amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 (Please excuse the possible lack of L's. My L key is sticking, and if I don't reread something, I may miss the lacking L. :tongue_smilie:) The library by us is great because I can get almost anything on interloan, but only 4 at a time. They don't have a great selection. I was thinking of taking the kids to the closest big ibrary, which is about 45 minutes drive. If possible I was going to take things out for a month and just make a monthly visit. Does this sound crazy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 At one point I drove 72 miles down a two-lane road on a regular basis to get to a good library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I wouldn't do it, but because of our library's policies when we moved back here, I started building our own library (they stopped allowing county residents to have a free card and the cost was like $80 a year). I think if you can take out enough books each time and you don't end up with library fines because you didn't make the drive back in time, it might be worth it. But I'd make sure you knew beforehand what the fines are and how much it would cost if you were late (my library is $.25 per book per day which adds up really fast). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 We have a larger one about 30 minutes away. It costs 10.00 in gas for the trip, so considering we don't go there often that's 20.00 to borrow books and return them. Maybe if I didn't already own so many books and maybe if ds was a voracious reader, but still their checkout time is two weeks. There is also a larger group of homeschoolers, and many of the popular titles will be on hold, meaning you can't renew past the two week period. In our case it makes better financial sense to just buy used from Amazon or other places. We have a quaint library within walking distance with a decent selection in some sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 We currently drive 45 miles one way, each week for music lessons and library visits. Going once a month sounds like a sweet deal to me. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Ds has speech weekly, and I pt weekly in that general area. Maybe I can combine it all. Dd does not come with us for these 2 appts because the 2 of them together can be really frustrating, but maybe if she comes every other visit, it could work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 If I could combine it and it was really a good option when there weren't others, I'd go an hour without complaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I would drive anywhere if I could ... alas, we live on an island. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Nope - I drive 45 minutes every 2 weeks to another library because our local one is terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I'm not sure I'd drive 45 mins one way. But I'm fortunate to live near the county line and next county has a good library system. It costs me $25 per year but it's well worth it. And it's only about a 15 min drive. If you're already driving out that way, though, then it would be worth the extra time to get to a good library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I drive a distance to the library but combine this visit with a stop at the co-op, fabric store, etc. Renewals are done online. Totally worth it to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 At one point I drove 72 miles down a two-lane road on a regular basis to get to a good library. :lol::lol::lol::lol: This sounds so funny to me, the highway here is only a 2-lane road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We drive 100 km once a month for a shopping centre and a library. the great thing is I can borrow 15 books and 15 media tapes ( including videos, talking books CD's) per library card. I have 6 library cards so that is a lot of books. I can also return them at my local library ( 20 minutes drive). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We use a library 65 miles away -- a 2 hour drive with city traffic. With renewals, most things can be out for 9 weeks, so it works out pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakotajm Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We currently drive 45 miles one way, each week for music lessons and library visits. Going once a month sounds like a sweet deal to me. :tongue_smilie: This is similar to our situation. We live 50 minutes from the bigger towns on either side. That is where we go for groceries, library, hs group and Tae Kwon Do. Costs us $35/yr. for out of county fee and we also rack up the fines pretty regularly-our library is heavy on the fines and like the mafia about getting them from you. I have paid out a pretty penny to them over the years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtney.byrum Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We currently drive about 45 mins to swimming and the library once a week. I love that library and don't want to give it up (though the ones here aren't bad either). I always buy books in the Library Bookstore (kids pbs are .25) so i often spend $2-3 on a large selection of great quality books for the kids - that is missing at our new libraries :( If we didn't have swimming there I probably would only go to the library if we happened to be out that way for something else as driving all that way JUST for the library wouldn't be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 The time element is relative. Forty-five minutes on the freeway? or 45 minutes on surface streets? :) I used to drive that far every Wednesday, because Chula Vista's library was much better than Spring Valley's library, which I could see out my kitchen window. It was all surface streets, though, because there weren't any freeways taking me in that direction. I'll have to admit that it was a nice drive. :D And the library was the only thing we did on Wednesdays. So, 45 minutes once a month? Yes, I'd do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We used to take a bus for five minutes, then a ferry for half an hour, then a taxi for fifteen minutes to get to a library. The children were aged about seven and four at the time. It was a great library (the central library in Hong Kong) and it was definitely worth it. We went at least twice a month. Now we have a mobile library/library van that comes to our village. I order the books that I need on line and they turn up in the van. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Personally, I wouldn't bother with it. Our local library is meh, but I don't have the time or gas money to drive that far that often. :) If you can and want to, then go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 You might as well try it since you drive there regularly anyway. It doesnt sound like extra driving once you work it into your routine. If you hate it you can just stop. I can be in DC or Baltimore in that amount of time, so a 45 min trip for the library boggles my mind. We have two great libraries (same system) within 2 miles from my house in either direction. I think the county has 5 branches. Actually, the apartment complex we live in while our home is being renovated is right next to one of these libraries, so currently we just walk there. My teen loves going whenever she wants without needing a ride. Sometimes she packs up her books and walks over there to do school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We currently do a 40 min. drive (one way) every three weeks to get to a better library. Our local library is tiny, tiny, tiny, and heavy on the bestsellers/fluff reading. There is no ILL available, and next to nothing of use to a classical homeschooler. But, the tiny library is the one I grew up with, the head librarian has known me since I was little, and she never charges me any overdue fines. I just make a contribution to the building fund every so often. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Not far...that's why my house is FILLED with books. 2,325 (and counting) :001_smile: Our library is now pretty much on the way to or from most of the places we go. However, we only use it for things like cook-books, audio-books and novels we don't feel like buying. The dearth of actual GOOD literature available is disheartening. Before the new branch opened it was 45 minutes away, and not on my way to or from anything. I just didn't go.l Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I would say try it- if you can combine it with other chores that would be best and you could make a fun day out of it. I don't think you would "lose" anything by trying it a couple times. I have considered this also- our local library is small(ish). But it has a surprisingly good selection. Requests are limited to 2 from ILL, but we can request from anywhere in the county, or even anywhere across the state. I have found our local library (which is a five minute walk from our apartment) doesn't have the best programs and has limited selection of reading programs- that fill up very quick. So, I am in the process of deciding whether I want to drive the 1/2 hr to a different library (maybe bigger) or 3/4 hr to the main branch. I used to work in a library, and the town I grew up has a beautiful library in an old home- so I have pretty high standards. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We drive 45 minutes....and we combine it with our other errands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I used to drive to a library 60 minutes away and had to pay to use the library (out of state resident). I did it for years. The town I lived in had a tiny, awful library and the library I drove to is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSinNH Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Definately....we do it all the time, as well. We just combine it with other errands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We used to drive 45 minutes to Nashville to use their library but after awhile we discovered that the local library had almost all of the books we wanted and now it is cheaper to buy the occasional one we need (either Kindle or used) than it is to drive to Nashville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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