Your experience mirrors mine exactly: we would go broke if we had to buy all of the picture books we checked out for our kids (sometimes on the order of 20/week). And for myself, the inter-library loan has been incredibly useful (especially for recent popular science titles).
I also appreciate being able to browse the small selection of fiction/non-fiction at our local branch. As with the bookstore, I often pick up things I wouldn't dream of searching for online and would therefore never have found.
I likewise wish my library system had more of a "long tail" stored somewhere.[1] Older books (no matter how popular and well-known they were at one time) are often simply not available.
I had practically written off libraries when I was in my 20s:
* The hours didn't mesh well with my work schedule
* I could afford to buy whatever I was interested in
* They never had the up-to-date programming books I wanted/needed
That has changed completely now that I'm a parent. And yes, I do think libraries need books. Communities need books. This stuff needs to be available, even if just in principle.
I was skeptical but surprised to find that my local library system has one copy each of:
* Introduction to Algorithms
* The Art of Computer Programming (vol 1)
* The Pragmatic Programmer
But the list of computer science classics they don't have is far larger. What they do have are a ton of of titles like _Teach Yourself Visual Basic.NET in 21 Days_ (real) and _Excel 14.2.32.rev13 for Boneheads_ (made up). No doubt it reflects what patrons are requesting...but I would personally wish for a collection that leans a little more heavily on the perennial classics.
They might accept donations ;) I'm only half kidding - there's a local library in a place I used to live that has a very solid collection of epidemiology books thanks to downsizing my collection.
I also appreciate being able to browse the small selection of fiction/non-fiction at our local branch. As with the bookstore, I often pick up things I wouldn't dream of searching for online and would therefore never have found.
I likewise wish my library system had more of a "long tail" stored somewhere.[1] Older books (no matter how popular and well-known they were at one time) are often simply not available.
I had practically written off libraries when I was in my 20s:
* The hours didn't mesh well with my work schedule
* I could afford to buy whatever I was interested in
* They never had the up-to-date programming books I wanted/needed
That has changed completely now that I'm a parent. And yes, I do think libraries need books. Communities need books. This stuff needs to be available, even if just in principle.
I was skeptical but surprised to find that my local library system has one copy each of:
* Introduction to Algorithms
* The Art of Computer Programming (vol 1)
* The Pragmatic Programmer
But the list of computer science classics they don't have is far larger. What they do have are a ton of of titles like _Teach Yourself Visual Basic.NET in 21 Days_ (real) and _Excel 14.2.32.rev13 for Boneheads_ (made up). No doubt it reflects what patrons are requesting...but I would personally wish for a collection that leans a little more heavily on the perennial classics.
[1] http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april06/dempsey/04dempsey.html