When I was a kid, I loved the idea of a library. A place you could go, and get books for free. What could be more magical? The town I lived in from ages 2-12 was so small we didn’t have our own library, so the Book Mobile would come to town, and that was somehow even more awesome. Books on wheels! How exciting.
I was told I couldn’t get a library card until I could sign my name, so I dedicated myself to learning cursive. That said, I’m not sure if I actually ever did get a library card in California. I did have my own Pima County Library card as a teenager, though.
As a teen, I didn’t love the library as much as I thought I would. It seemed like it was often difficult to find the books I wanted, especially if I was trying to read a series in order. Instead, I got most of my books from the used bookstore, or read my parents’ books when they were done with them.
I never got into the habit of visiting the library as an adult. Finally, I had enough money to just buy books all the time, especially at the used bookstore or the bargain section of Barnes & Noble. Once I started reading ebooks, it was even easier — I could finish one book in a series and immediately buy the next, even at two in the morning. It was a bookworm’s dream come true.
It was my spouse who suggested that we go sign up for library cards at our local Sno-Isle library. The library had some interesting events they thought we could enjoy for date nights, book clubs and writing groups it might be fun to join. So we got our library cards, just in time for the pandemic to shut everything down and put all those fun events on pause.
However, I discovered the Libby app, and the extensive collection of ebooks available.
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I was reading voraciously, and while I am generally happy to support the authors I love and the publishing houses they write for, I was spending a lot of money on books. At times, I was finding myself disappointed in my purchases and annoyed at wasting money on books I never finished (I’m looking at you, The Water Knife and The Blacksmith Queen).
I figure my library card saved me at least a few hundred dollars in 2020. I did the majority of my reading via Libby, only buying books if they were on sale or if I couldn’t stand to wait for a new release.
Of course, it’s not all good. Sometimes, I still run into an issue where the library only has certain volumes of a series. Recently, I’ve looked up several upcoming new releases that I wanted to put a hold on, only to discover that they only had the audiobook available. And the wait for books can be long. Sometimes, a bunch of my holds come up at once and I have to juggle things, figuring out which ones I should take and which I should postpone so the next person in line can read them.
I recognize that a lot of these limitations are because of how much publishers charge libraries for ebook licenses, and how those licenses function (some are only good for a specific period of time, some for a limited number of check-outs). I do wish that publishers would be more generous with libraries, who are providing a valuable service. Not every library user is like me, just trying to save money. Some people genuinely can’t afford to buy books, and they deserve access to a well-stocked digital library (especially during the pandemic when it may be unsafe or impossible to check out physical books, depending on your location).
All told, I’m glad to have my local library available, and I can’t wait to be a more active patron post-pandemic.
Do you patronize your local library?