You bet I do! In fact, I’m such a nerd, that I’ve got my library card number memorized! I access my library’s Web site, request the books that I want (checking their reviews, all the while, on Amazon.com) and head on in once they’ve notified me that my books have arrived. When I get to the library, I have the option of either just walking in and grabbing my selection off the shelf – where they’re all bundled up with my own secret code taped onto them, or roaming the stacks to see what else I want.
When I do wander the stacks, it’s like binge shopping. I throw books into my cart if they look even remotely interested, knowing that I never have to regret the “purchase”. I often have up to 30 books and books on CD (for the SoCal commutes) out at one time: Fiction, non-fiction, kids’ books, coffee table books, documentaries on DVD…you name it.
In the event that we get caught up in life and miss the return date, we just have to wait ‘till the last Friday of the month when we can turn them in with immunity from fines. My library calls it “Library Happy Hour”, though it lasts all day.
Of course, I still buy way too many books, too. But the library is, indeed, my friend. :-)