Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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helene
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Posted: Feb 13 2008 at 8:23pm | IP Logged Quote helene
If I think I will be using it over and over I buy it by first researching it on campusi.com to make sure I am getting the best value. Some books, however, I know I could just borrow whenever needed and shelf space is valuable around here so I won't buy it. We keep all our library books in a wooden apple crate we bought at the craft store. This way they don't take up shelf space, are much more visible and accessible and easier to return. We go to the library once or twice every week of the school year unless we have the stomach flu. It has been an invaluable resource for us!

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MaryM
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Posted: Feb 14 2008 at 2:56am | IP Logged Quote MaryM
I would have jumped in immediately to this topic but kept putting it off, so I'm glad to see the conversation continues. It's been interesting to read the varied responses. It looks like the decision on how to use the library often has much to do with the library system itself. If it is restrictive or limited in materials/resources it definitely is more challenging to rely on it. Much also seems to depends on finances and budget for purchasing.

A simple way for me to answer this question, is to state that I currently have over 250 items checked out on my library card - (more if you count the kids who have fewer than ten or so out each). So I guess you could say that I definitely use my library over making lots of purchases. We aren't actively using everything I have checked out currently - many are reference or idea generating - just there in case I need it or it looked interesting and I want to review it. I like to "strew" by theme/topic, too, even if we aren't officially studying something.

Now I do purchase some books each year as well - ones that are used pretty regularly and those that I think are the best general reference type books, I do buy, but I have to be able to get a deal. I rarely buy full price. I tend to buy religious books because they aren't as readily available for lending though we do have a marvelous seminary library here. But their lending privileges are more restrictive. I can only check out 4 books per card for a month (1 renewal but I have to call in for that). Can you believe that!?!?!?

This is in contrast to our local library system which I USE to its fullest. And I mean "use" in the sense of its definition "to exploit." I can use books for a long period of time because they can be renewed three times (for a total of 12 weeks) as long as no one else has requested them. I can renew online. So many of the books have multiple copies in the system so that rarely affects me being able to renew them - especially the titles I pick. If I want to I can renew them three times right after I have checked them out so that immediately puts the due date out three months. That way I can use them for reference for an extended time. Once my limit of renewals has been reached and the book is "really due" I have been known to put a request for that title on my card right before going to the library, then return it to the library, and it is often waiting for me on the holds shelf before we even leave the library so I have it for the next 3 months again.

Theoretically there is a limit to the number of books that I can check out (300) but practically that is more than plenty (usually I don't have as many out as I currently do - still haven't returned a bunch of Christmas books). We have an exceptional inner state lending system so if it is not in the local system most times I can find it in the state system or get it easily from interlibrary loan. It is very rare I can't get a book I want. They also purchase many of the books that I request - I try not to abuse that option too much - don't want them to get wise to me and shut me down.

We have a two day grace period on adult materials and a 39 day grace on children's materials so I generally can get back materials without amassing big fines because the majority of my titles are juvenile (I do end up with a dollar or two a month, which I am happy to pay for the privileges I abuse ) I can track all my books on-line and sort by date, title or author so I can keep track of what needs to be returned when. They also have an email notification system that tells me I have books coming due the following day which is helpful.

I know I am very spoiled. And I know that others on this forum who use our same library system don't check out the numbers I do, so it's still a matter of individual style. I have said that if we moved from our current location and had a library system that was more limited I think I would not be able to function .

So there it is - all the sorted details of my library obsession bared for the world to see.


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Tina P.
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Posted: Feb 14 2008 at 7:14am | IP Logged Quote Tina P.
Mary, I am in shock! I currently have two books checked out. And we don't generally use our library at all during the school year. I check whether our library carries what we need for school periodically, to be sure. But they usually don't. I find more interesting stuff at library SALES than at the library mostly. The kids did get excited about The Great Brain series. My library carries most, but not all, of them. the check-out man asked me if this was required reading for school, because so many kids were checking it out. We can only keep items a week after they're due if we renew them online. We have to physically walk in with books in hand if we want to renew them for three weeks, which, to me, kind of negates the convenience of using the online system.

We should have had you advise us as to where to live after England, Mary, so you could position us near a decent library.

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