Where do you get your books? And so you purchase, borrow, or both?

[LearnedHand]

I mostly stopped buying physical books about 15 years ago (including used books) and ebooks/audiobooks about 10 years ago. I get about 99% of my ebooks/audiobooks from the libraries I have access to. Where do you get your books in general?

Note: I love physical books, but the ability to enlarge the digital text is very useful for me. Also, storage space became a real problem after a couple thousand books.

[multigraincracker]

1. I have a Tribal library card that's good at every library in my county.

Also I always look for books at garage sales. Today I picked up Mary L. trump phd’s book Too Much and Never Enough for a couple of bucks. Nice lady at the sale gave me a big smile.

[LearnedHand]

4. Nice!

So some purchase some borrow?

[multigraincracker]

6. Yep, but mostly non fiction.

[bamagal62]

2. Mostly, Amazon

And iBooks. Occasionally, I have the need to go to an actual bookstore and I head to Barnes and Noble. It’s just fun to wander around and hold them! Unfortunately, I usually can’t resist and walk out with a full bag of books!

[LearnedHand]

3. So purchase not borrow?

I was as interested in this as the actual place people get books. I don't mean that to be a weird question.

[bamagal62]

8. sorry. i guess I misunderstood.

[LearnedHand]

11. Nope totally my bad

In my mind it was clear

[LearnedHand]

5. Just updated the thread title

I was also interested if people still purchase books as well. I rarely purchase anymore except for writers whose works I explicitly want to support.

[wordstroken]

18. Growing up in a family that forbid my sister and me to read (that's another story), once I learned the power of words

I jumped in with both feet, er both eyes! (Spoiler — my first full-time job at 16 was writer of a full-page column at the local weekly newspaper.)

Knowing I had a lot to make up for, as an enlightened avid reader, I started out buying physical books from any bookstore where I could hang out, stay lost for hours, and leave with brown paper bags way too heavy to carry.

In the early 2000’s, I realized that eBay sold all kinds of history, geography, math, and other books written in the 1700’s, 1800’s, and early 1900’s, and boy I was hooked! (Incredibly sad what they taught children about other human beings, even when describing topographical geography.)

As a grown-up teacher and writing coach, once I ran out of book shelf space in my huge classroom/library, I was forced to buy one of the first Kindle ebooks and slowly transitioned to digital. I also teach Braille and write kids’ books in both print and Braille — which takes up huge amounts of shelf space. Just three Harry Potter titles in Braille occupies 6x6-feet square.

As an author of non-fiction and fiction (medical-legal thrillers), many of my books are both digital and paperback.

But still love physical books best. Two of my favorites are “The Story of My Life,” by Helen Keller; and The Rand McNally Grammar School Geography text book (1894).

Okay, I guess the short answer to your question “Where do you get your books?” is: Wherever I can!

Thank you so much for your post, LearnedHand, for helping us think deeper and to analyze our literary choices.

[LearnedHand]

20. I would have not made it through my disastrous childhood without books

I can't even imagine being kept away from them. I'm so sorry! But you've gotten the sweetest "revenge" on it haven't you. Wow what a fulfilling life! And you're passing it along to others!

I love physical books best still but I stick with audiobooks mostly and some ebooks. I'm very grateful to my library(ies) for providing such a rich collection.

[wordstroken]

34. I hear you.

Thankfully, those who don’t have disastrous childhoods can only imagine what it’s like.

For me, the slow start motivated me to earn a doctorate in health education and psychology, on my own. With four kids in tow, who campaigned when I ran for the Florida Legislature. (My opponent was a baby trump now that I look back.) Blind poll workers, disabled veterans, excellent supporters. After losing, I took the LSAT and went to law school — hence, writing medical-legal novels based on both clinical and personal experiences. Very gratifying.

And now, just being a small part of our awesome DU community is beyond inspirational — on so many levels.

Peace and love.

[rsdsharp]

7. At this point, almost all are on Kindle. There are a few books

that I will still buy, or (more usually) ask for as a gift.

There was a time when I’d primarily buy books at a brick and mortar store, or pickup paperbacks off the rack at the grocery store, but I don’t get out much now, and most of the shelves are pretty full, so it’s mostly Kindle, now.

[berniesandersmittens]

9. Library

Unfortunately, my eyes have gone downhill and I can't see very well. Trying to do audiobooks, but in my small town they're limited. Plus, it's just not the same as holding a book and disconnecting.

[LearnedHand]

13. There are libraries who grant cards to out of state residents

Some are expensive, but most are very reasonable. I have one out of state card in addition to my home state, and I'm contemplating getting one more. That vastly expands available books and shortens hold times. Plus even at two reasonably priced paid library subscriptions it's not as expensive as Prime Reading!

[Zoomie1986]

26. Are you able to see well enough

To use a tablet? The kindle app on mine will adjust the size of the letters to make them more visible. You can also reverse the color of background and letters, so that it's more readable. Many libraries now provide access to ebooks, with the Kindle format being the most popular.

Some libraries offer access to their digital resources to non-residents. Many charge for it, but some are free...And some may exempt the disabled from that fee. You can even access their books on your computer through the Kindle Cloud.

Here's a list of libraries that offer non-residents access to their digital libraries:

https://everyday-reading.com/where-you-can-get-a-non-resident-library-card/

[LearnedHand]

43. Thank you for this exhaustive list!

I knew about some of these libraries but not all of them! It's an incredible privilege to expand your options AND support a library.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. subscribe to Book Bub or Robin Reads. Pick your preferences and you will get a daily email

with free and bargain e-books in your interest area. I have found a number of great authors and fun series thanks to these services. There are other services out there as well.

[Zoomie1986]

49. I have a bookmark for BookBub

That preloads the categories I prefer, and then sorts them by Latest Deal. They had a bad habit of emailing unrelated stuff that I didn't want, and the bookmarking it gave me control of finding deals on my own terms.

[unweird]

10. +95% Public Library

Occasionally from a local bookstore we’ll purchase but for the novels it’s most always the library. I can submit hold/requests against all branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh system and pick up at my local branch. Currently I’m reading a novel that was homed at the Bethel Park branch.

[LearnedHand]

12. Me too!

[Srkdqltr]

14. Amazon. Mostly the free ones. I do purchase some of my favorite authors.

All ebooks. Easier to store and carry around.

[Bayard]

15. Better World Books online

Used books in good shape for cheap, and purchases go towards libraries and literacy. I've bought tons of hardback (my preference) books from them, and rarely pay more than $5. They do also sell new books.

[LearnedHand]

21. You have a link?

[LearnedHand]

22. Oh huh! They have a great mission!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_World_Books

[brer cat]

16. I use the library for most of my books.

I do buy some from estate sales or yard sales because I like to have some on hand.

[no_hypocrisy]

17. Library and Library Book Sales

[anglesphere]

19. Mostly used online

But I recently purchased a Kobo ereader so I will be downloading more digital books soon.

[LearnedHand]

23. I had a successive 4 Kindles when they first came out

And burned them all up. I guess Amazon didn't test for people who read a hundred books a year. The page turner thing broke every time. I finally gave up and got a good tablet and put the Kindle app on it. It's a whole new world! Does kobo have a phone app also?

[Zoomie1986]

27. I read far more than that a year

My kindle fire has held up just fine. Then again, that's the fire tablet, not the regular kindle reader. Maybe that's the difference?

[LearnedHand]

37. Oh yeah def no claim to huge numbers around the readers on DU

I just meant that Amazon clearly quality tested only for people who read one book a month, not for those of use who are more serious readers.

[anglesphere]

39. Been there

I went through two ereaders before getting my most recent Kobo Libra. Delicate devices. Now I'm extra careful. Luckily, I was covered for accidental damages by Xcover on the second one. At first they denied my claim but then out of the blue they contacted me and approved it. That was the only way I was going to shell out the money for my present third ereader. Nice company, that Xcover.

I checked and Kobo does provide a phone app...at least I can confirm it does on Android.

[Zoomie1986]

24. I buy and borrow, but I'm more a buyer than borrower

I've also jumped on the ebook bandwagon. I have literally thousands of treeware books, but I prefer reading on my tablet because dark mode is easier on my eyes.

I mostly use the library for new releases and ebooks that are too expensive but that I want to read badly enough. I rarely pay more than $5 for ebooks. I'll exceed that if I can't get something from the library that I really want to read, but it has to be something exceptional.

I still buy the Michael Connelly Bosch series in hardcover. I've bought all of them in that format since Black Ice. Not about to stop now, LOL.

[cbabe]

25. Local bookstores/ used and new

Highly recommend:

https://bookshop.org/info/about-us

Percentage of purchase price donated to a store you choose.

[bullimiami]

28. It's only audiobooks for me for quite a few years now.

Audible,
Hoopla and Libby linked to our library.

[Skittles]

29. Half-Priced Books

I do get a few on Kindle but very much prefer the paper ones

[Easterncedar]

30. The Book Corner in Niagara Falls

Jeff will find and ship whatever I think of, and his recommendations are always spot on. When I am visiting there, i always stop and load up. Sometimes i return books to him. He does a good business in used books as well as new.

[Jeebo]

31. I buy them.

Mostly from Barnes & Noble, which has a store in the local mall, and expensive leather-bound books from Easton Press. I am a subscriber to their Masterpieces of Science Fiction series, and also every once in a while there's a really expensive signed Easton Press edition that I can neither afford nor resist. I really like the heft of a well-made book. I'm having the same problem you're having in terms of space to store them all, but I only have hundreds, not thousands. If you have that many books, I'll bet you have some valuable ones. I have some that are worth hundreds of dollars now, judging from the prices I see on antiquarian bookseller sites.

I'm thinking of an essay I read 30 or 40 years ago, by Isaac Asimov, in the Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. He was talking about the then-current technology of eight-tracks and LPs and tape cassettes. He started musing about future technological improvements that would approach what he envisioned as "the perfect cassette". What would the attributes of the perfect cassette be? He started imagining what those attributes would be. The perfect cassette would play back what you're reading at your exact speed, for example. People read at different speeds, but your perfect cassette would match your reading speed exactly, whatever that speed is for you personally. The perfect cassette also would require no energy of any kind. No batteries, no power cords, it would run on its own limitless and inexhaustible power supply. It would stop when you stopped looking at it and start up again when you looked back at it. He went on and on, imagining the attributes of the perfect cassette and describing those attributes for his readers.

And then, he sprang his surprise on his readers. Dear readers, when do you suppose the perfect cassette will be invented? Surprise, it already has been invented. In fact, it was invented thousands of years ago. It's called a book.

I have tried to find that essay online, but without success. I would love to read it again.

-- Ron

[anglesphere]

40. Hold onto your hat, Isaac

Ereaders powered by ambient light like calculators are almost here. At least they're working on them:

https://www.exeger.com/powerfoyle/applications/e-readers-and-e-notes/

[LearnedHand]

45. I really liked the e-ink of the Kindle

Much more than the bright light of the Kindle app on my tablet. But the Kindle reader design was really crappy and I gave up on it long ago. But I'd definitely consider an e-ink reader from a different maker. Thanks for this info.

[anglesphere]

48. I agree

I overwhelming prefer e-ink over tablets. Kobo is producing them in color now.

I haven't owned many e-readers but the Kobo Libra (with a good cover) feels like a premium reading experience to me.

[yellowdogintexas]

33. I am 99% ebooks now. The only physical books I buy are gifts for Mr YD

because he prefers them. Also many of the authors he likes are never offered at discount through the bargain services. He shops Half-Price books and uses the public library

We have a LOT of books. We are both heavy readers and raised a heavy reader. I broke down and got my first Kindle with the goal of not buying any more printed books. We had no space on our shelves and no room to add any new shelves.

[LearnedHand]

36. I used to buy a ton of ebooks

Until I got wondering if I could donate them to my library and give them to family members. No to both. I'm fact, *I* don't even own them. The publishing bastards have successfully contrived a system where you purchase a lifetime license to the text but it does with you. Mostly. Your heirs can only access your digital content if you give them your account credentials.

[Zoomie1986]

42. Some authors insist on removing DRM

From their e-books. Not a huge crowd of them, but a few do exist. I've gotten notice when purchasing a Kindle book that an author has requested the removal of DRM from at least that particular work.

The gray/dark web has a ton of sites where one can get DRM free books (and more); however, that's not a very nice thing to do.

[LearnedHand]

46. Cory Doctorow sells all his ebooks without DRM

I really like his writing (sort of technopunk thrillers), and I wholeheartedly support his life work (he's a co-founder of Electronic Freedom Foundation).

[Scrivener7]

35. My library is the greatest.

[willamette]

38. online digital borrow for 95%, the rest bought from authors selling at tables or readings

[HeartsCanHope]

41. Mostly library.

I do buy some digital books from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I decided not to buy physical books because I've run out of storage space!

[LearnedHand]

47. Likewise!

I still have about a thousand physical books. Sigh.

[Vinca]

44. Everywhere. I like a nice hardcover book I can hold in my hand. Sometimes I treat myself

and buy a new book or I pick them up at thrifts shops, on ebay and at the recycling center in our town. There's a designated "book shed." I rarely keep a book after reading it unless I consider it a reference book. I always pass them along.