Huh. I've been going to the library more lately than I have in years because they let you read their books for free.

What changed my library-going habits was the fallout of Prop 13 in California. Libraries cut back the acquisitions and especially their hours with each passing year. So I started buying books because I could pretty much depend on my local library not having them. Or not being open at the hour I needed them.

Of course, the economy and my disability have forced me out of my home and into a much smaller space. I sold & gave away tons of books and I'm sure I'm going to have to lose even more. I don't have enough $$ to buy a Kindle and re-buy the books I had that were even released for Kindle. I'll be back to the library and just trying to grin and bear it through the inconveniences.

So far there's only been one book I haven't been able to get through the OC library system (Sex at Dawn) everything else, if my branch doesn't have it, I can get an interlibrary loan for $0.25.

It's not a perfect system but the librarians are awesome. I have Hunger Games on hold and I knew I was 15th in line but I got a call the other day that there were more copies available and if I came in they could change which copy I had a hold in and shpow!.. I'm now fourth in line.

I love libraries and love librarians. But their situation has gotten so bad in my lifetime. I just paged something via ILL. Cost me $2 (non-refundable) to page it. Then the library that has it is charging me $10. OTOH, it's not available anywhere else. But that $2 fee for ILL at my library definitely discourages me from using it.

Up at 3 Am. Why? Leg cramp.

It's weird screaming into a face mask.

Getting a bit better now. I've had a teaspoon of potassium, some Cal-Mag-Zic, and a bunch of water.

Wheee.

eek DCJ! I'm massaging your leg with my mind. Is it helping?

Spidra, yeah those library fees seem out of hand. On the other end of the spectrum I feel guilty I'm only charged $0.25 for ILL- it must cost them more than that.

I used to spend my life in libraries, but don't in recent years (not counting university libraries, of course, where I hang out far too much). I don't read much fiction - that which I do, I want to own. This is partly because of my poor (read: dyslexic) reading speed - I used to run out of allowed renewals on my library books - but also because we just like collecting books. Bookshops make it quite affordable to buy most of what you read, and it's lovely to be able to read things over and over if I want to. The Girl is making a home library out of her study in the new house. She buys a lot more than I do.

Pay for ILL above and beyond the per-page price? Wow, I have been out of, um, circulation.

Gah, dcj. I hope that lets up soon. I hate that!

Laga, this is an unusual situation because of the $10. Most ILL will be $2 from my local library. Unfortunately my local library branch is pretty small so the likelihood I'd need to page it from elsewhere goes up. I have library privileges as UCLA as an alumni assoc member but it's not easy for me to get over to that side of LA.

I'm paging the book from the Humboldt State University library. Actually, it's not a book but a student paper. I was told that if our library belonged to their particular coalition, the fee would be lower. But my library doesn't belong to that so it's $10.