as a homeschooler I don't like the limit of no more than three books on a particular topic). I can renew books online and I can also use their website to place a hold on a book that might already be out.
It can be a little work to manage (we had some George Washington books for 6 weeks and then I had to return them because we hadn't got to them yet...only to check them out again 2 weeks later). I hate to spend the money and try to find the storage space for a book that we are only going to use for a short amount of time.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Tecrz1
MemberWow I am starting to appreciate our library system! We live in Ohio and I can reserve a book from any participating library through the Search Ohio program. I've never waited longer than two weeks for a book and there is no fee. I'm surprised to discover this isn't more common.
I understand why most of you just try to buy :-)
TaraPosted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Claire
MemberMe too Tara! We live in Florida but I'm thinking of hugging the next librarian I see!
Obviously we use the library. I love, love, love books but I'm not big on keeping loads of them. Even if I buy them I'm bound to give them away or sell them after we're done with them. We can check out unlimited amounts of books and I use the online system to renew and keep track of what I've got or reserve what i need. I don't think I've ever waited on a book longer than a week. But I'm pretty laid back about it too so I just go to another one in the meantime.
Maybe being near a large university makes a difference in the books available?
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
my3boys
MemberWe have a great library, too, and I use the online reservation/renewal,ILL, and we have helpful librarians (and great selections of books for sale). I just find that when my kids are interested in something having a library here keeps us from having to make one more trip out of the house. My kids LOVE the library, but we're one of those "on the go" families and getting there and back can be a pain, for us anyway. I could be considered inflexible at times, too, I guess. So when we need a book, I hate to have to wait, then have to plan time to go get it....I guess it all depends on your personality. Plus, the collecting of books has become quite a hobby of mine and with the (way) future idea of opening a lending library, I kind of need the books.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
I use free Kindle books when possible, buy some, and library. I think I can take out 50 or so, but generally don't. My 2 oldest have cards too. We can take them out for 3 weeks, and renew up to 5 times if no one else has requested it... but there have been a couple of times when I've been trading requests with someone (when doing AO, it happened with the Blue Fairy Book... - this was before the Kindle. I ended up reading off the computer.) I don't do ILL for school because we have to pick up the ILL books at the downtown library - and can only have them for 3 weeks total from the time it arrives at the library. The cost for ILL varies (from free to more than the book would be) depending on where they can get it from - but you can put a maximum amount you will spend on it.
We also have access to a seperate "teacher's library". I think unlimited books - they have various "kits" too - for instance I got cuisinaire rods out to see if they would help our math a couple of years ago. 3 week loan, up to 1 renewal (you have to phone though)... but a big thing is NO FINES (unless you lose a book.) But you can't take anything else out if something is overdue... There are books there that aren't available at the public library - especially older titles.
I wish we could just own all the actual school books...
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
I've used the library and it drove me crazy. I don't usually have to wait too long, but I'm not very good at having things at the right time. Also, so many good books come from the "storage" room at the library that they smell musty and several of us can't have them in the house because we get headaches or nosebleeds from them.
A few years ago, I bought a bunch of used books and had to throw out more than half of them after we got them into the house and had trouble, so now I just bite the bullet and buy them new. I read every review and description I can before I buy, and I think and think and think. We just have a budgeted amount each year (from the tax return), and I spend carefully. I love having a ton of books to choose from all the time. No one feels like they have to hurry to get through before the books are due at the library.
I do keep having to get more bookshelves though--my dad builds them for me. He's so handy!
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
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