In case you missed it, the Virtual Adult Summer Reading Program is on and challenge one is right here! Now for challenge two!
Challenge Two
Libraries
My Former Library
I live in Burlington County, New Jersey so up until this past November, I used the Burlington County Library which is awesome! They have a massive YA section including the latest releases (but don’t go to this library on a weekend and think you’ll get a peaceful read in…for some reason, the noise level isn’t well regulated here) as well as an absolutely wonderful biography/memoir selection, a pretty solid graphic novel selection, and naturally, an abundance of adult titles.
I’d go to the library once every 4-6 weeks, either with an empty tote ready to fill with books or one full tote ready to return (and possibly refill) and another to donate. I loved that if I wasn’t ready to give a book up, I could renew it easily online if no one had put the book on hold. Yay for convenient renewals!
And while the ebook selection is solid, they’ve never bought an ebook that I’ve requested though they have always bought physical books that I’ve requested so that’s interesting to note? While using this library for the time that I did (I’ve lived in this county for over a decade but have only really used the library for the second half of it) I loved that I could request books easily online if the book wasn’t in stock and I loved that I could have library books mailed to my house (it was free initially but in the past year or so changed to $1 per book which is fine, since I’m supporting books). So convenient and helpful for those who are busy and/or don’t get around much/at all.
As far as ebook and audiobooks go, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have read as many books as I have in the past few years, especially audiobooks, if not for Overdrive which partners with local libraries to loan you ebooks and audiobooks that you can read and listen to in your browser or with the Overdrive app. I’m on Overdrive multiple times a week. Talk about a Godsend.
This library also has some events too (so I hear, I’m always too busy to make it), like local Philly #1 NYT Bestselling author, Jennifer Weiner (Hungry Heart) making an appearance not too long ago. The county library is the main branch and the only branch I ever visited though there are a handful of branches and if a book is out of the county branch but in at another one, I’d put a request in and they’d alert me when the book was at the county branch. They also not only take donations (books, audiobooks, dvds, blurays) but they give you a receipt which is great come tax time. (Note: I still donate to this library – since my new library doesn’t accept donations – and my former high school’s library). Basically, this library was all kinds of awesome.
But I moved in November of 2015 and while I’m still in Burlington County, it appears the town that I live in is the cinderella of the county because they have been excluded from the Burlington County network of libraries. I can still have a membership at the Burlington Library for an annual fee of $50 or $55, I forget the exact price, but I passed on that for now. Though I’m highly considering doing this if I’m still living here next year. The goal is to move back to LA, my second home, next year, so we’ll see how things play out. Anyway…
My Current Library
All of that said, now I use Willingboro Library. I have yet to fully navigate my way through this library because it looks like 95% of the books that are in there were there when Shakespeare was still alive and while I don’t mind used books, I do mind used books so I’m passing on physical books unless I request them and am the first to read them.
Which brings me to… I did request one physical book (The Lonely Ones) and they got it (yay!) and I recently requested nine, I repeat, nine ebooks (all of them diverse books btw) and they recently bought ALL NINE!!!! So. They are AWESOME.
I can’t say much more about this library since the above is all of the experience that I’ve had with it.
Currently Checked Out
Other Ways I Get Books
B&N, Amazon (For ebook deals, I subscribe to Kindle Daily Deals and BookBub and follow Epic Reads YA Deals as well as blogger round ups of ebook deals), Indie Book Stores (Shout Out to Cathy’s Half Price Books – only been there once since it’s farther than I thought, but it was heaven), Comic Book Stores, Target, Receive ARCs from Publishers, Receive ARCS at Conventions/Fairs, Receive Books From Friends Culling Their Collections, Buy Books at Book Signings, Audible Daily Deals, Audiobook Sync For Legally Free Audiobooks Every Summer, Receiving Books As Gifts (Birthday, Christmas, Milestone, Thought of Me, etc…), iBooks (If I Receive an iTunes Gift Card) Winning a Giveaway (Rare), Garage Sales (Rare), Abandoned Airport Books, Scholastic Reading Club (Okay, fine, when I was kid, not anymore), and I think those are all of the ways!
I’m also currently trying a 30 day trial of Comixology Unlimited to catch up on as many volume one comics as I can.
So, what do you love about your library and if you don’t go, where do you get your books from?