Remember folks, not everything has to generate a profit. Things can exist simply to just exist.
Technically libraries don’t give away books for free, they lend them out but they also pay for them. There’s a reason publishers are more than happy to sell books to libraries, but hate Internet Archive, and that’s because a library can only lend out however many copies of the book they have at a time, but Internet Archive lent out hundreds of generated copies.
Even for ebooks, libraries are limited to how many they can lend out, plus the ebook has an imposed end of life.
I’ve read claims that ebooks are more expensive for libraries than physical books, because of those limitations
Yeah. I think most of them have a lifespan of like 20-30 uses per license.
There’s a library 5 minute walk from me. They have ps5 games on release day. I haven’t bought a game in years.
Guess I’ll check out my library
That’s insanely amazing!
I go through the list and place a hold on a bunch of games and I will get a text every few weeks for a new one. You keep em from 2-3 weeks depending on the game. Last game I played was Star Wars outlaws, a game i would never pay for but for free why not
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Our local library has a maker space with 3D-Printing/Laser-Cutting tools, embroidery, overlock and regular sewing machines. Also half a floor of board games and video games. And the „library of things“ where you can rent whole ass laptops,
beamersprojectors, different cables, hiking backpacks, cameras, sports gear…. Stuff like that. All included in a ridiculously low yearly fee.I love libraries.
What’s a beamer? When I search online it just says it’s a latex document class, which is not a loanable item, or a slang term for a bmw, which would imply a very upscale library
Ugh, sorry, Beamer is one of those stupid English words used in the German language. A Beamer in German is a projector. The most famous example of this is the use of the word „Handy“ for mobile phones in German. It’s an English word but it does not mean the same in German…
Hahaha thank you for the explanation! German talking me was like, what is wrong with beamer?!
This was not worthy of an apology. You’ve done nothing wrong. Who has hurt you? Make them pay.
Thanks for clarifying though! That’s a cool ass word. For clarity I am using the slang “cool-ass” not cool “ass-word”. But it’s less syllables and while both are accurate to what the thing does I think calling attention to the beam of light is cooler, personally.
Also, you may be well aware of this but “handy” is slang for getting a wiener tug and I think I’d giggle a bit every time someone used that terminology. “Oh did you get a handy” they’d say, as I come home from the Vodafone store. “I am not so skilled as to get such a thing from the clerk. I merely got an iphone”. I would laugh at my own jokes, but no one else probably would.
Thanks for going on this journey with me. Sorry if it sounded like I am mocking your language, that is not my intent. If anything I would mock English, as it is the dumbest language and only getting dumber by the day (6-7!)
What’s a ‘six, five thousand and forty’? I will never get meme culture. 😉! (=😉×(😉-1)×(😉-2)×[…]×3×2×1)
FYI, Beamers are also Mercedes Benz
Meanwhile authors, who you might imagine might be most upset at their books being “given away” by libraries, actually love libraries and are delighted to hear stories of people checking their books out.
Can confirm. I wrote to an author asking what I the best way I can support her because I have so limited space in the place I currently in. She said buying physical books is the best, but I was surprised to learn that borrowing books from libraries is also a big help. Authors don’t make much from ebook sales.
Respect libraries
I love my local library. I just checked out a bunch of records that I’ve never heard on vinyl, and since my home Internet is currently shut off, I’ve been checking out a mobile hotspot once a week and plugging it straight into my router
free mobile hotspot?! that is awesome
Is this actually a thing rich people say? I’ve never heard it said before.
Morda in polish is a colloquialism for mouth
Kutas is a bad word for cock
Make of that what you will
Libraries are far from free
Yet another pedant “But taxes!!!1!”
C’mon man. We all know. This is not an edgy take.
Private libraries exist. Some are very expensive (e.g. a classic car library).
Must it be edgy?
You intended it to be.
Mind-reader.
And if they aren’t, I’ll gladly pay for them
Currently my taxes do pay for them.
I’d quibble that any organization that acts to spread knowledge qualifies as free in the sense of expanding freedom of choice, and argue thus that if their operational costs as a public nonprofit have to be expressed as an at-cost service (or reasonably priced and used to subside their other related operations) - that’s still a meaningful free in multiple ways.
But on a more basic level - yeah, it is shameful that libraries (broadly speaking) often have to operate like they’re badly managed businesses. But that arguably in most cases is not the fault of the library itself but on society (late stage capitalism, billionaires and the other usual suspects).
Tl;dr: You’re not wrong, but also is that really the hill you wanna plant your flag in?
They are free in the same sense as anything else that is free in a shared universe with finite available resources
Freedom isn’t free.
Want to drive in a world with roads that won’t destroy your car? Taxes. Want to live in a world where people are free to stab you without worrying of repercussions, if not, taxes. Want to live in a country with a strong economy and workforce, if so taxes.
Exactly. I have no problem paying taxes.
I dont have one in my area :(
My place is too small to keep a lot of books, so the library has become my new extended bookshelf. It’s a pretty short walk from my place too, which is nice.
Based
IRL convo I had just the other day:
Sister: “Can you loan me some money and take me to the bookstore?”
Me: “Why?”
Sister: “So I can get a book.”
Me: “Why not check it out from the library?”
Sister: “I want to keep the book.”
Me: “Why not check it out from the library, and then never return it?”
/S
becsuse apparently nothing is absurd enough anymore to actually notice when the intent is humor.
Lol, just yaRrr it… at least then you don’t deprive someone else of a copy
There’s nothing wrong with buying something if you feel it is a good value, especially if you plan to keep it in the long term.
Much better than stealing from our public services.
If you intended it as a joke, can you please add a /s or something to indicate it is a joke, when it’s not obvious? It does not read as a joke to me, but as a serious comment. It can be difficult to understand the author’s intended tone by just reading text.
Thank you!
We shouldn’t have to add /s on a joke. provided it is well crafted and actually funny. But that comment is neither of those things. Even adding /s doesn’t help it.
✅Low quality photo
✅High amount of upvotes, with zero comments.
✅ 6 day old account
✅ Expects discussion under a tame, agreeable meme
nvm just an engagement baiting clown
I recently blocked this guy actually cause his post history is horrendous. It’s giving 14 year old on 4chan with some of them.
Is that their own instance? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.
The low quality is because it’s free from the library
Speaking of which, this meme is overdue.
