Can't live without my public library

I love information, whether from books, magazines, or the internet. I used to buy lots of nonfiction books on topics that interest me, but often times never got around to finishing them. They take up space in my very small house. I like getting magazines in the mail and having a small library of my own at home, but I've saved money and space by changing my subscribing and book shopping to magazine and book borrowing- from my public library.

It's fun to browse books online at Powells.com (it's union- much easier on the conscience than shopping Amazon). But my fabulous librarian beau tipped me off to a request login on my local library's homepage. By using the patron number on the back of my library card, I can browse and request of all of the books, movies, and music cd's in my entire regional library system. I've asked my computer to save my login information, and I've bookmarked the page, so it's even easier for me to login and make selections there now than it is to purchase books online. If I request something that isn't at my local library, they call me when it is in. Brilliant!

I now can get ten books on a subject I'm interested in- for FREE- and figure out which is the best, or if I'm even still interested once I've read or browsed those books. And if I don't finish the book, it's no skin off my back. I can always get it again later if I want. While I'm picking up my books, I can read many, many current magazines without having my own copy that I end up recycling. Using the library instead of online bookstores or magazine subscriptions saves space, money, and the resources it takes to produce all those goods. And most libraries are beautiful and peaceful places to hang out. Sharing is so much sweeter than owning!