“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV)
“And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” Luke 16:11 (NLT)
I love books. I have a small home library that has been a work in progress for over forty-three years. I have added books, donated books, thrown away books— to get a library filled with books that in the famous words of Goldilocks are… “just right”… for me and my family.
But, on a frequent basis, I have to remind myself to use the library more. This past week I realized how important the library is to helping me be a better steward with the resources God has provided for our family, as I looked over three recent book purchases. I ended up trashing one, and the other two were relegated to a… I don’t know what to do with you yet, pile.
All three were middle grade books that I could never promote. Between bad content, and poor writing skills, these books were not worthy of any library, and I wasted money on them. The two that went to the pile that I still have to make decisions about, were written by two different young men that had creditability for being potentially good writers… but they just didn’t put the work into it.
Hence the public library. If I had borrowed those two books from the library, I could have examined and sampled their content without paying a total of $23.49 for them. If I had examined them through a library loan and they were actually great to add to my library, then I could have purchased them and felt good about it.
I’m getting smarter. I asked our library to order a garden book that will come out in April. They took my request and I will receive a notice once it arrives. It is $27.00 on Amazon. I can try it out for free and see if it is worth adding to my garden collection. It may be a great book that I just want to look at one time, get ideas, but not take space up in my home library. If your space at home is limited, that is another good reason to use the library— for free book storage.
This week our library is having a book sale. Prices are as follows:
- Hardback $1.25
- Paperback $0.50
- DVD/Blu-Ray $2.00
- Audiobooks $2.00
I am so excited to go on a search and find mission for “just right” books, and I can’t go wrong with those prices.
Do you take advantage of your public library? Does your local library have book sales? I would love to hear your comments below.
We love our public library! We even have an out of area card for a library just outside our county because I feel like we’ve read everything worthwhile at our local library. Ha ha. I may have a problem. 🙂 It was just $15 for two years and I’d spend the same amount on two books on amazon so it ends up being very economical for us. I’m also trying to quell my book buying habit as well. Between the hoopla app, youtube read alouds, and free trials on Audible, I’ve almost always found a free version of the book I want (mostly kids’ books right now).
Allison, Thanks for sharing your love for the public library and how you save money on books. Your comment may encourage others to look for cheaper ways to read all the books they enjoy.
Great idea on trying out the library prior to deciding about purchases (especially if you a book to keep on your shelf at home).
Thanks Tim, I came out good at the book sale, also. I’ll post the haul next week:)
Thanks for the great reminder! Love libraries.
You’re welcome! They’re the greatest.