Do you use your library?

Yes, although less for me than the children, I get a book out 3-4 times a year, the children take books out far more often. We signed up to story lab on Friday - my dc1 was wearing her circus skills and space hop medals from the past two reading challenges with great pride

I was so happy - dc1, who is only just 5 sat down with his reading challenge books and read them both immediately by himself - he's only read with assistance up to now. I had to take both dc's back to the library yesterday to change their books as they were so desperate to get their stickers!

K999 :o

Before I read your whole post I thought you meant a real library that I know - my mum used to run one which a few years ago actually was turned into a swimming pool! With the library stuck on the side of it. I haven't been there since the council changed it, but I assume there is some way of stopping sopping wet people soaking all the books . She runs a different library now, it's tiny (a converted house) and under threat, but well used particularly by the elderly some of whom may not get to talk to anyone else all day. Big contrast to mine, which is massive - 3 large airy floors. It's beautiful (won some architectural award apparently!). I feel so lucky to work there and despite having been open a few years we still get people complimenting the building etc. I went to the opening day when I was a SAHM and thought "wow it would be awesome to work here one day" and now I do! In fact yesterday was my one year anniversary so I must remember to take in some cake :o

I wouldn't know what to do without my local library. I'm fortunate in that I have three in my local area (one in my village, two a short drive away in neighbouring villages) and I'm always at one or another of them.

I am one of those people that hardly ever reads a book more than once (it's got to be exceptionally good to make me read it again!), so buying books for me seems a bit of a waste of money.

And besides, even though the opening hours of my local libraries have been reduced since April this year, they have all stayed open so I shall keep on using them for as long as they are there.

Every week. And I order stuff in from other libraries.

I just cannot afford new book prices for all the reading we do.

The hours have been cut back which makes it trickier,but I'm still determined to use it just as much as I'd be gutted if it closed altogether.

I used to use our library all the time, but since we had renovation work done to the west wing and built a swimming pool, I find the library (in the east wing) too far to walk to. Plus the butlers off sick just now so I can't get him to fetch a book for me. But once he's back I trust I will.

No. I'm in Northants and there's loads of libraries. They've also recently started opening on Sundays.

Our reservations cost £1.25! Still do them though. Our library is fab and is currently being renovated. Amazing how many interesting books you find when they move them about a bit.

I love libraries and I am in 2. One is in the big city where we used to live and still work, the other is in the smaller city where we now live. Big city library is my favourite - central library is big and confusing but I just order what I want online free. Big probably confusing fab-looking new central library is opening next year I use small-city library for browsing and picking up novels on spec - haven't bothered getting to grips with their reservation system as it costs 50p a go. I still miss our little local branch library from our old area, though. The staff there were lovely and we took DS there from a few weeks old. The council closed it just before we moved away - end of an era

I use both the library and charity shops.

I don't begrudge £1 to reserve a book as it will be brought from another branch (possibly at the other end of the county) and delivered to the branch of my choice. I can also return my books to any branch. I find this very convenient because I live in the sticks, and as we are much the same distance from several towns I don't always shop in the same one.

Yes, often - but most people I know don't, only friends with small children who need a ready supply of picture books.

The library I use most, in central London, has really gone downhill in recent years... grubby, uncared for, lots of decent books chucked out and replaced with trash. There are a lot of vulnerable/homeless people who come to use the internet and be somewhere warm and safe, which is totally understandable, but it has resulted in a smelly and generally unappealing environment which puts off the actual library users. I'm not sure how this situation could be sorted out humanely, maybe improve day centre services nearby?

I have used mine quite a bit in the past, usually I would order from the online catalogue and pick the book up from the local branch. We get free inter-library ordering across the London boroughs, which is nice.

My problem is forgetting to take books back, so I end up paying so much in fines that I might as well have just bought the book . I know it's my stupid fault and I should get more organised, but I haven't managed to so far. I use this to justify buying books instead...

Also now I have my Kindle, the book storage issue isn't as pressing. And it's very tempting to have your book 'instantly'!

CuriousMama: the best way to try out a different type of book is to look at what the librarians have put out and just try one of them. No requirement to finish it.

Right now my library is running an adults' summer reading challenge, so I'm picking books off the display for that as well as book group books and things I order months before publishing date.

Yes, libraries are great for broadening horizons - you can borrow a book you'd never normally touch, without having to worry about having wasted the best part of a tenner if you hate it!

Broadening horizons is what the library is excellent for (see linking back to this thread a bit there), I read a lot of stuff that I wasn't gripped by and didn't really enjoy when I was younger, but thanks to the library I really could explore what I liked and hated.

I don't look like the sort of person to enjoy a nice gory zombie novel though, so I do get lots of raised eyebrows when I pull World War Z or Zombie Apocalypse out of my handbag in the playground .

OOh yes.borrow about 10 plus a month
Order online,love getting new books.Trawl Amazon for suggested reads and ones I have seen reviewed,order on library website and collect few days later.They charge £1 here,but woth it as I read avidly.

CuriousMama- I do indeed love to read .

I'm not very good at recommendations though unless you like zombies, post-apocalyptic (in which case see here), dystopian, YA, social history (especially medical, mental health, punishment, sex/childbirth) or fantasy (not political but character driven stuff with female main characters and a good love story).

I'm not very keen on popular or modern fiction, I tend to get the occasional novel from the library to remind myself why, forget the plot and the book as soon as I have finished.

We can get DVD's 50 p a night, some children's ones are 20p

I don't use our library for DVDs - at £3 a pop, even for old ones, it's not worth it.