As an avid reader, I am always in the market for something to read. At restaurants, I read everything possible left on the table - menus, ads, whatever. I read packaging when desperate. I have books partially read in every room, vehicle, device, and handbag/tote I use. So libraries are great for me - and unending supply of fresh 'something to read', great except when I am not going to get through it in a timely manner. Remember, I have partially ready books everywhere. Sometimes for some months if I rarely use that item. So I reread old favorites from my collection, used books I score here and there. But I will come clean, I do buy books as well.
That may seem shocking coming from a librarian, but you know, there are books you want to read, once, and then there are books you want to reread. There are books you want to breeze through, and then there are books that you might want to take time over. So books in my life fall into two categories: Library and My Books.
Library: mysteries, paperback romance, occasion 'good' books, cookbooks, knitting books, once and one titles. Also, revisiting old series by favorite authors that I don't have the room to collect.
My Books: Absolute favorites (mostly hand-me-downs from my equally book oriented mother), a few really hard to find mystery series (love, love, love Dell Shannon - the singer as well, but this is the author), and a ton of non-fiction. I buy nonfiction a lot - and they generally function as a reference resource on topics of interest to me.
So when I heard about that browser extension (Library Extension) that works with Amazon (check our April newsletter) I was delighted in this symbiotic relationship. You're interested in a book - and the extension shows up on the Amazon page telling you if the library has it, complete with a Borrow button! Can it be much easier? Now all you have to do is decide if it is in your Library reading or in your My Books reading. One stop, buy it or reserve it. Drop the mike, dust your hands, Elvis has left the building.
