Polls for Our Souls discussion

Are you someone that mostly visits the library to get your hands on the books you want to read, or are you more of a 'book collector' who prefers buying books online or in a bookstore?

I am a mostly library gal and only buy books I have already fallen in love with (or I got a really amazing deal on).
I generally buy through my local book store and sometimes online if the deal is better or it's a book my local store can't get.

usually I get ebooks from my library, buy yeah, if it's a book I love I'll go and buy it from a bookstore.

or online

online or in-store preferably, but about a month or so ago I did get a library card for the first time in probably 20 years so, but have yet to go to my library.

Library - For any book I’m interested in that’s actually available.

Bookstore - For the books I really love, can’t borrow at the library or just have a “feel” about it.

I love to buy books and have the WHOLE collection and if I don't it bugs me. Library is also super nice if I don't have a book.

I get anxiety in book stores when I don't have enough money but I do enjoy browsing. I don't go to the library often but I think if I went with a friend and we stayed for a while I'd go often and love it.

I do a lot to get books for free TBH. However, if there's something I really want, I usually just buy it for myself. Although libraries can be nice for browsing and picking something randomly.

All of the above. I utilize the library and Overdrive/Libby but I also buy books at local independent bookstores and I buy from online book outlets and Amazon.

I love strolling in bookstore, the library in my area doesn't have any updated books.

both

Bookstore!!!

Both, haha. I love to visit the library and it's a great way to get books you want to read but you're not interested enough in to buy them.
but I visit the bookstore just as often and buying books just makes me so happy because I can put them on my shelves and look at them and read them again and again if I want to!

I try to get them from the library if I can, because if I buy them and don't like them, the library gets them anyway! But if it's something I think I will read more than once, I definitely buy it.

Library. I'm picky about books and almost always only buy a book after reading a library copy first.

Library. Some local libraries have used bookstores inside and have way cheaper books. So you get the best of both worlds (:

I'm more for bookstore or online buys, which is just as well as our library is closed at the moment.

I used to be the Library kind of person back at school and only bought the book if I really liked it.. but that acually changed around the time I graduated and I fell in love with collecting them. Now im bookstore obsessed and love finding new stuff there that I didnt find online.

Also really recommend checking out second-hand bookshops around you. I started voluteering in one a few years ago and its still to date my happy place :)

I love to collect books but they are really expensive so most books I've read was from Library. I buy only books that I love and I know that I'll read them 37438382 times.

There are no library in my city which have collection of novels, most of the library are to be found in colleges or school and they mostly have academic books. So I mostly used to go to bookstores in my childhood.

There aren't any libraries in my city nor bookstores which sells English novels so I have to order books online and I have to wait 1 to 2 months till I receive it.
lately I've been reading online,but the problem is I love collecting books so I'm struggling right now... Should I order those book that read online so I can add them to my book shelf?? Or should I just leave it because it's a waste of money??? :/

Idea wrote: "There aren't any libraries in my city nor bookstores which sells English novels so I have to order books online and I have to wait 1 to 2 months till I receive it.
lately I've been reading online,..."

I have a similar situation but I order books online as the collections give me satisfaction! Plus I don't like reading digital books.

Siddhant Raizada,

I know right! When you see your collection it just gives you satisfaction! I might order some of them! But I will leave some too, till the right time comes I may buy all of them! :))

I personally am no friend of ordering online (except for books I can't get in store around here) because I love to browse the shelves and touch the books and read the first pages. If I order online I mostly order from a bookstore but not Amazon because I definitely want to support booksellers!

Library because I’m broke 😂🤷‍♀️

In my opinion reading online and in library is better because ;
1. You save more space
2. You won't waste papers which means you will save more trees.

anyone with different opinions or same?? :D

I rarely buy from the bookstore. I buy used books because it's sustainable. Used to lend books from the library but it got expensive cause I got older. Thinking about getting a second subscription

I'll get a book from the library first. then if I love it I'll buy it used online

Both
I'll buy a book if I know I'll hopefully enjoy it (sometimes used book stores)
The Library occasionally if there is a certain book in a series I still haven't read

I prefer buying through bookstores because it's a token of gratitude to the author's works or if they aren't published in my country (english and translated editions included). Also, I can borrow it to the rest of my family members. For example, "Cross Roads" from W.P.Young has been read by me, my grandma and colleague worker 4 times overall.

I like to support authors and buy when possible. Independent bookstores, B&N and online ordering if I'm feeling lazy. I love going to the bookstores. With the independent bookstores you get to have fantastic conversations with the employees who are always booklovers. Sometimes I find myself chatting for nearly an hour. You can't get that online and rarely get that at the big chains.

Either. Depends on the situation, whether I expect rereads, if I happen to be at one at the moment, finances, and what has the book in a hurry.

I always like to buy the first book of a series and then borrow the rest.
Otherwise I always borrow usually wishing I owned them after I finished them tho
I just finished reading the Harry Potter series for the first time having borrowed them all but now wish to go and buy them all which is very unlike me but I feel they deserve an exception!

I've been getting some Kindle books from Overdrive through the library during the "isolation," but I don't really like doing that because
A. holds
B. they never have the sequel so I end up buying it and then I have the sequel but not the first book
C. holds
But I'm doing it anyway, because the alternative is spending money on ordering books, which I really don't need to be doing, plus then if I don't like the book I have to find something to do with it because my house is bursting already.

I like library books, but I buy my books at stores and online a lot more.

Most of my personal library is on my kindle as there are only two bookstores in the city and they often don't have the kinds of books i want to read. Also, even before quarantine, I didn't get to go out a lot but if my school library has the book I want to read I'll borrow it there!

Both! I love going to the library and just browsing and picking up any book that catches my interest, even if I don't end up reading it. At the bookstore I tend to pick up books that I've heard of or books that I'm specifically looking for.

I do it all, love my library, bookstores, online, it doe not matter!! I am very thankful we have a wonderful library, sometimes you find the most awesome books there that you would not find in a store, okay hell I just love books lol

I'm a mix. I do both buying and borrowing from our library. Seeing as sometimes I want to check it out before I buy it where as other times I just HAVE TO HAVE IT

I like all forms of book-getting: library, bookstore, online...uh, yeh, that's it! I like libraries as you get a book and don't have to pay for it, though it sucks for me to return a good book, plus if you like a book enough that was from the library, you can buy it from the bookstore. Bookstores I like because I like getting new books, new book smell is a wonderful smell!

I like both buying a book from a bookstore and reading a book from the library. However, it's always hard to return a good book to the library.
So, I guess if I have to choose I'd say that I like buying books better.
The best is if the library has a book sale, the books are always really cheep.

Since I've gotten my Kindle, I download 100% of my books. My library is closed due to the COVID-19 virus, and has been for nearly 2 months. I do not foresee it opening anytime soon, either. The only manner available for me to get paper books is to win them in Goodreads giveaways.

I use Scribd and "borrow" books I can't get from the Overdrive

I get most of my books that I read from my local library, however I love bookstores, my favourite being Waterstones.

I prefer bookstores. I don't go to the library to check out books in my hometown or at college.<3

I love the atmosphere and browsing in a book store. Its where I often find books for my TBR but ultimately I go to the library. I have accumulated so many books over the years that I only purchase if I absolutely love the book.

For me it's an ambiance thing. I think bookstores are the best, especially used bookstores because other people have read what you're about to and you're usually helping a small business. I normally read from the library, though.

I buy books. mostly because the libraries where I live don't have many English books.or not ones that I read, anyways.

Both are magical in their own way, but I would say bookstores!