Where do our books come from?
Library Champion,
Have you ever wondered how we decide which books to buy and where they come from?
Hundreds of books are published each month. Public libraries buy books for the public, so we typically do not buy very esoteric texts normally found in an academic library. You definitely will find best sellers at a public library, but how do we narrow down which to buy?
Many libraries used to get printed catalogs in the mail that included reviews of books and the librarian would pick and choose from them which to buy. Today, those catalogs are primarily online. We use those lists, but a lot of what we buy comes from suggestions by you. On our website, we have a form that you can fill out where you include information about the title. 99% of the time I will buy the book for the library and you will get it first. You're likely not the only person who'd want to read it. I'd rather buy a book I know someone will read than buy what I think is a good book that may not be checked out.
Along with your recommendations, I check the best seller lists and other curated websites that share what is coming soon. The York County Library System has a neat feature each week called Wowbrary, which lists everything they bought that week. It helps me get ideas for what to buy.
When you want to buy a book, you may go online or to a book store to buy it. More people than you'd think actually go to their library and borrow the book. By using the library, you just saved $20-$30 and shelf space.
Does the library then go to a book store or online to buy its books? Yes and no. We primarily buy our books from a warehouse in Chambersburg, PA. We get a 40% discount on most of our titles and get it within a few days from when we ordered it. If we already have a copy of a book and it is older and damaged and we need a replacement, I usually will get a copy from eBay or Amazon.
As I mentioned a few weeks back, nothing is more expensive than free. What is free to you is not free to the library. Supporting your local library keeps great services like borrowing books for free available so that you and others can save money.
Here is one book I am reading and one book I will be buying soon for the library.
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What's the matter with Kansas? : how conservatives won the heart of America by Thomas Frank:
I'm always fascinated about change and how it happens. How did part of America essentially flip sides from one political party to another? Why do ordinary people support one set of beliefs and then switch to another? I've wanted to read this book for a while and I am just getting around to it. While the book is from 2005, it is especially timely. Shockingly, this book has not checked out from our library in over 10 years. -
One by One by Ruth Ware: Ware sets the bar higher in One By One by burying her principal players in an Alpine chalet beneath an avalanche. . . . Readers will recognize the obvious homage to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', but with enough ingenious twists to make this whodunit another triumph for Ware.
Our card catalog is now available 24/7 online. Click here to find your next great read.
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Romantic Mystery Grab N’ Go Paperback Book Sale
--Friday, September 25 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM
--In the lower-level parking lot behind the library, by the Historical Society Archives. Signs will be posted.
--$3 for a pre-assorted bag of 10-12+. Romance paperbacks OR Mystery paperbacks. Tell us which you prefer and we will bring you a bag or two (or three) of books right to your car.
Buy for a friend who can’t get out to the library. Buy for yourself and try something new or something you already like to read. Take a chance! Be surprised! You might find a new genre or author you like!
Please and Thank You
Your library misses you. We wish you and your family health and wellbeing during these (and all) times.
Vince
P.S.- You don't need to make an account or jump through any hoops to be a library champion. I wouldn't say this if it wasn't true. You can make this happen in less than a minute. Just click here.