I was book hunting recently — actually I was running errands of various sorts, but it’s often the case with me that a trip to the grocery store or Home Depot morphs into a book-buying expedition of some kind — and I hit one of my regular spots, the local library. Now, it’s only recently that I started actually checking books out of the library again, being a confirmed buyer of books (think I made that clear already — yea?) but I’ve been popping in to buy books at libraries since I was old enough to spit without getting any on me. Libraries, at least the ones near me, are basically the cheapest used book stores around — and they don’t just sell actual library books, but stuff people donate, and you have no idea what you’ll find (recent purchases include hardbacks of Stephen King’s Night Shift and Bachman Books, and Robert Heinlein’s JOB, all of which were in pristine condition and had not been through the system).
But on my last trip to the library there were no sale books. I went in with the usual tunnel vision and headed straight for the sale shelves, only to find them replaced by a rather diffuse display of new release hardbacks and a man reading a newspaper. So I looked around — they’ve moved the sale stuff before, after all — but all my lovely 25 cent mass markets and broken-in 50 cent trades were nowhere to be found. So I did something I’d never done before, I asked the man at information for information.
No, we don’t sell books anymore, he said. Not just us, but all the Baltimore County Public Libraries — all our books now go to an online seller. Oh, and by the way, he continued helpfully, a little ice will help the swelling from the kick in the head you just received.
I suspect there are even a few book lovers out there who might not think this is a big deal — the books can be had online (maybe), and so what if they’ll be more expensive. But I’ll tell you why it’s a big deal to me.
As I kid I went to the library a lot. My mom took me. I’d get stacks of stuff, it was a great place to find out about all sorts of authors and types of stories I would have never been exposed to. But I also bought books — a couple of bucks was enough for a nice-sized handful, at least. It started me on the habit of buying, sure, but more importantly of owning. Bibliophiles know there is a real difference between borrowing and owning, and I was really proud of my fledgling collection of battered and peeling ex-library paperbacks. I discovered at least as many authors browsing the sale shelf as I did the stacks, and I discovered even more about how loving and respecting books can change the way you see things.
But for a kid in a similar position today that’s not there, any more. Sure, he’s got amazon and all the other online stuff — but would he even acquire the habit of wanting to own books? Leaving aside the big difference between online buying and browsing (surely another blog post), where’s his chance to discover the thrill of picking out paperbacks five for a dollar, or finally getting to own a favorite library book when it goes out of circulation?
For me, digging through those shelves, discovering something unexpected or new, buying better copies of what I had or getting multiples of favorite books so I could give them to someone else, is a pleasure I’ve never lost from the time I was a kid. It’s just a shame it’ll be that much harder for other people to develop the habit now, at least around here.
And from a purely selfish point of view — I still want my damn 25 cent mass market paperbacks!
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That truly sux. I used to love buying cheap books though haven’t done it in ages because I got hooked on brand new pure books. Dangerous stuff for your bank account.
Bill—I know how you feel, not so much about losing the library used book buy opportunities but losing the opportunity to get one’s hands on those olde gems. I had found a really really good bookstore where the folks liked the genre I so enjoyed (sword n sorcery, fantasy) and they continued to have a huge selection and I went in often and acquired now a huge collection to read (and upset the wife because I have a few good size boxes of the material now…I need to build my own library in my basement..heh). One day I walked in and the owner said they were closing because they weren’t making enough money and the rent on the building was killing them financially. I understood but was inwardly very very saddened. It was like someone taking piles and piles of pure gold away from me.
Let alone that your source of these books has gone from the non-profit agency of local county government to a for-profit online retailer…
It’s a real shame to see what has happened to independent books stores in the last decade or so; I certainly don’t have many around me. How fantastic to have a place where the owners like what you like and can help you out.
I’m pretty lucky that the local Goodwill has been a good source for used books over the years, even if the prices have snuck upwards a bit much for my tastes. But I’m continually amazed by what I find there — not just the popular stuff you’d expect like Stephen King, John Le Carre, and Elmore Leonard, but some great relatively obscure stuff as well.
Of course, you have to fight the guys that are there just to buy books for resale — I’ve actually seen them in there with some kind of portable scanner IDing books and, I imagine, comparing them to their inventory or price estimates or something.
And Nathan — I don’t know how the new seller operates, if it’s a percentage he kicks back to the library or a straight purchase. Either way, I’d imagine the bottom line is a gain of some kind for the library, or they wouldn’t do it. What they lose is the intangibles of encouraging book ownership in the population they are supposed to have a civilizing influence on.
Too bad.
A lot of used book stores have disappeared in my area. Sure, I can order stuff online (ebay.com or abebooks.com) but NOTHING beats hunting through the stacks and finding what you’re looking for – or stumbling on a gem you weren’t expecting.
Online used sales are practical – but dull.
Yea — I buy a great amount of stuff from ebay, which does actually sometimes let you get a bit of that ‘browse effect,’ but it really isn’t the same.
Plus, it goes without saying, that one of the important aspects of buying used books is inspecting the condition — and I’ve ordered plenty of books described as ‘good’ online that possessed foxing, mildew, brittle pages, water damage, mouse nibbles, blood stains, anthrax powder, etc.
I’m there with you Bill.
I prefer the word ‘inexpensive’ (as opposed to cheap), but that’s a quibble.
I’ve personally substituted ABE for most of my used book store experiences these days, but it is a poor second-best. Sure, you can find just about everything – but you have to know what you’re looking for first.
The brick and mortar store lets you WANDER. And those specials (five for a dollar) really let you expand your horizons. My own personal reference library grew to quite a respectable size because of that kind of offer. (When they are that inexpensive, why not pick up the dense treatise on a subject that mildly interests you?)
I have been lucky of late tho. New Hampshire (at least my part of it) is dense with used book stores, or ‘fine used books’ to be precise, and the libraries around here are always having sales. Last week I picked up nearly 60 books on a ‘$1 a bag’ offer from the town library. I think I averaged out to about 15 cents per volume.
I think your solution is clear: move to southern New Hampshire…
60 books for a dollar? Seems like what you’d save in books, you’d spend in putting an addition onto your house to store them all!
Hmm. I’m probably the only one that will say it…but I don’t enjoy browsing used book stores much, not now that I can shop online by subject, author, titles, similar books…yeah, I know. But it’s true. I still do go to Goodwill and other used bookstores to browse, because especially with children’s books, it’s cheaper than paying the shipping for the books online. What I’m struck by is that I have to sort through all kinds of things–often in no particular order–to find a gem or two to take home.
So I don’t miss the browsing opportunity much.
Your library just stopped booksales–which is a bummer. My library here in Texas just started them about 2 years ago. The Friends of the Library sort through and keep the used section supplied with a small mix of books/audio/genre/fiction/non-fiction. I was delighted when they started doing it–so there is hope. Perhaps they will bring it back to your area!!! The Friends of the library also do a rather large sale at least twice a year. Ask at your library and see if they have such an event. If you like browsing, it’s a huge opportunity to do so. HUGE.
That is the problem with Goodwill and similar places, generally books are in no particular order so it can be pretty time consuming to pick through them.
Unfortunately, I doubt my libraries will bring back sales, they are all selling through a central online vender now and seem rather proud of that — the same sort of ‘progress’ that has them replace shelf space with more computers so kids can play online flash games and copy/paste Wikipedia into their social studies homework.
Wow !!! I agree with you completely…There is no great joy for book lovers than searching through the almost perished books and getting them for a few bucks…That is so exciting