Posted by Mike Smith :: February 8, 2008 @ 5:24 amIn many of my posts, I have discussed the value of a good library. While that value still holds true, there is a library alternative that likely offers even more.
This new “library” I’m talking about is your nearest Barnes and Noble store. Other stores which follow a similar business model, like Borders, work equally well. These stores offer everything that you want in a library plus so much more. For starters, they have a large inventory and many copies of newer titles. While their selection of older books cannot compare with a good library, those interested in personal finance are usually looking for new books with new ideas. The classics that have stood the test of time are likely still available at these book stores as well.
There are numerous fringe benefits to using a bookstore as your library. In addition to the comfortable chairs, you can talk, eat and drink, all of which are taboo at a library. When I’m interested in a new book, I like to go to the store, get a coffee and read a chapter or two at a time. Then I return the book to its shelf until my next visit. Even in cases where I have trouble putting the book down, I try to stick to this routine rather than purchase the book. Of the many, many personal finance, business, and investing books I’ve read over the years, few are worth reading multiple times and thus don’t warrant a purchase. While having to read the book in the store can be seen as a negative, it's also a nice little escape from your hectic life.
I used to feel bad about using a store for this purpose. Then, my local Barnes and Noble set up a new reading area for customers. It is an entire section of the store filled with the chairs and sofas that used to be only randomly placed throughout the store. Speaking to an employee about it, she said that the company encourages people to read in their store because it keeps them in the store as long as possible. This leads to more purchases. I’m sure they’d also rather have you preview a few books and then buy the one you want, rather than buy many books and return those you decide against.
Finding value and an improved way of doing things in your everyday life is a rarity. Just like lending and borrowing money became easier and more beneficial with the advent of person-to-person loans from Lending Club, using a local bookstore as your personal library is an improvement over alternatives and one that I strongly suggest you consider.
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