Do you get most of your books at the library or do you buy?

Question

Do you get new or second hand?

Answer 1

I buy all my books new :) Well, I get some second hand, but most new.
It works out cheaper for me to buy them than to get them from the libary cos I always forget to take them back :( And I like to re-read books. I share a lot of books with my Mum and Brother, so we all get to read more than we buy :)

Answer 2

It may sounds strange, but I have never borrowed a book from a library. I buy all the books I need, I buy all the books I want to read, I buy every book that I'm interested in and I buy some more books, just to make sure that I won't run out of them any time soon. I usually buy new copies, which I try to keep in good condition, but lately second hand and even older ones have started to grow on me. I have found some copies published many many years ago, and I like the thought of a book changing owners over the years, without loosing its original magic.

Answer 3

I used to get them second hand but have since converted to a library girl. My local library has a couple of late night openings a week and it's a great place to go after work, mooch about looking at books and then catching the news on the big plasma screen while flicking though OK Magazine. Am I sad? Probably but I'm nearly 34 you know :-)

Answer 4

My local library is rather small and I went through what they have years ago. So now I prefer to buy.

I buy mostly remainder books from a remainder bookshop close to my workplace. I can pick up brand new books for half to two thirds off the price of the mainstream book shops.

The only catch is that these books were published anywhere from 6 months to 2 years ago - they are not current - but I dont have any problems with that.

Answer 5

I love my books and I buy them all. I like to have a nice collection on my bookshelves, even just to look at once I've finished reading. For some reason I get more satisfaction out of a book if I've bought it and I'm the first to turn the pages, rather than a crinkly old one from the library.
I prefer my books pristine!
(Plus the amount of times I've turned the page in a library book to discover a crusty old piece of snot on the page is too many to count).

Answer 6

I actually buy, since the libraries here offer a limited selection of books.

I usually buy from charity shops or ebay or brand new if the book is hard to get hold of.

If you live in a city where you have more than 1 bookshop that sells NEW books, then consider yourself extremely fortunate.

Answer 7

I do the library or bookmobile almost every week, mostly for novels and bios. They're too expensive to buy then give away when finished ... I've never had occasion to re-read them.

I buy reference books: cookbooks, dictionaries, art books, nature books. Anything I need to access on a regular basis.
Also haunt the library book sales, most are used library books, some are donations of brand new books.
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Answer 8

As I work in a library I tend to bring books home from work. If I particularly like a book I'll buy it so that I have my own copy. Borrowing has enabled me to be more adventurous with what I read as there's nothing lost if you don't enjoy the book plus we're running out of book shelf space as I get very attached to the books I do buy.

Answer 9

I like to buy books as much as i can, but i do hire from the library books i cant get from my local waterstones, or from authors i dont usually collect. And I dont mind whether theyre new or second hand, second hand is nice though coz the books have a sence of age and comfort to them. probably dont make sense lol

Answer 10

Usually I buy them from a Half Price Book Store and then resell them afterward. I don't like to borrow from the library because usually if there is a time limit, such as the two week return policy, I don't end up finishing; yet when there is no limit, I end up finishing in three days. It's weird.

I probably should learn to borrow them because I NEVER reread books. Ever. I can't do it. Borrowing then would be ideal, but I just can't.

Answer 11

I get most of my books from the library.

But I buy my own "coffee table books" like the Post Secret Books and such. I also buy books if it's something I will read several times, or if it is a collection of short stories. I bought NJ and PA hauntings, because it's something I can read several times without tiring of it and it's something that doesn't get old.