Bookstores vs. Libraries: When to Use One or the Other
When to use a library and when to use a bookstore:
I am sure that library lovers and library professionals purchase materials from bookstores. Libraries and bookstores can, at times, be each other’s competition. There are times when libraries are the best option and times when bookstores are the best option for your book and material needs. How do you know?
Reading the newest novel? – Borrow from the library.
In most cases after you read a novel once, or twice, you won’t pick up the book again. Borrow it from the library and feel good that instead of the book collecting dust on your shelf, it is being read by another novel lover. EXCEPTIONS: Some people collect novels from particular authors (J.K. Rowlings, Walter Mosely, the Bronte sisters, etc). Since you cannot keep books from a public library, a collector should use a bookstore.
You saw a new book that you think you are interested in, but are not sure ? – Go to the library.
The library is an awesome place to get a taste of a book before making an investment in it. It saves time, money , and it is just smart.
How many times have you seen a book at a bookstore or online and you just like the cover or it is just so different from what you usually read, yet you didn’t pick it up because you had to buy it? Who wants to pay for something they are unsure of, especially in the economic environment we are currently in? The library is a fabulous place to try something new.
You have a diverse taste and need a large variety of books, movies and music to enjoy without going broke – Go to the library.
I am a indie film lover. I’ve found some treasures in the film department of my library. One of my favorite movies to this day is “Run Lola Run,” and the first place I was able to rent it was my neighborhood library. The DVD collections in most public libraries are up to date and very diverse.
Libraries have a large range of materials and where I think they differ from bookstores is the time frames in which the materials were published. You can find books and other materials that were written and published 20, 30, 40 years ago as well as last year on many diverse subjects. Libraries absolutely feed the need of variety.
Need a book on the latest software – Go to the bookstore.
As a graphic designer, I lived the frustration of looking for books on the latest graphic design and web design software in the library. Most times, if I was lucky to find a book on the software at all, it would be for an earlier version of the software. Not helpful at all.
Technology changes so quickly and so often, I do understand that it is difficult to keep a library collection current with this ever changing subject. Where libraries make up for lack of technology -based materials is with the librarians and the electronic resources. I’ve at times been able to find information that I needed through databases or by getting help from a librarian who has given me other sources to learn the latest and greatest about a software without investing $75 for a book.
Another plus for libraries is purchasing suggestions. The library that I work for has a form on the site that gives customers the opportunity to suggest books. This isn’t an instantaneous thing, but it gives customers a chance to mold the collection. In most cases though, I find that the bookstore has been an answer to my software manual and book needs.
It’s 10:00 PM and you are a book addict and you are craving for a new book. Or maybe a less harmful scenario is its 10:00 PM and you got a presentation due at 8 am You need a book and you need it tonight! – Go to a bookstore.
Public libraries do not have late hours (beyond 9 PM). So, if you have a book emergency or book addiction, the bookstore will have to do. There are many bookstores open until 11 PM or even midnight. EXCEPTIONS: Don’t count libraries out too soon in this area. Libraries do have e-books that you can download anytime. Maybe the book you need to finish that presentation is in e-book format and available at your fingertips with a couple of clicks. Maybe your addiction can be coaxed by an available and free e-book. Check out what your library has to offer in ebooks.
You need help doing research and you don’t know where to begin? – Go to the library.
You can find books and movies and music and coffee and chocolate and, and, and more at the bookstore, but what you will not find is a professional research guru who can help navigate you through all of the information on the web or to the best books for your research needs. You are not gonna find that in a bookstore and especially not for free. Even more advantageous is most libraries have online research support AND in many cases it is available 24 hours a day. ALL DAY! Bookstores are awesome when it comes to getting books, music, film and having a place to just chill and socialize. Libraries have these components too, but bookstores and libraries veer off into different worlds when it comes to research and community support.
Are you looking for workshops on job searches, genealogy support, gaming competitions, computer access, technology training, help with homework, language classes and all for free? – GO TO THE LIBRARY.
This is what I mean about research and community support. All of these services are to enhance customers in one way or another. They have the potential to change the minds of the users and expand the opportunities of all users. Libraries don’t want you to just read about things, libraries want to show you how to use what you are reading, hearing, and seeing. Libraries want you to be the next creator of a book or film or musical piece.
Bookstores have their place and so do libraries. I believe that they can live, be used harmoniously and have their own individual success. What libraries need to do, that bookstores do well, is focus itself, its message and its services. Be clear about your purpose and stay dedicated to it.
Libraries have been denying what they are and trying to make themselves something else for the past fifteen years. It has made the public library brand murky. Let’s clean this up so that the question about when to use a library and when to use a bookstore doesn’t need to be ask.
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