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Our library here in town is actually pretty good with movies--you can borrow them for a week. They have lots of kid movies, some pretty good grown up movies--most of the Oscar winners, etc. It's nice that they come free.
Also, I borrow magazines--I can't borrow the current issue but I can borrow the previous issues--and the current issue is available for reading.
Books--we use the library constantly for books for the kids--the school library is pretty bare so we go to the public library.
If you notice--in magazines like Real Simple they offer saving money tips but they NEVER say borrow the magazine from the library--money out of their pocket when you do, but I consider it money IN my pocket when I do.
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Sj, We love our library here. They are expanding and I cant wait until its finished. My library was also voted #1 in the country for the number of patrons it has!
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I agree. We use our local library a lot. I get books on tape for long car rides, CDs to listen to, books to read, movies to watch and magazines. I love magazines and I love saving money. Taking magazines out of the library allows me to do both.
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Our library has mostly movies on VHS and we no longer have a VHS player. I don't read many books or magazines, since I have NO time. I do take ds to the story time and let him check out books, even though after 20+ years we have our own children's library!
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I'm the opposite. I tended to not go to the library because, in my mind, it always required that I be there for a long time - letting the little one play on their computer, me browsing the stacks, etc. There are so many times when I simply didn't go because I didn't have the time.
However, lately we've been going to do a 'quick pick'. The little one and I dash in, return the books we just checked out, then go to the stacks and quickly grab 10 more books (she gets to select 5 and I get to select 5). We check them out and take them home. We probably spend about 5 minutes in the library which makes stopping so much easier for me to fit into our day. We go through 10 books very quickly since we read two or three every night. We then run to the library for another quick pick. We're going to the library so much more frequently and enjoying it so much more.
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Dh has really gotten us hooked on this; he puts a hold on whatever he wants online and then we go get it. We watch a lot of older movies anyway so that is not a problem. We also get a lot of CD's that way.
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We go to the library at least once a week. I reserve dvds online, usually I see all the new releases within 1-2 months of them coming out for free. I canceled all my magazine subscriptions and read theirs. They also have a nice play area for the girls to play. Who can ask for more free movies, books, magazines, cds, and storytime.
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I love the library! We have four within a few miles of us! I'll have to admit it's been harder and harder for us to go there, though. Ds, 5, is good about getting his books but when it comes to mine, I HATE just yanking one and hoping I like it, without reading the cover, chances are I will not.
However, he's old enough now that I'm going to employ this stategy: We get MY books first and if he is good and doesn't bug me about being bored we'll get his. If he is not good for a reasonable amount of time (honestly I just need 15 minutes) then we are not going to get anything for him.
One of the libraries near us now has a cafe' and a gift shop in it!! Instead of going to a bookstore we can go and have a coffee after having checked out our books. I love this idea. I am also going to start putting on my calendar when our books are due. A lot of times I stop going because the fines were considerable because I just lose track of time and then feel it would have been better to purchase the book. But a calendar would make me schedule time to actually get them there fine free.
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We are getting a new library right by our house, so I am hoping to walk there in the summer.
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We try to go to the library once a week, sometimes twice a week. DD loves story time and looking for books. They have a nice little childrens area where they can color and even work on puzzles. its only 1.5miles away and so i am going to try to walk us there instead of driving (save the gas).