Hi Rebecca,
I was recently in your position. I was wanting to purchase the book Natural Science Through the Seasons, also out-of-print. It’s one I would use almost daily for several years, so I really wanted to own it.
I looked e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!!! The only two copies I could find online were between $150 and $350. I called publishers, I searched out of print booksellers, ebay, homeschool classifieds, you name it!
I searched for it on Worldcat.org (interlibrary loan) and found the libraries within 100 miles that carried. One was a Christian University. I spoke with their Reference Librarian and she offered to ask the head of the Science Department if he wouldn’t mind weeding it out of their library if I made a small donation. It hadn’t been checked out in years (decades).
They asked for a $5 donation. We were so thrilled we ended up donating more than that. And now my little treasure is sitting on our shelf!
So, the moral of my story? Where there’s a will there’s a way! Don’t give up!