Is The Local Library Nearing It's End?

Lee

Lee

Senior Member
Location
Chatham, Ontario
Went online this morning to reserve 5 books only to find that two of them are only available as either book on cd or e book.

These two were recent releases and one of the books was the last book part of a series of 8. So I either buy a kindle or never find out what happened.

Makes me wonder too about families who can only afford to access a library and will there come a day when todays kids will not be able to read as they grow up listening to audio only. That's what happened with simple math when calculators came out ;)

Just curious about the rest of you....Who buys books, who e books, who listens to books, who is like me and does the old fashioned trip to the library.
 

I do a combination: Our library is open for both curbside pickup and limited in-person visits. I also read e-books on Kindle and e-books checked out from the library. I prefer to read real, paper books, though and like you, I fear the end of libraries. The library in our county has been struggling for a long while and now with the lockdown, it's really scary. A few years back, when another library patron contacted one of our county's supervisors to ask him to support the libraries being open more hours, he responded with, "The library! Not only do I NOT plan to support it being open more hours, if I had my way, the doors to that place would close forever! I think every hour that damn place is open means another drug dealer on the streets!" Seriously. The guy really said that. He's a big law-and-order guy and I guess also thinks the only book worth reading is the Bible (there are a lot like that around here).
 

I am a former librarian. The information is available online from national book associations.
People are still buying and borrowing print books, especially online, but Barnes and Noble is in big debt. Prices rise and the quality of the book's binding and production decreases. I usually buy used books. Libraries near me are closed or open only in the vestibule (not lobby) with closed stacks. They may allow visitors 30 minutes inside, as if it is a high security bank--or prison. Some are closed indefinitely. I see business falling even after normal times return one day. Meanwhile, remember that libraries are actually saving (not losing) money and administrators like this..
ebooks are popular but not as much as people think, though I don't have proof. Certainly not academic and professional ebooks. Librarians are really into ebooks because they are less money to purchase and require no upkeep, no work. Computer tech guys would like us to think print books are dead. Not so!
 
I was upset that our local library closed with out giving the public time to return books.
My library card did not get renewed this year.
Was thinking of renewing so I could access book this winter,, again another shut down.

My son was going to give me a tablet to read e-books on.
Due his state shut down/ travel bann,, tablet hasn't happened for me.

Friends & I are trading books, buying used when we find them or a great buy on new.

Will admit since I didn't read so much during first shut down ,, I did get a lot of odd projects done.
Once I get past a lonely Christmas,, maybe I'll get back to finding new projects.
 
Our libraries are open for limited hours with porch pickup only. Our county library system is composed of 16 individual libraries all of which are accessible because they will deliver to your nearby library anything from a distant one. That's been discontinued with covid and now we're limited to local unless you make a long drive.

They have become community centers in a way too hosting meetings and conducting programs for children having expanded from just books.

They have DVD's available and of course computers along with faxing if you have a need for it.

I don't think the public will allow the end of libraries.
 
Once upon a time until relatively recently we could only use our library cards in our local Library so if it happened to be small like ours we had to order books and sometimes it could take weeks to arrive for borrowing.
Then rules changed and with our ticket we could borrow up to 12 books at any time from any library, in any town in the same county.. which meant we could go to much bigger Libraries with more choice ..and have those 12 book for 3 weeks..

Then Online borrowing became a thing.. . and we could reserve a book , and renew our books for another period of 3 weeks.. without risking a fine..

Then Electronic books became a thing and people borrowed electronically from the library , and also now bought and borrowed from other sources online..

Back to the Bricks and mortar libraries, and very few books on the shelves any more .. no shelves to put them on because they've been replaced by rows and rows of computers.. hardly any new books on the shelves now , same old stock every visit ....children running around permitted to make as much noise as they wish, and with the continual clatter of up to 30 or more Computers being used by borrowers.. and chatter

After being a lifelong Library user... for pleasure and for research, I've stopped using them in preference to buying new books cheaply online in Hardback form, and also downloading E-versions to my kindle.

Paper print will always be my love, but like my Great grandparents, they ain't never coming back , to live in their old beautiful library houses..

The past is a different country they did things differently there.. :(
 
Lee said:
Went online this morning to reserve 5 books only to find that two of them are only available as either book on cd or e book.

These two were recent releases and one of the books was the last book part of a series of 8. So I either buy a kindle or never find out what happened.

Makes me wonder too about families who can only afford to access a library and will there come a day when todays kids will not be able to read as they grow up listening to audio only. That's what happened with simple math when calculators came out ;)

Just curious about the rest of you....Who buys books, who e books, who listens to books, who is like me and does the old fashioned trip to the library.
Click to expand...
I used to love going to the library when my kids were little. I was forever signing books out.

Haven't been for a visit to the library in a few years, and that's a shame.

Did notice a few weeks ago that our library opened it doors once again after a long shutdown (Covid related).

I tend to buy books (both new and used) at a favourite haunt of mine, and because they have so much in their hole in the wall store, it's fun to be able to drop-in from time to time to peruse the isles looking at this and that, and when something jumps out at me, I'll buy it.
 
Lee said:
Went online this morning to reserve 5 books only to find that two of them are only available as either book on cd or e book.

These two were recent releases and one of the books was the last book part of a series of 8. So I either buy a kindle or never find out what happened.
Click to expand...

I recommend checking to see if your library is part of an interlibrary exchange program. I've used one from our library to get books that aren't in it's collection. Please note however that late fees are very pricey (a dollar a day or more) and damage fees are high as well. Thankfully I've never been affected by either, but they disclose them here before you check the book out.

Some interlibrary exchange programs are shut down to Covid however, so you might have to wait to see if it's available.
 
Our libraries are going strong. One can't visit them but we have a great online reservation and checkout system that's easy to use. When the books are ready you just go to your local branch (which you specified when checking them out) and pick them up. It also works for their audio CDs and DVDs as well.

Our main library is also shared by San Jose State University so one has access to both the standard library books and the extensive research library and the graduate student thesis collection.
 
Jules said:
E-books from the library.

Lee, you should be able to put a kindle app on your laptop or tablet. Not great if you had to sit at a computer.

I read that Kindle have some of their basic models on for a very low price at this time of year.
Click to expand...

I know I should do this Jules, but truth be told I am not sure exactly how this works. Someone please explain what happens after you buy the kindle, are there different types, recommendations? Then how do fees work and how do you order a book?

And what about cookbooks with pictures, do the pics show up on a kindle and could you save a recipe?
 
Lee said:
I know I should do this Jules, but truth be told I am not sure exactly how this works. Someone please explain what happens after you buy the kindle, are there different types, recommendations? Then how do fees work and how do you order a book?
Click to expand...

You can get the Kindle app for your tablet if you have one. I have been using the app on my iPad. When I purchase an ebook on Amazon it appears in my Kindle app to be downloaded. That's because I've connected my Kindle all to my Amazon account.
 
asp3 said:
You can get the Kindle app for your tablet if you have one. I have been using the app on my iPad. When I purchase an ebook on Amazon it appears in my Kindle app to be downloaded. That's because I've connected my Kindle all to my Amazon account.
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I'm new to the whole e-reader thing, and am thinking of buying one.

If you purchase a book via the Kindle app you've mentioned, does it download forever into the memory of your device (thus using up memory pretty fast) or do you actually purchase just access to said book, kinda like you purchase access to a locked website?

Can you share e-books with others?
 
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There are appox 110,000 libraries in the U.S.-a fact the publishers depend on to buy their books.
Libraries do not pay retail rate, but libraries will be with us, in some form for another few decade

Victor and others that have worked in library-what do libraries actually pay for books?
 
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hollydolly said:
Once upon a time until relatively recently we could only use our library cards in our local Library so if it happened to be small like ours we had to order books and sometimes it could take weeks to arrive for borrowing.
Then rules changed and with our ticket we could borrow up to 12 books at any time from any library, in any town in the same county.. which meant we could go to much bigger Libraries with more choice ..and have those 12 book for 3 weeks..

Then Online borrowing became a thing.. . and we could reserve a book , and renew our books for another period of 3 weeks.. without risking a fine..

Then Electronic books became a thing and people borrowed electronically from the library , and also now bought and borrowed from other sources online..

Back to the Bricks and mortar libraries, and very few books on the shelves any more .. no shelves to put them on because they've been replaced by rows and rows of computers.. hardly any new books on the shelves now , same old stock every visit ....children running around permitted to make as much noise as they wish, and with the continual clatter of up to 30 or more Computers being used by borrowers.. and chatter

After being a lifelong Library user... for pleasure and for research, I've stopped using them in preference to buying new books cheaply online in Hardback form, and also downloading E-versions to my kindle.

Paper print will always be my love, but like my Great grandparents, they ain't never coming back , to live in their old beautiful library houses..

The past is a different country they did things differently there.. :(
Click to expand...
So true
 
Butterfly said:
I'm new to the whole e-reader thing, and am thinking of buying one.

If you purchase a book via the Kindle app you've mentioned, does it download forever into the memory of your device (thus using up memory pretty fast) or do you actually purchase just access to said book, kinda like you purchase access to a locked website?

Can you share e-books with others?
Click to expand...

The book is downloaded to your device and stays on it for you to access as long as you have your device. I think you can change to a different device if your device is lost or stolen, but I don't know that for sure.

The e-books I know of are only for the person who buys them.

In addition to books you buy some sites have free books from time to time. I'm a science fiction fan and Tor.com has a monthly free book. Sometimes it's a novella rather than a book but I've enjoyed several of their free books. You have to go through a different process to get those on your Kindle or into your Kindle app, but it's a relatively simple process.
 
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I think the days of reference books are over. Our ability to google, or even just to ask out loud, and get an instant answer about anything, has removed the need for books such as encyclopedias. Even how-to manuals seem obsolete to me. Want to know how to run any appliance? Just google your question. And thanks to my Alexa, if I want to know who is the president of France, for instance, no need to look it up anyway. I just have to say, "Alexa, who is the president of France?" or "Who wrote Hamlet?" or "Play Beethoven's 5th Symphony," and I get an instant answer. Makes me pretty lazy.

But the libraries may fill a need, for a kind of Command Central for all the electronics. I think books in print will become quaint relics.

I'm reading a print book right now, just for a change. It feels strange. But it's about Shakespeare, so it felt appropriate.
 
I do a combination of E books and audio books on my Kindle that way it gives my eyes a rest.
I also read regular print books that I get from my family and friends. I've always enjoyed browsing through the books at the library from time to time. I hope it won't be a thing of the past.
When I first bought my Kindle I had to return it. I bought the paper white version and my library would only accept the Kindle Fire.
Once I got the right one I brought it to the library and they set it up for me. Now I think I could do it myself
The one thing I don't like is that I'm only allowed about 6 per month. If I start reading a book and I don't like it and return it ,it still counts as one of the 6.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I used to love going to the library when my kids were little. I was forever signing books out.

Haven't been for a visit to the library in a few years, and that's a shame.

Did notice a few weeks ago that our library opened it doors once again after a long shutdown (Covid related).

I tend to buy books (both new and used) at a favourite haunt of mine, and because they have so much in their hole in the wall store, it's fun to be able to drop-in from time to time to peruse the isles looking at this and that, and when something jumps out at me, I'll buy it.
Click to expand...
Aunt Marg... So good to see you again!

We have a local Library. (its a bar) it was named that for an obvious reason. When you get home and the spouse asks why are you getting home so late........The prepared answer...I was at the library. It works for a while.

I typically buy on line and read when I can. Rarely go to the library. ( book Library) The other library I stop at more frequently.
 
I sincerely hope the days of libraries are not over. The small town I live near just built a new library/technology center. With emphasis on technology. This thread caused me to email them to see if they even have paper books on the shelves.

I tried reading ebooks but they make my eyes too tired. I bought hubby a kindle for his birthday and the darn thing never gets used. It's paper books for me all the way. I have not been to the library in a while, but if they tell me they still have paper books, I just might have to hustle on over. :)
 
needshave said:
Aunt Marg... So good to see you again!

We have a local Library. (its a bar) it was named that for an obvious reason. When you get home and the spouse asks why are you getting home so late........The prepared answer...I was at the library. It works for a while.

I typically buy on line and read when I can. Rarely go to the library. ( book Library) The other library I stop at more frequently.
Click to expand...
Good Saturday to you, Needshave! :)

So great to see you! Hope you're doing well, staying safe and healthy, and too, staying out of trouble. LOL! You know, with Christmas and all right around the corner, got to be a good little boy for Santa. :)

At least that's what I always told my boys. LOL!

Love the sounds of the library bar, and the excuse one can use in the event they wanted to drop in and do a little reading! ROFL!
 

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