The perils of interlibrary loan

I think it's a good thing that I didn't know how to use inter-library loan back when I was a kid.  Granted, back then it was a big, cumbersome thing, but if I had really understood that I could get other books in a series my library didn't have all of, well, I would have been reading a book a day for a lot longer than I did.

I also wouldn't have later hunted down enticing books my library didn't have.  For example, I re-discovered Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones in college when I finally decided to make a concerted effort to track down the books I never got to read.  (They had better covers back then . . .)  The series makes more sense if you, you know, read it in order.


I also think the book industry should thank me for not fully using inter-library loan.  They made a lot of money off of me even if I do only buy when I'm basically paying cost . . .

Now that I'm more careful about pinching pennies than ever, being able to have a huge selection from all the libraries in my county is coming in handy.  They may not actually have the books I really want, but they have a huge quantity of other books I can read until

1. they get the books I want.
2. I forget about the books I wanted because there are so many others to read.
3. I find the books I want at a used bookstore (or with a really good coupon). 
4. I break down and go to a new bookstore and read them.

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