And yes, the Capitol Area District Library here in Lansing has had an online system since we’ve lived here (five years or so). We also have a bookmobile, so all I have to do is reserve a book online (or tell the bookmobile librarian I want a book, or a book shows up the librarian thinks I’ll like, or my son will like) and he’ll bring it directly to my neighborhood twice a week. My husband and my close friends refer to it as my crackmobile.

Even if there is a long queue for an item, I don’t mind waiting. I’ve got more than enough stuff piled up at home to watch that it’s rare that I’m in a hurry. What I do mind is that they lowered the limit from 50 to 20, so when the items move slowly, I can’t request any more, and my TBR/W/L lists get out of hand, as they are now.

I’m a big proponent of libraries, especially when it comes to testing out books I’m not quite sure if I’ll love. I generally try to get the books selected for my book club there, especially, since in that situation I’m not even the one dictating my reading content! Also, I’ve recently come to the revelation that a lot of books on my shelves at home are unread, in large part because I cannot resist the allure of bookstores and the siren songs of their book tables (Borders’s “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” is largely to blame for much of my unread content, I think). I’ve decided I need to populate my bookcases with books that reflect me as a reader - not merely books that I’ve read, but books that I’ve loved and intend to re-read. Which is why I’m going to be trying to limit my bookstore purchases to books that I’ve already read, and confine my literary explorations to my library loans. That way if a book underwhelms me, all I’ve invested is my time. If I read something I love (such as “Then We Came to the End”) I’ll run out and buy it to support the author. I think this is a good balance and a judicious approach to one of my greatest indulgences!