Green Your Reading Habits: Use the Library

Curling up with a good book sounds like a great alternative to braving the cold, rainy weather this season. Since books and many publications are made of trees, this week's tips are about how to green your reading habits.

Tip #1: Visit Your Local Library

Libraries are great because you can get books without hurting your wallet or creating additional demand for trees. You can also choose from a wide selection of magazines, newspapers, videos, CDs, and audiobooks. To further green your library trip, take public transportation there -- or stay home and download the library’s e-books or audiobooks for free.

Tip #2: Use E-Book Readers

Tip #3: Swap Books

Tip #4: Read Eco-Themed Books

Tell us: How do you use the library?

Comments

[Judith Abbott]

Libraries are great--when they have any of the books you actually want to read. Big budget cuts over the years have cut book buying down to a whisper.

[Debbie Perlmutter]

The library has been a constant part of my family for many years. We went from the point where it was a place to go for books, story time, and maybe a chance to use periodicals and resource materials to what we have today in the Toledo/Lucas County, Ohio area. Ours is a many-branched full service organization with books, periodicals, reference materials, videos, dvd's, cd's, audio books, computers, story time, film festivals, book discussion groups, poetry groups, and activities for children and adults of all ages. Unfortunately, with cuts in government funds, our library has had to cut back its hours to about 8 per day, and only one branch library is open on Sundays. Just a month ago, the library was open from 9 - 9 on most weekdays and several branches were open on Sundays for 4 or 5 hours. Even now, I think the public library is the best deal in town.

[Elaine]

I use the library for personal as well as business use. If I need a book for my business, I get it at the library. What a great resource! Instead of purchasing it, I can look at it for free. At the same time, I look at magazines (for personal use) that would cost from $3 to $5 in the stores. Thanks for your suggestion about downloading e-books. I had no idea that service was available at the library.

[Mary]

I wonder if I'm looking for a particular book or periodical to download and my city's library doesn't have it available, if I could go to another city's Library website and download it for a fee. Can non-residents get another city's library card?

[sue]

I use the library constantly, as well as being a "friend" (a volunteer).
Our library accepts donated books. The staff looks to see if it is needed in its collection.
If not, we sort them according to fic/nonfic/paperback and sell them twice a year at a buck each. Last month our sale brought in $6500. Any books deemed "unsellable" (water damaged, missing pages, cover ripped off, etc) we send to our book "chopper" and we then recycle the pages.

[GAIL HARWOOD]

I love the public library. Our library in AZ also has a puzzle and magazine exchange. It is easy; just drop off what you don't want, and pick up what you do. The only thing the library has to supply is a table for puzzles and a rack for magazines. I don't know why all libraries don't do this.

[Deb]

Libraries are the one thing that should never be cut in budget but they are. They are the soul of every small town and the oasis in any big city.

No matter how poor or rich, if you can read, you can better yourself, take a trip, make your life and others better, take care of your car, your animal, by reading.

The dream is there, in the library!

[Barbara DeGrande]

Where I live, in Grand Prairie, Texas, the library system is very user friendly and is a wonderful free service for all citizens. I am very grateful for public libraries.

[Dannie Bollinger-Smith]

My husband likes to joke that our neighborhood library has saved him hundreds of dollars in the past ten years - it's probably more like thousands! Our King Co. library system is awesome. From popular movies, to Asia Extreme, every type of music in the world, not to mention a special teen section of young adult authors for my kids, the library is my favorite place. I'm never comfortable without a book or three sitting on my coffee table or bedstand, and thanks to the library, I'm always comfortable.

[Marilyn]

Another way to save the trees is to purchase your books on an electronic reader such as the KINDEL from Amazon.com. They have hundreds of thousands of books available including the newest ones, and are much less expensive than the physical book.

[Alex]

I haven't used the library in a while, because people keep buying me books for the holidays and birthdays and what not.
However, when I was using the library, and when I start using again, I usually walk to the library. It is about 2 miles and takes 40 minutes for me to get there, so it is not only educational but it is good excursive, and more environmental!

[Maria]

If our library doesn't have a book I want to read, I usually put in a request for an Inter-Library Loan, and the librarians can usually find it somewhere, even if I have to wait a little longer for it. Also, I notice our local library has many people that use its internet services for browsing, research, and email--and now this is increasing since some people can't afford to purchase and maintain computers and internet service at home. This in the long run is environmentally friendly. And our library is really a busy community center in our town, a place for people to come together.

[Elizabeth]

i use the library to check out magazines. (they have a way of piling up when i subscribe...) they are available for checkout when they're a month old, which is usually about when i'd find time to read them, anyway!

[Audrey]

Don't forget great programs like paperbackswap.com and bookcrossing.com. I even get books from freecycle.com and swap them on paperbackswap.com.

[candy]

lots of libraries constantly sell used/donated books for cents, as well as magazines..it's fun to see what yr gonna stumble upon, you never know what yr gonna find.
a library in my area also gives month-old mags away.
not to mention free internet service!
public libraries = an example of why we shouldn't be so quick to scoff at and criticize socialism in all forms

[K. Bandell]

...since I do not own a computer, I use several libraries to access information on the internet....although certain sites, even sites which are not pornographic, are blocked and although time allotted is limited, the service is free....

[Shelley Czeizler]

If you can't find what you want at the library, you can always check Amazon for a "recycled" book at a great price. Once you're done with it, you can sell it on Amazon to someone else. It's not exactly the same as getting it from the library, but the book still gets used multiple times!

[Kathy D]

In Bucks County PA they are cutting back on library hours and I think some down to three days a week.

[Linda A.]

Marilyn, Amazon's KINDLE e-book reader is fine, IF YOU'RE RICH! The KINDLE is NOT inexpensive! MAYBE the prices of e-book readers will come down now that other companies are coming out with their own e-readers. Besides, you can download any number of free books from the Internet.

I've always been a proponent of public libraries. When I was a kid, and a voracious bookworm, I practically lived at my local library, and my library card was one of my most prized possessions. Unfortunately, as other posters have already mentioned, budget cuts are taking their toll on our public libraries. Fortunately, though, I live in a small, rural town, and our local library is open five days a week.

[Ben]

Libraries make so much sense, even more so now than when I was a kid and practically lived in my local branch: I have always preferred the heft and legibility of hardcover editions to paperbacks, but they are pricey at even the discount bookstores. So I'd rather be wait-listed for a few weeks for an in-demand new book at my library than wait for the paperback version to appear a year or so later. Oh, and it saves trees...