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I try to go every three weeks but finding our small village library doesn't have much choice, may have to venture to the bigger one.

I got Anna Karenina out today.

I dont go to my library that often these days, Im ashamed to say. Our one is quite small, plus I have a compulsive addiction of buying cheap second hand books as well as the cheap ones on Kindle. I did go in the other week as the kids wanted something and I picked up a new Jojo Moyes to read. Our library you can order books online, and they will deliver it to you local library when its ready. Maybe you could do this Jen, save you travelling.

I've got two library books out at the moment. I tend to buy more these days (paperbacks - new or second hand, and kindle books) because I like to own books!

Having said that, though I didn't want to buy JKR's The Casual Vacancy, so ordered it from the library - I collected it on Saturday, so rushing through Moranthology to get them both read before they are due back. No chance of renewing either!

That's what I don't like about libraries - you get part way through a book and it's due back, go to renew it and find someone else has put a hold on it, so it has to go back :(

I do like that you can go through the library's catalogue on-line and see what they've got, order it and collect from the local library. They also do e-books (but not for the kindle though).

Yes - go every three weeks (well that's the target), they also do eBooks and audio books that can be downloads

Don't tend to listen to audio book myself as I tend to just fall asleep listening to them, but I do borrow them for the kids

Ohh I've never looked online! I didn't realise I could. I need to fathom this out...

But yes I felt under pressure to finish Rebecca last week as it was due back today and I had a busy weekend, I managed it though.

As a result of this thread, I have just reserved two books online! Although for one I am 135 in the queue! It will probably price drop on Kindle before I get to borrow it!

I just had a look at ours and I think I have to physically go to the library to set it all up and then they charge me if I want to place any books on hold! Gah! Probably cheaper to buy it in the charity shop haha

second hand bookaholic here too. cant stop buying the blooming things (im sure my hubby will divorce me for it one day)

i go to the library in town once every 1-2 weeks. i generally take my own book to read and rarely take books out, unless they are books on crafty projects. i do have a small library at the end of my road but i dont go in... i have no idea why

I like to look and see what ebooks my local library has available. After reading on my Kindle it is difficult for me to really read an actual book, lately.

Bobbi Jo wrote: "I like to look and see what ebooks my local library has available. After reading on my Kindle it is difficult for me to really read an actual book, lately."

I'd love to be able to borrow ebooks from my local library, but my kindle isn't compatible and I'd have to buy a different e-reader!

That stinks. Maybe they will get books compatible with Kindle at some point.

I love my local library. It's small but well stocked, they also rotate stock with the other libraries in the area which always throws up new and interesting books.

I live in London where each borough has its own library system, so I have cards for our local library, the borough where I used to work and the one where dp works. In the last of those, reservations are free so I make them on his library card and get him to pick them up - he works in an office in the central library building though not for libraries - I had to get John Lanchester's Capital out 3 times before I got round to reading it.

I've got Zadie Smith's new book out now, expect to finish before I have to give it back but may have to return some other newish books, I got a bit overexcited when I went to a branch library in the borough I used to work in as they had a load of fairly new out stuff I want to read.

It means I frequently have to go online to make sure I'm not clocking up huge fines, ones which might easily exceed the cost of buying a book, especially in a charity shop.

I used to use my library almost every week, but since I have got a kindle that has gone down considerably. I find that they always seem to put the popular titles on 'fast back' which means you can only have them for 2 weeks and cannot renew them (I read very slowly) so I find that can sometimes be annoying. But the other day I went in and they were selling off some of there obviously older / less popular books at 50p for paperback & £1 for hardbacks so I came out with 4 books (all of which I had bought and none borrowed)

I have just got out 6 books from the library today all which I had reserved!

I love my local libraries, in fact most of the books I read are library books. My local library is fairly small so I joined the City Library in Newcastle and can usually find books on my TBR from there every time I go. As I very rarely read a book twice it suits me to get my books from the library for free and then hand them back!

Yes - because they are in danger of closing if not enough people do so, and also because I have learnt that authors get 6p every time one of their books is borrowed. (Also it counts as exercise, walking there!) However, I do like to own books so tend to borrow ones I am less certain about buying.

Really? I never knew that about libraries. Makes sense though, musicians get money for radio play (no idea how much) so money for each borrow makes sense!

I used to, but I think I've exhausted our local library's supply of books in English that I wanted to read. On top of that, you either have to pay an annual membership fee or pay for each book that you borrow. It's not a huge amount, but I have so many books on my to-read shelf that I don't feel I can justify paying to borrow more! I always used libraries a lot when I lived in the UK and the USA, however.

Anna wrote: "Really? I never knew that about libraries. Makes sense though, musicians get money for radio play (no idea how much) so money for each borrow makes sense!"

Also, they sell off withdrawn (some ridiculously early) books which allows me to take a punt on some 'probably not's - 40p for a pristine, hardback copy of Martin Amis' 'The pregnant widow' seemed money well spent.

I used to clock up fines in three different boroughs when I lived in London

I did not know that either Sanda.

I go every week; fortunately where I live (Brighton) we have a great library service but I'm conscious of the 'use it or lose it 'situation at the moment.I often reserve books..I've spent about £200 in reservation fees in the 7 years I've been a member (50p a time). I would not have had the cash or space to but all the books I've borrowed. It's over 1400 at the last count..

I work part time in a library and borrow quite a lot (DVDs as well as books). I use the reservation system to order in books - where I live, in Gloucestershire, you can reserve books for free online from home and get them delivered to your local library. I do struggle to get them read in the 3-week period so I end up renewing a lot, and some I take back unread. My already huge collection of unread books mounts up in the meantime but I feel it's important to support the library service.

I borrow books from time to time, but don't use the library as often as I used to any more, which is bad I know. We have a good library in our town and they will get in anything you want from other libraries in the county.

My son's more of an avid library user. He's 3 and loves to go in and have a rummage through the children's books for something interesting (I have to tidy up after him!). He's fascinated by dinosaurs so we tend to end up with loads of books and stories about them!

I am member of two libraries, and am normally maxed out on my cards. In fact regularly going over by 5 or 6 on one card.

I like to think of them as free bookshops

I was thrilled to be the first person to borrow a book this week, it's so nice when you know no one else has slobbered their germs all over it!

I love our library system! I download a lot of eBooks and audiobooks from the on-line system. If a new book is out that I want to read but is not yet available for download, I request the item on-line from one of the county libraries and have it sent to my local library for pick-up. Doesn't get any better! I'll always support our library system.

We go to the library every week and both my dds borrow at least 3 books a week. I don't tend to borrow books for myself much anymore now I've got a Kindle and there are so many cheap books to download.

Yes, I do. Use it or lose it. Librarians were good to me when I was first published, too, so I feel I owe them. They are often incredibly knowledgeable and educated people.

I am on the border of Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset libraries, so have lots of books out :-)

That is being spoiled for choice, Paul!

is there an issue with libraries in the uk? When i was home recently i asked my dad if the library was open and he said it wasn't as it was a "part time library". It is certainly closed more often than when I was growing up there.

Yes unfortunatly lack of funding for the library service means that many libraries have been forced to cut opening hours and some have even been closed by local councils. I feel it is very sad that this is happening more and more.

Oh that's terrible. things are bad here (in Ireland) for funding - though the library in my area seems to be OK.
I'd hate to see it go

A lot of the small libraries in Dorset lost their funding and are now run by volunteers. We still have our library, but the other one we use over the border in Wiltshire is volunteer run. It's still there but subject to enough volunteers to keep it going.

I love our local library, its well stocked and the staff are great, really helpful. Even though I have a kindle I still try to borrow books regularly for myself and my kids. I follow the 'use it or loose it' school of thought!

I was appalled at my library tonight, no Roald Dahl and no Stephen King... what on earth?!

Went in to pick up Toby's Room, and got two others. Oops!

Went to my local library to collect my reservation of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and was asked if I wanted a mystery book. Turns out that for Valentine's Day they had gift wrapped a number of books and you borrowed one not knowing what it was. Idea is to potentially give readers a new experience. I took one and it is a chick lot style book and something I probably wouldn't have picked up but I will read it in the spirit of what the library wanted to achieve. I thought it was a great idea

that sounds brilliant Gillian. oh maybe we should do something similar. start a thread and the one above you gives you a book and you read that (its not like I have too mant too reads after all....)

That sounds like a great idea Anna. We do already have a book swap thread set up but feel free to start a new one for your idea.

I saw a protest against the closing down of a library in Newcastle today!

Oh yeah. I love the library. I request books all the time that I'm not sure if I want to buy

I love libraries and want to support keeping them open, however ours is an hour away and has only recently added the opportunity to check out e-books online.

I know funding is a big issue, but it looks like some libraries are "specializing." For example, our local library sees their mission as helping kids with homework first, then supplying books the majority of their adult patrons want to read. My tastes are usually not even on their radar.

I take my son to the library on Friday mornings to change over his books. He's still on picture books, and loves taking home a huge pile of them, together with a DVD.

I've got several books on request from the library at the moment.

I also use the online e-book and audio book lending, a lot. I like to have an audio book on my i-pod most weeks.

I currently have 60 books out from the library!

I use my local library a lot. Currently have 5 books out & a couple on order. We can order books & if my local library doesn't have it, they get it from another librar from within the City (Southampton). Also they don't charge reservation fees. Have to use the library as I worry about the whole use it or lose it scenario.

Our local library in the town centre has just had another 'makeover'. I am not sure I shall be going in there much any more, to me it has become very clean, clinical and impersonal. Very few staff and lots of automated machines. Don't get me wrong I will still use it but just not as often as I feel it has lost a lot of what I used to like about the place in this latest revamp.

I love libaries - academic libraries, public libraries, private libraries - just being surrounded by shelves full of books makes me feel like I'm in the right place.

We recently moved to France, so my library visits have been curtailed. However, there is a small English section in the local village library (I'm afraid my French isn't good enough yet to engage with the French section) which is open on a Saturday morning, and I've started to use that.

The good news is that I still enjoy being in the library, surrounded by shelves of books, even though I can't read most of them!