Libraries Useful?

Saturday, August 20, 2005

I went to our county library yesterday with the kids, the main library, with the good selection. Two things really bother me about a library:

1. The selection is so limited. When you get used to finding anything available on the internet, it's discouraging to find a single shelf with books by a prolific author, missing the key ones I want.
2. Even if the library has the book, it is likely checked out if at all popular, which means waiting for weeks/months before it's available.

But hey! The books are free. I also don't want to buy all the books I read, because I rarely read a book twice - I usually get it all the first time. What I'd really like is a Netflix-style monthly subscription, where I'd build a queue of the books I want to read, and get them in the mail and return them when done. That way I don't have to buy (and then either store or sell - both a lot of trouble) the book.

I suppose with book reserves and inter-library loans this kind of this could be accomplished; it just needs an easy Netflix-style interface for finding/getting the materials. And, much work needs to be done in grouping similar styles and book series (which one comes next?)