Although I have given this information a few times in postings, I thought it best to post this as a separate topic.

USE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY'S INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROGRAM TO GET THOSE QUILTING (and other) BOOKS WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY THEM FIRST. I cannot tell you the thousands of dollars I have saved over the years getting books through interlibrary loan programs. If I really like the book, it goes on my Christmas Wish List or I buy for my library.

Quilting is not INexpensive, and with books costing between $23 and $29 each on average, so much money is spent (lost, wasted) on books that turn out to be not-so-useful after having bought them and spent time looking them over. Even with a return policy, you still have the heartburn of having to return them and you're still out the (ever-increasing) shipping and handling.

CONTACT OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY TO CONFIRM IF THEY HAVE AN INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROGRAM. I haven't found one yet that doesn't, but there's always room for the exception. This service is not advertised widely, and it used to be limited only to doctoral candidates and grad students. So many library systems offer this service to all library card holders now, and the majority of library systems have this service online.

(1) GET THE FULL TITLE OF THE BOOK, AUTHOR, YEAR OF PUBLICATION and ISBN NUMBER or as much of this information as you possibly can. I look up the books on Amazon.com for this.

(2) GIVE THIS INFORMATION TO THE LIBRARY WORKER who will put in the request for this book through their interlibrary loan system.

(3) IF THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE, THE LIBRARY WILL CONTACT YOU (typically) WITHIN 2 WEEKS OR SO. Sometimes there is a fee associated with the book, but in all the years I've been doing this, I've never had to pay one. EACH LENDING LIBRARY HAS ITS POLICY ON HOW LONG YOU CAN KEEP THE BOOK, sometimes 2 weeks, sometimes up to 6.

(4) FYI - most libraries can process the requests ONLY if the book is more than 6 months old. But even if your request is denied/cancelled because the book is too new, make a note of this and try again in a few months.

This is so true! Many books have, at most, one pattern that you want to do. I can't tell you how many I have bought based on description and cover and then feel like I totally wasted my money. Now I check the library or at least check Connecting Threads where you can see the inside of the book (if current).

Don't forget the free exchange sites either. I like http://bookmooch.com/ You can list the books you can't use and earn points to get books you want.

Love getting books from the Library. Stated out with my son and his vastly expanding reading world. Then thought why can I not use this same resource for my quilting. Have not got many from them yet, have to many projects started now and am not looking for any new. But when I want to check out a new book, this is the first play I am going!!

Thanks for the post and letting everybody know about this.

Another site that a fellow Quilting Board member recommended is paperbackswap.com

I'm now a member there and it's great. It's not free, but at approx. $2.22 worth of postage, I can earn a point for a nice phat quilting book.

Granted... that most of the book swap sites... the books are older books. Very rarely are they 2012 editions.

Good evening,
My library even subscribes to quilt, knitting, and beading, magazines for anyone that might be interested.

Nancy
quilter711

this is an excellent idea. there are so many quilting books at our library, it would keep me busy a very long time.

I can request the books on-line through my library and interoffice library loan system. I can request them while sitting at home and I know if/how many others have requested the same book and how many copies are available. I get emailed when the book arrives at my library but for people who can't drive/get to the library, they actually deliver the books to the house.

Love the library, for so many things! A good way to enjoy your tax dollars! :thumbup:

I go to my library and read the newest quilting magazines while I down load ebooks and then if I find a pattern I like I copy it for 15 cents a page. Cheaper than buuying a magazine and not really liking anything in it.