Library or owning?

[Eve-Olsen2005]

Own! After a decade or so, the library might not have it any more! It has happened to me too many times

[Sara_M]

Definitely own... My book cases are very well stocked!! I can't help but feel bad that we are slowly moving away from hard books and into tablets etc. Even though I do have a few books on my tablet I just don't feel like swiping is the same as turning!!

[pixstix]

I love owning my favourites that I know I'll pick up again, but they just take up so much space in my very small apartment. Until I own my very own beauty and the beast sized library, I am trying to limit the number of books I own to the ones I know I'll reread or buy the digital edition books (even though it's not the same experience!)

[pattycake8]

Both, unfortunately I only have so much space for my own books so the library is nice.

[Swanangel15]

Growing up, my mother always threatened me that since I always have my face in a book, that one day when I come home from school, all y books would be a pile of ashes in the backyard. So To save the threat, I borrowed more from the Library than bought, because I knew she could not have burned those books! HA HA

[animalgirl]

Even though I rarely read a book more than once, I own all my own including my Kindle books. I just like to know that they're exclusively mine and I can always go back and read if I want to.

[lily-mack]

As an avid reader my entire life, I have always wanted to own the books and usually purchased the hard cover version. My dream was to have a home 'library.' However, my home is now overflowing with books (far beyond the space originally allocated); books that I know I will never read again, and downsizing seems to make more sense. Therefore, I am going through my 'library' and getting rid of those books I will never read again, reading those books I haven't yet read, and gathering a new 'library of eBooks in the Cloud.' I am still going to keep some books...enough for one five-shelf bookcase...these will be biographies of famous people, past and present. I have also recently purchased my first collectible--a 1934 first edition of 'Rebecca' and may add others as I happen to run across a 'deal.'

You see, for the past ten years, I have made my living as a freelance editor, whose clients are mostly 'Indie' authors, so in addition to reading and editing manuscripts, I am reading one hard cover book and one eBook at all times. I simply love the written word and, since I am not a writer, what better way to enjoy the experience than to help bring the work of others to the public? This is the work I was meant to do, after over thirty years of slaving in 'Corporate America.' Now I understand when people say, "Do something you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

[wordfreak72]

I own series of books. I will reread them again and again. I will borrow books from the library if I am interested in trying a new author. See if I like them. There is no sense in spending all that money to find out you didn't care for the book. Not to mention the 3-5 book a week habit can get very expensive. I using the physical building library and the virtual libraries. They are both great ways to discover new series and authors.

[kbangs]

I prefer owning but I do enjoy the library. The atmosphere makes the difference.

[actopan55]

I personally prefer to own. I read a book, and if it strikes a cord with me I go back and read it later. I do enjoy going to the library but I hate having to return the books. I have so much to keep track of and the due date is just something else to put on the list.

[TrishaAnn92]

I prefer to own my books but I also like to read the book before I purchase it, so I will either borrow it for the library or download it from a book app on my phone if I can find it.

[bradj12]

I have to own books. I don't have a valid reason for owning besides that I love to build my library.

[kca4516]

I usually own my books, but it seems almost wasteful since I almost never read a book more than once and then I have all these books stacked up with no where to put them. I like to go get books from the library but my local library doesn't often have books I would like to read. My kindle has been a life saver since I can get books cheaper than print and they don't take up any room in my small apartment.

[pandabear120991]

i personally prefer owning books instead of library. i like to be able to see everything that i have read and have the option of reading them again in the future. plus i love the smell of new books instead of the smell of library books.

[sadya]

Both. I love going to the library, always have. When I was a teenager, I finally had my own library card, I'd go almost every week. It was like a day out to me, being surrounded by all those books, so many stories, so many genres, then to pick a few, back home, often which book I'd begin reading first was a difficult choice.

I'm 37 now and still love going to the library. My children and I rent dvd's and my son often rents games from the library too. So I go more often nowadays just to return or pick up a dvd or a game. Yet, when I finish reading and need new library books, it still becomes like a nice day out for me again. Not in the same way though, as a teenager most of the time I had no name of a writer or a book, I just went, sometimes looked if authors I had previously enjoyed reading had more books, but other than that, I just read the covers of interesting looking books to pick a few. Nowadays I have names of authors and books on a reading list. It's still exciting, looking forward to a certain book.

Over the years I have bought many new and used books. I can't afford to buy them all the time. And even when I can afford it, I'd still most often borrow a book from the library first, read it, and then if I like it and will probably want to read it again, only then I'll buy it. Lack of space is another problem. Once I didn't have enough space for new books anymore, so I gave away many books just to make place for the ones I wanted even more.