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"My" students are adept at finding free PDF downloads of academic textbooks. These are useful for their portability and for cutting/pasting of graphics. On occasion I'm sent a PDF of a novel. It's fine to read in the office, between (or during!) meetings. But it's tiring on the eyes.
A printed physical book offers not only tactile sensation, but the capacity to leaf through pages and to engage with the text in a manner unattainable on the computer-screen. There's also something to be said for memorable editions. I am not an accomplished or discerning collector by any means, but do have some volumes worth keeping. It took time to accumulate the lot, and would feel like a regretable loss to cart them to the nearest library (or bin).
The value of an organized personal library is in the adage of the whole being greater than its parts. Much in my collection is cheap editions, in poor condition, some even moldy. But there is something to be said for a "desert island" set, meaning, a decent smattering in one place, of the written representatives of our civilization.... even if it might be a prodigious retirement-project to read them all.
The price of a book depends upon any number of things. You got 4 books at a price of 3.00/book. That seems like a pretty reasonable price to me. If a 3.00 book feels too extravagant for you then just don't buy it. If you are dying to read it, just check it out from your same local library. Nothing beats free!
Your library has to pay for the transportation and shipping of books just like everyone else. It would be wonderful if sellers shipped books to public libraries for free, but that's unlikely to happen anytime soon.
If a hard cover edition of a book is available, I will always buy hc over paperback. Often, it's actually cheaper to buy the hc over the pb. For example, I decided to add to my own collection of books on the Civil War. I wanted to purchase the 3 volume set that was written by historian, Shelby Foote. I checked out the prices on Amazon this afternoon and discovered that I could buy each volume of the set, condition "used like new" hc for 8.00 per volume. The pb edition was also offered up for sale - only at $20.00 per volume or $80.00 for the set. Guess which one I decided to buy?
I love actual books. The only e-books I buy are throw away mass market thrillers and mysteries. I have no need to clutter up my book shelves with garbage. If I like a book (and I always like books), I'll often reread it for a second or more time. Books are the soul of a room. My books and I bond for 20 years or more and I've been known to kick the TV out of my living room in favor of more shelves for my books. When I die, my collection will go to my local library where I know that my beloved books will be appreciated for their true value.
If young folks prefer e-books, more power to 'em.
Are you sure they want all of your books? Most do not these days from what I hear. They can't get rid of what they have that people have dropped off.
Are you sure they want all of your books? Most do not these days from what I hear. They can't get rid of what they have that people have dropped off.
Well, I was in charge of collection development for a large public library system for many years. Among my other duties, I had to go through donations and bequests and put a value on them for tax purposes. Now and then we'd get a really nice collection from someone, but more often than not, the donation consisted of Reader's Digest condensed books and old National Geographic's. Blah!
My books are mostly nonfiction hardbacks in good condition and by respected authors - no garage sale junk or beat up mass market paperbacks. It is my humble hope that my local public library will be pleased enough with my bequest - whether they want to add some titles to their own collection or else sell them off for whatever the market will bear.
If I'm wrong, the library will just put the books out on their free books table near the library entrance. Probably a few old school book lovers like me will gladly take them off their hands. So win/win either way is what I figure.
Well, I was in charge of collection development for a large public library system for many years. Among my other duties, I had to go through donations and bequests and put a value on them for tax purposes. Now and then we'd get a really nice collection from someone, but more often than not, the donation consisted of Reader's Digest condensed books and old National Geographic's. Blah!
My books are mostly nonfiction hardbacks in good condition and by respected authors - no garage sale junk or beat up mass market paperbacks. It is my humble hope that my local public library will be pleased enough with my bequest - whether they want to add some titles to their own collection or else sell them off for whatever the market will bear.
If I'm wrong, the library will just put the books out on their free books table near the library entrance. Probably a few old school book lovers like me will gladly take them off their hands. So win/win either way is what I figure.
I've been paring mine down. I had some really nice gardening books that I've decided to get rid of. I hope where they go will appreciate them but chance are they could get tossed.
Hopefully yours hold some sort of value. I do hate this disposable society. At some point the generations may realize what they did, especially if for some reason they can't make electricity to even view what they need to. We're all just one madman away from destroying earth as we know it where people have to start over. Hopefully some of the smartest survive it.
"My" students are adept at finding free PDF downloads of academic textbooks. These are useful for their portability and for cutting/pasting of graphics. On occasion I'm sent a PDF of a novel. It's fine to read in the office, between (or during!) meetings. But it's tiring on the eyes.
A printed physical book offers not only tactile sensation, but the capacity to leaf through pages and to engage with the text in a manner unattainable on the computer-screen. There's also something to be said for memorable editions. I am not an accomplished or discerning collector by any means, but do have some volumes worth keeping. It took time to accumulate the lot, and would feel like a regretable loss to cart them to the nearest library (or bin).
The value of an organized personal library is in the adage of the whole being greater than its parts. Much in my collection is cheap editions, in poor condition, some even moldy. But there is something to be said for a "desert island" set, meaning, a decent smattering in one place, of the written representatives of our civilization.... even if it might be a prodigious retirement-project to read them all.
Tucson has a good public library system (Pima County Library), with 15+ sites in the metro area.
Did you know that you can borrow books from other Arizona libraries, too? You have to go to each library's website to search. The directions were at the bottom of Pima Library's web page. I've only borrowed e-books that way, but I think they loan bound books, too.
I've been paring mine down. I had some really nice gardening books that I've decided to get rid of. I hope where they go will appreciate them but chance are they could get tossed.
Hopefully yours hold some sort of value. I do hate this disposable society. At some point the generations may realize what they did, especially if for some reason they can't make electricity to even view what they need to. We're all just one madman away from destroying earth as we know it where people have to start over. Hopefully some of the smartest survive it.
I used to work at the library for the Denver Botanic Gardens and I can tell you that your gardening books may end up being deeply appreciated. If they have value for you, then they very well might have value for someone else.
One reason I hang on to my current book collection is because I lost my first book collection down to the very last volume twenty years ago. Long story but suffice it to say that I now treasure my books more than ever. I know that those books have real worth because I have a graduate degree in library science and I spent my entire professional career buying (and selling) books and soothing the complaints and demands of an entire large city's worth of library patrons.
But at the end of the day, I hold on to my books not for their monetary value but for their intrinsic value.
I buy ebooks now and the price is reasonable. Hardcopy books have skyrocketed over the years. Even the "sale" books in bookstores are pricy.
Yes, I was an avid library-reader but when we moved overseas, I adopted to Kindle and it is my prized possession now! The lighted background is so easy on old eyes, and for reading in bed. I get most of my books from my library in the U.S. so that's free, plus the online vendor "BookBub" that sells very low price e-books or gives them away for free.
So, no cost of driving and no cost of purchasing. Sometimes reading e-books on the laptop is more comfortable for a change, too.
Another Amazon seller here, sorta. I've been selling for over 20 years and back in the year 2000 it was a lucrative hobby. I could get books at used book stores or overstock stores for $1-5 and sell for $20-50, and make 20-40 sales per day. Then the used book stores began checking hat they have and selling online so it became harder t ofind the high margin books. Then the thrift stores got into sellign online and they don't pay for their inventory. Throw in the addition of automated pricing tools that ensure your price is the lowest and you have a race to the bottom. You ended up with "penny" book and the "penny sellers" were essentilly giving away the books and making a few bucks on the shipping cost and doing high volume. For that reason, I only sell books now that I can list for $20 or more.
Just as we have seen a shortage of people willing to work for minimum wage, I think we are seeing fewer people willing to do the same selling used books. To do it right is labor intensive. You have to find product, clean and remove stickers, grade and list it, sell it, package it, print labels and ship it. It's just not worth it for a few bucks. And as others mentioned, finding decent product has become harder.
I was looking for a specific book & it was listed on Amazon for $75! It was published in 1993! The local library system didn't have it. I found a used bookstore, called the guy on the phone (I know, so old-school), & what a surprise, he had the hardcover, listed at $27.95 in 1993, for $6. When I drove to the store, the guy, who owned the store, sold it to me for $4. I found 2 other books & my total purchase was $12, plus I had a nice conversation with an interesting person in a place of bliss for me...a little store with stacks of books in every corner. Best day ever!
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