Also, librarians will usually be happy (if not delighted) to get you a book they don't have on-hand. You're not bothering them!
this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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You should also know that libraries spend most of their budget not on actual physical books, maintenance, or staff but on subscription fees to the digital library platforms they have. I learned this about my university library and I suspect it's probably the same elsewhere, especially libraries on college campuses.
At mine the computer search will tell you if other libraries in the system have it and you can request it right there and if enough requests come up for a book they don't own they tend to get a copy.
I bring this up like every chance I get, but check out Libby if you don't want to go to the library. You just link your library card and you have access to tons of books, audio books, and magazines. I also just found out about Hoopla a couple days ago and will be checking that out as soon as I go get my library card renewed tomorrow. Same principle, access to your library's stuff, but also includes music and movies as well.
Yeah it's cool but personally I don't really like ebooks
The issue I have with Hoopla is that you can't read on an ereader as far as I can tell. You need to read books through their app on your phone. I much prefer e-ink so I avoid Hoopla if I can
Depends on your e-reader! If you have a Kindle, Kobo, or Nook, yes, that’s true. However:
Boox has e-readers that run Android and you can install Hoopla. The Palma 2 is phone sized which is great. The Page, Leaf2, and Go 7 are all in the 7” form factor, plus they have 6” versions. And they have tablet sizes, too. They have both traditional black&white and color e-ink displays.
I have the Boox Air 3C and the original Palma and both are great. I’ll likely get a Boox as my next standard sized e-reader, too (whenever I replace my Kindle Oasis). Though unless the technology drastically improves before then, it’ll be one with a black and white screen. (The color is nice in the tablet sizes, though, especially for comics from Hoopla.)
Some other options that I’m less familiar with include:
- Bigme has Android 7” color e-readers, as well as tablets and e-ink smartphones.
- Meebook has e-readers that run Android (and Android e-ink tablets)
- The MuSnap Aura C is a 10” Android e-ink tablet
- XPPen has an 11” Android e-ink tablet
You can also have them send you, as well as return them yourself, through the mail.
UK as an adult you often have to pay for this per request and there is a limit on the number you can request at once. As it can take weeks or even months to complete while you wait for your turn in the queue so it makes it very hard to stack requests.
As a kid I used to love this service as it was free without real request linits and a lot faster. I could just pre order books that hadn't come out.
I stopped using my local library because of it as their planned fiction book selection is basically large print romance or war stories or westerns.
ILL is the older system, where you make the request to the library and they go try to find it.
There's a newer "Link+" service where you can do the search yourself and request delivery to specific branches. Supported by a lot of member libraries, for example: https://sfpl.libanswers.com/faq/103121
In our library system, they don't put Link+ holds with normal holds. You have to go ask someone to look. We get an email that it's arrived and we have 3 days to pick it up.
At my local library you can do it through their library system website or the librariana will do it for you if you're there in person. It's really great.
Interlibrary loan is the coolest thing, because they bring the book to your library so you don't have to go elsewhere!
You can even request books that neither has, they have lists of books to acquire!