Libraries, Used Bookstores, or Fresh off the Presses: Where Should You Buy Your Next Book?

Used bookstores are the most eco-friendly way to buy a book. But why would one want to buy a book in the first place? There are plenty of ways to acquire a book, such as through a library. While used books are generally cheaper compared to their newer counterparts, public libraries are free. However, there are certain responsibilities which come with a library book, such as not damaging or marking the book, returning it by a certain date, and not losing it. But given that a child can sign up for a local library card as soon as they can write their name, libraries are fairly accessible to everyone. Additionally, the standardization of libraries like the organization, filing system, and online inventories make them all the more approachable. The concept of libraries is the epitome of “try before you buy.”

Used bookstores, on the other hand, are like thrift stores: fun to dig around in and find hidden gems, but difficult to find specific items. At Rodney’s Bookstore on Church Street, I purchased a book about naturopathic medicine because it was five dollars and I thought it was interesting. From the used book section of the Harvard Book Store on Mass Ave, I purchased a book about tomatoes as a Hannukah present for my father. But both of those times I never went in with a purpose or a mission. Instead, I was with friends who had reasons of their own to check out the bookstores and I just followed them in. In the case of the Hannukah present, the friend I had gone in with was shopping for a book for his mom and it reminded me that I also needed to find presents for my family. I went in with no expectations or ideas of what I wanted to get or who I would be getting it for.

For the avid reader, used bookstores can be a fun adventure outside of the norm, or they could be disorganized chaos. For someone just looking for something interesting, it could be an intriguing experience. If looking for an unserious read or a “joke” book, used bookstores are perfect. If one is buying a present for someone that cares more about the content of the book rather than its aesthetics (cover art, new book feel, etc.), used books are a more ecologically friendly choice than buying new.

Buying a used book does come with the expectation that it will not be in the shape that it was originally in. Even if the used book is in good condition, there is just something so crisp about buying a new book — a feeling we aren’t able to get with a used one. Because when buying new books, consumers are really buying the feeling that it imparts, whether that be the packaging, the content, or just that new book smell. And if the consumer is buying the book for its content, then it makes more sense to read it for free at the library before deciding to buy it after only skimming a few pages in the bookstore.

If ecological and economical reasons are the primary concern, or if the argument for aesthetics just doesn’t resonate, then libraries would be the first stop, especially if the book is for a class or a first time read. If the book cannot be found at a library, then the next stop should be a used bookstore for the cases previously mentioned. But, if the book is a tried and true classic, one that is life-changing, or one that the reader just can’t live without, then those would be grounds for purchase. The books that truly make one think or feel are the ones that deserve to be bought and given a permanent home.

Unfortunately, those types of books are probably few and far between so unless the consumer is a bookaholic fiend or just a reader snobbish about books, they likely won’t be buying that many books to begin with anyways. While there is a case for both new and used bookstores, ultimately the library is still the best choice.