why my public library is not much of a money-saver

Many personal finance blogs suggest using the public library to save money. It’s a great idea, and one that I would use frequently if I could. Often the public library is a time-waster and even a money-waster. Why?

1. My city’s public library is underfunded and seldom has new releases. I spend a lot of time in the main library hunting (in vain) for the latest economic, finance or self-improvement books. I can easily check online if a book is held at any one of the city’s branch libraries, and often I find it simply has never been purchased. That’s understandable if it’s a 2007 release, or a niche product, or something that might not be that useful. “Getting Things Done” is not available, though (except in cassette tape audiobooks). “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” is available – in Spanish. Forget about newer books, which are universally unavailable.

2. The hours are terrible. Although a few of the branches which are nowhere close to my house have evening hours, the branches in my area are only open on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. These are not convenient hours for someone who commutes to New York for a 9 to 5 workday. Returning books is a struggle, since the only weekend hours are a few hours mid-afternoon on Saturday, time I would rather be spending with my son. Maybe once he’s older and can read he’ll enjoy an afternoon at the library, but not now. Any place he’ll have to keep quiet will be annoying. I ended up incurring $1.40 in late fees on my latest batch of books.

3. The “request a library book through amazon” tool, which sounds like one of the coolest things ever, doesn’t work in my city. Despite having a compatible system, the library system won’t let you request books.

4. The library doesn’t even accept used books. I have a lot of gently-used, recent books that I would be happy to donate once I’ve read them, since I doubt I will read them again – “Smart Couples Finish Rich” for example. It’s a good book but I’d be happy to donate it to the library so someone else who maybe can’t afford their own copy could benefit. Nope.

 I remember using a public library in my youth almost non-stop. It was a highlight of the week, and I must have read dozens if not hundreds of books. The libraries in my current city are not child-friendly and certainly not adult friendly – no reading areas that I see. I consider it one of the great failings of the city I live in and after this experience might even check out the public libraries in the area before I move somewhere in the future.

So what is the answer if your public library is a mess? Many personal finance sites will recommend paperbackswap.com or similar websites. I find the selection is iffy there, as well. Amazon is perfect, but expensive. So here is how I try to cope:

1. Look for used books online. I usually check first on eBay or amazon.com to see if I can find the books used, first. Often once you figure in the shipping costs it doesn’t make much sense, so make sure that you are saving money by getting a used book rather than ordering books in sufficient quantities to get free shipping.

2. Settle for less. I still use the public library, but I try not to expect anything. I wander in, look at the new arrivals and just take anything that catches my eye. If I don’t like it after reading a chapter or two, I return it. I make sure to get a lot of books at once and return them all at once, too, to cut down on trips.

3. Use affiliate links. Make sure that if you order a book, you find a friend, a blog you like (hint!) or a cause that uses affiliate links from amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. At least then someone will get a small amount of money, and maybe they’ll return the favor to you if you have a link on your blog/website. If you don’t have one set up, I recommend that you do.

4. Share! I find that one of the best ways to get new books is to give them away. If you get in the habit of trading books with friends, you can circulate books around free of cost for a while. Unless it’s a book you are desperate to keep so you can re-read it again and again, giving away a book clears clutter, saves money for your friends and family and makes them feel like giving you books back to clear their own clutter! I don’t see anything but win-win out of sharing books (unless you’re an author waiting for royalties)!

I’d be glad to hear other tips in the comments!