RootAnn Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Until you've experienced living with a truly terrible library system after you've had a great one, I'm not sure you understand why paying for a better library system that you'll use makes sense. I loved our library in Illinois. We moved to another state in a small town with a sucky library. We pay for access to the Big City Library system. We don't go into the Big City as often as we used to, but it continues to be the best homeschool $ I spend every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Call the library in the capital city. Most capital cities give you a free card and access to all the online books and subscriptions. The subscriptions can be Hoopla which includes Bill Nye videos and the Zinio Magazines should include National Geographic. Some libraries have Brain Pop and World Book. Always always call your capital city!! Thank you! I did not know this. Our last city always had a great selection, so I never needed to get a different card. I will give them a call today to see what I can get. ETA: I called. They make you pay. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Nope, I wouldn't pay, not a chance. Care to share why? Just curious if there's a reason or do you have a better option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenC Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yes, $65 would be reasonable for a year, especially if the whole family could check out books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'd probably pay it. But one thing I'd ask - are you able to use interlibrary loan with the local library? If so, that might impact my decision. ILL is only with the two counties involved. It does not include the one to which I would pay. That gives us 10 libraries to utilize, but even through ILL, there aren't a lot of options or variety. My town at 8500 is the biggest town in my current library system. The libraries are miniscule, imo. All 10 of them wouldn't come close to filling one of the libraries in the bigger system. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I would pay it. But it's interesting to me how many people here pay for their library service. I thought most areas pay for libraries through taxes. I guess I'm glad our area still does. We don't pay to use our county library system, and our library has reciprocal agreements with almost every other library in the state. I could travel all over and get free library cards. 😀 Same here except we don't have county governments or county library systems. My library card to my local library can be used at any public library in the state. I can take out books at those libraries and then return them to my local library. My town library also doesn't have any fees, late or otherwise. That being said I would definitely pay a fee if it wasn't available to me for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Have you tried a free month of Amazon Unlimited? http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=br_imp?_encoding=UTF8&node=9578129011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-billboard-4&pf_rd_r=1E2VE17ME9PTZX355X6W&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2014477462&pf_rd_i=desktop http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=ku_lp_kids?ie=UTF8&node=9070512011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-8&pf_rd_r=0ST9SM1KMVBR12CFRWGG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1966499362&pf_rd_i=9578129011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Have you tried a free month of Amazon Unlimited? http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=br_imp?_encoding=UTF8&node=9578129011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-billboard-4&pf_rd_r=1E2VE17ME9PTZX355X6W&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2014477462&pf_rd_i=desktop http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=ku_lp_kids?ie=UTF8&node=9070512011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-8&pf_rd_r=0ST9SM1KMVBR12CFRWGG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1966499362&pf_rd_i=9578129011 We haven't yet. We may have to try that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yes!! We don't have anywhere near here to do that, but I'd definitley be willing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 For many years, we paid $40 for a membership in the next county over. It was very worth it. I switched to our county system just last year and it is sufficient. But we use the library a bit less for our history materials and I've been able to purchase many books we need over the years. Paying $65 for access to an excellent library would be completely worth it to me. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 We have a fantastic library system here, but I still pay for a membership to a neighboring town's library system. They have additional perks beyond just the books that my own library system doesn't have. It is worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I happily pay! The local library only has ONE bookcase of children's books, like 4x8 shelf. I started paying 4 years ago to join a larger one, when we had read about all the books in the local library. I drive an hour every week to the bigger town w/ the bigger library, and it has always been worth it to me. THey have digital loans (local ones does not), but you have to pay $2 for interlibrary loan. Oddly, the local one ILL is free! THe one I pay to join, I can reserve titles on-line, and then go pick them up. I usually scout out what books are available on whatever topic we are covering, nad take my list in to make my final selections. I spend probably an hour there a week- but I really enjoy the library ;) They also have great kids programs, whereas the local one doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommytoFour Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'd definitely pay. We actually pay $50 a year for our small local library. We don't live within the city limits (even though the library is five minutes away). So since we aren't city residents, but are county residents, we have to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Have you tried a free month of Amazon Unlimited? I tried it for several months, and it just wasn't worth it, particularly not for schooling purposes. It seldom had any of the particular titles I was searching for, or even good substitutes within a particular topic. I would most definitely pay $65 or more for access to a good library system. That's only the cost of a few books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 So, I asked my friend who has been homeschooling the last 4 years if she would pay. She said 'no', because "we are bad homeschoolers and rarely go to the library." I asked her, "So, what do your kids read?" "Oh, whatever we have. They've been given a lot as presents and we've had some handed down." I cringed. But, to each their own. She homeschools for religious reasons; mine is primarily academic. Still, I lived at the library growing up. I can't imagine rarely going! The local library only has ONE bookcase of children's books, like 4x8 shelf. I has amazed me, though, how many people do pay for their library access. Growing up, we had a decent library, then it got even better. I obviously took that for granted. I will also stop complaining about our measly selection here. We, at least, have more than one shelf of kids books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 We don't use the public library as much as might be useful. We have amassed a very ( ! ) large home library of fiction and non-fiction books over these twenty years of homeschooling. I am glad that we did, because they are "keeper" books, many of which no longer are in print. If the local libraries were excellent, rather than just adequate, I would be more tempted by them. This is not to say that we never darken the doorway of the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I voted yes because I do pay for a better library, but it is only 10 a year. I doubt I would pay 65, but we are on a strict budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Heck yes! I could easily spend that in a couple of months even trying to buy used, so it would be very worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 We pay $50 a year to use St. Louis Country Libraries. Can't imagine trying to homeschool otherwise. It's so liberating. The closest branch is an hour away, but I can renew and place holds online. Be sure you get a card for every member of your family, if you can. We can place 25 books on hold per card at a time. Many times I fill up all three of our cards and wish I had more. We can also only check out 100 books per card. We often have more than one hundred books checked out across our three cards. Another huge plus is that we get to use their eBook databases, which include both Kindle books and audiobooks (among others). HTH!! Our library also has a very good selection of educational videos, including every Bill Nye, I think. Seriously, do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I would and did pay $50/year to use the public library in the next county. Not only is it far larger, the nearest branch is actually more convenient than the nearest branch of our county's library. However, they raised their rate to $75/year and at the same time, our library picked up a statewide library share program that let me borrow from multiple collections (including the one I had been paying for) for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Small price for substantially more book access, so yes, I would pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 We pay $125 for an out of town library membership and consider it totally worthwhile. People pay a lot more than that to subscribe to cable (we don't). But we like books better. We pay $120 per year for membership at the library in our neighboring city. We also have a free (well, property tax paid) membership at our local library. We can also use for free the library of our state's flagship university library since we are adults who can prove state residency. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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