I have to give myself a little public pat on the back because I did something today that was really hard and once I tell you about it you will completely understand.
All but five of my library hold requests out of something like eighteen have come home to roost in the last three weeks. Most of these books are not renewable because there are others who also want a turn at them. My little reading table is buried beneath books and it is so bad I am having a hard time pulling books out of the piles to read without knocking several over onto the floor. Also, there is hardly any room for a glass of water or cup of coffee or tea. It is out of control. But with the two books that are currently at the library waiting for me to pick up and one more for which my turn will come quicker than I want it to, the remaining hold requests all have me at number 40 or higher.
So I determined the other day to not make any further book requests from the library for two months. That will give me a chance to get through all my current library books and, I hope, a few of the books on my reading table that I own that I really want to read but have been buried under all the library books. I made this determination before around Thanksgiving in November but didn’t tell anyone because the next day I placed hold requests for two books!
Today, however, today I resisted! I had my mouse hovering over the “request” button at my library but I remembered my book table and my determination to not place any holds for two months. The devil and the angel on my shoulders had quite the brawl and this time the angel won. Personally, I think the angel has been doing some serious lifting since Santa left her some weights for Christmas. Or maybe it was the strength of moral superiority guiding her and giving her the power to finally overcome. Then again, she’s had so much practice she may have finally perfected the art of guilt and shame and made the devil feel so bad she didn’t stand a chance. Whatever the case, instead of clicking “request” I clicked “add to list” and added it my library list.
If the angel manages to keep the devil down for two months then I will allow myself to request a few books off the list. I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. I resisted today. Will I resist the next temptation? Very likely I will find out tomorrow. Until then, I get a pat on the back and a victory dance. Yay me!
Yay you, is right! That’s a great idea, not putting in any requests for two months. I keep resolving to do things like not check out any more library books for two months and just tackle some of my own books as well as all that I already have from the library. But I never manage to do that. I have an automatic “angel” in my library system, though. We’re only allowed to have five books on hold at any given time, so I have to wait for things to come in before I can place new holds. So much of what I request comes within three days, though, so it really isn’t THAT much of a deterrent. And there are no limits on books that can be added to my list, so, as you can imagine, that gets added to all the time.
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Emily, thanks, but it is so hard especially when the book isn’t immediately available. The book I was about to request yesterday had 16 holds on it already with three circulating copies. At moments like that I start rationalizing, oh it will be at least a month before my turn comes around, blah blah blah. Your library limit is hardcore! I can put up to something like forty or fifty books on hold before getting cutoff. I’ve had a little over 20 on my hold list before but I can’t imagine reaching the cutoff point. At least you an put everything on your library list so you don’t forget about them!
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Bro look I’m going to be really serious with you right now. Science tells us that human beings only have a finite amount of resisting temptation in them. If you resist one temptation, you’re more likely to give in to the next one. And I’m not trying to tell you what your priorities are. Just, if you resist the library holds so ferociously, maybe you will not have the moral energy left to, like, recycle. Or save a baby’s life if that comes up as a possibility! WHO KNOWS.
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Jenny, you crack me up. And you are evil too. I think my devil has compromised you. I’m going to get through today without putting any books on hold. I can do it! 😀
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Oh great. NOW you come clean? I just got notification from my library that Narrow Road to the Deep North AND Bone Clocks AND The Curse Of The House Of Foskett are ready for pick up…in addition to which I just received 3 books in the mail I ordered last week…AND…I have a stack of books on my shelves from last year. Sheesh. How disappointing. Wow. If the window wasn’t painted shut and it wasn’t so blasted cold outside, I think I might just jump. Is there nothing left upon which we can rely? I think I’ll take a pill and go to bed. (Sigh).
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Grad, heh, sorry! I think if you didn’t take any vacation time over the holidays you totally should now. You have some important reading to do! Good luck!
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It’s uncanny that library holds most always insist on arriving in bunches…after weeks of little happening, it’s wham, and they all come in three days. And, like you, I don’t feel right about keeping them beyond their due dates because so many folks are usually lined up behind me waiting for their turn at the books. Now, my big problem with the library is all those e-books I can order up instantly from the comforts of home…they allow us up to 10 at a time but make it almost impossible to keep them for more than two weeks, so it’s just another version of the same problem. And because I get curious about every other day and start sifting through the library catalog again, I always overshoot what I’m capable of reading in the allotted time. Think these are First World problems? 🙂
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Sam, isn’t it crazy how that works? You can be number 10, number 18 and number 30 in line for three different books and they will all three arrive at the same time. When I had my Kindle I didn’t worry much about finishing ebooks by the due date because with Kindle it’s Amazon that erases the book and not the library and Amazon can’t erase the book unless you have your wifi on so you can keep the book as long as you need to. I’m pretty sure Kobo is not going to work that way so I have tried borrowing an ebook yet because I just know it will end up expiring when I’m only halfway through. Definitely First World problems.
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I check out ebooks from the library and i placed 3 on hold. Luckily, I was able to get to two of them. I’ve learned that it doesnt make sense to put a lot of books on hold and automatically check them out because there’s a chance you won’t get to them and there’s only a certain amount of time you can keep them even if you havent picked them up to read. If i were you, I’d limit the amount I place on hold. At least if you limit the amount, you’ll get more books read. Unless you can read that large amount of books in three weeks. lol.
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Fran, most of the books I put on hold are not immediately available so there is no telling when my turn will come round. Inevitably, they come in batches that cannot be planned for. You obviously have much more restraint than I do! 🙂
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Yeah! They’re library books, so it’s not like theyre going to sell out. Thats how i think about it.
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I have 17 on hold. I am going to have to be careful as several of them are newer books that don’t have too many copies. The older books I have on hold are not a problem as some of them may not have even been checked out in the past couple of years 🙂
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vanbraman, it’s the new books that really create the pile up, isn’t it? The older books that haven’t been checked out in who knows how long you can generally renew a few times but those new books have deadlines! 🙂
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I’m the opposite, I’m always adding books to the list but rarely get around to requesting them, then I look at the list and wonder why I added the books and who recommended them!
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Pining, maybe I should start putting books on my list first then only request from the list. Somehow I suspect I’d still end up in trouble! I know about forgetting why a book is on a list though. I’ve got lots of lists and frequently wonder why was I ever interested in that book?
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Oh!! Bravo Stefanie! Bravo!! That was indeed very very commendable. I must take both inspiration and courage and hit the wishlist button more than buy now!! I am truly IMRESSED!!
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cirtnecce, thanks! I’ve made it through two days now and am am already feeling over confident which is dangerous!
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Ooh isn’t it hard work, resisting?! As ever, I began the new year saying, now, no more books, Litlove, and have only been partially successful….. Stay strong for the rest of us to admire! 🙂
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Litlove, so hard! I am managing so far but over the weekend I came within a hair’s breadth of giving in because the book I was going to request already had 40 holds on it. The reasons for clicking request were many but I added it to my list instead.
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Very well done, Stefanie! I go on library bans every once in a while to read more of my books but I don’t know if that really works as I end up buying more books and so the stacks don’t go down! I’m a little jealous though that you can have that many holds at your library. My library caps holds at 5. Yes, 5. Isn’t that just wrong?
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Iliana, thanks! I’ve been managing to not buy lots of books. I am not sure how this has come about but it’s a good thing. Your library caps holds at 5? I think mine caps them at 50 or something. Poor you!
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Is there a term for book addiction? 😉 I know exactly your predicament. I’ve been preoccupied with taking care of elderly parents in the last month (and still am) that I’ve put away many books I ought to be reading, or started and yet to be finished, like Far From the Madding Crowd. And Proust? I’m still trying to find the time to catch up on Lost Time. Indeed, I’m exactly doing it: in search of lost time.
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Arti, I don’t know but if there isn’t there should be! Sorry all your reading time is being used up. I do hope though that your parents are ok. Hopefully soon they won’t need quite so much care as you’ve had to give them of late and you can make up for some of that “Lost Time” 🙂
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I understand this so well! My own library use was getting out of control, too. Remember the comment of taking books back and forth was like a workout all on its own but with little to show for it since I was not reading most of them?! Well, I now have ONE library book at home. Shocking, isn’t it?! I only have six on request plus one ILL requested. The requests won’t likely come in soon since they are all spring books and so the publishing should be staggered. I am quite proud of myself. Though I did look for Ali Smith’s book–was saved since it is already checked out. Maybe I will buy it since I have a few gift cards and it does sound like a keeper…. I hope you are doing well reading through the pile you have out! Self control with books is so hard, isn’t it?
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Danielle, oh yes, I remember your library book workout regiment! Down to one library book at home? Wow! I bow to you on that one! Good job! Have fun spending those gift cards whether or not you end up getting the Smith book 🙂
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