To Buy or To Borrow?

[hbeels]

I tend to write in my books a lot, so I generally like to own my own--but it seems a little ludicrous to purchase every one assigned/suggested in grad school.

Do you buy or borrow your books? Which ones and why?

[theregalrenegade]

I buy the inexpensive ones and borrow the expensive ones...usually. If I know a certain book will be integral to have for the long haul, I'll buy it. Even if it's pricey.

[unforth]

I tended to buy everything, but if I knew I would need a book til later in the semester instead of right atthe beginning I would order it as cheaply as possible from a used online source.

Next time, I'll probably go with a more careful selection, though - I tend to highlight my books, too, but owning everything is just too much - I'm gonna buy what seems important and borrow the rest; I figure I can always buy a few additional if it turns out I've misjudged...

[Safferz]

I've been wondering about this too. I bought all of my books in undergrad, but I don't think I can afford to do that in grad school with the amount of books we're expected to read per class. But there also aren't enough copies in the library for everyone to borrow either... (and I've never been a fan of short term reserve because I prefer reading at home and the books are often signed out by someone else when I go in )

Maybe I'll just have to figure out how to purchase most of my books cheaply. I'll need a lot of them for orals second year, anyway.

[uhohlemonster]

Amazon used can be pretty cheap. I'd buy the ones that are key in your field, or in some way "classic," and try to borrow others. It also depends on you - do you like going back to books? Do you want a library of your own? But yeah, amazon used, as soon as the syllabus gets into your hands.

[StrangeLight]

borrow. if you can't write in the margins of the book, then it forces you to take more thorough notes, which ends up being more useful for comps prep. if you just write your notes in the book, you'll have to re-read it to prepare for your comps exams. and when you're tested on 100-200 books, re-reading them all (or flipping through them and trying to decipher 3-4 year old chicken scrawl in the margins) is neither useful nor desirable.

[Riotbeard]

I buy about 90% of all the books. I do a lot of price comparing when I order my books from used websites, so I am usually on spending 300-400$ a semester

[TMP]

It depends. I always bought books for my courses as those 3-hours-on-reserve books were too much of a hassle for me as I tended to focus really well in coffee shops and I didn't want to lose time walking.

For my subfield and particular interests, absolutely. Especially if i know that these are the kind of books I'd assign to undergrads and would want to keep them on my shelf for reference.

I always use Amazon.com for used books and I also take advantage of deep discounts at conferences (and free shipping!).

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

I've been wondering about this too. I bought all of my books in undergrad, but I don't think I can afford to do that in grad school with the amount of books we're expected to read per class. But there also aren't enough copies in the library for everyone to borrow either... (and I've never been a fan of short term reserve because I prefer reading at home and the books are often signed out by someone else when I go in )

Maybe I'll just have to figure out how to purchase most of my books cheaply. I'll need a lot of them for orals second year, anyway.

Interlibrary Loan! I've heard from numerous grad students that it's saved them a ton of money, and it seems like an especially good option for books you don't anticipate having to scour over again for orals.

[Sigaba]

I prefer to buy. Over the years, I've become more discriminating in my choices and more willing to buy used books on line. For me, one of the chief advantages of buying the book is that when you need to book, you have the book. (And often, at least in IME, I need a book for something that I initially did not think was too critical a point.)

(Er, that is, until you have so many books that you have them in storage. But that's another issue.)

YMMV.

[Katzenmusik]

I've been buying all books assigned for classes (and a few for research -- but only the ones I think I'll refer to again and again). My home is completely overwhelmed by books! At some point I'll weed through them and resell the ones I don't think I'll be using in the future via Amazon or local used bookshop.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Katzenmusik

[runaway]

I've been taking mental notes of what books friends in my field have read for quals and have started looking out for them cheap/used. Also, I get anything available on Kindle. Being able to search through notes and highlights is pretty much the best thing ever.

[unforth]

I was just about to post that about Kindle! I remembered about it this morning. I agree completely - the highlighting/searchability/notes are AWESOME, I've just started using Kindle for that...

[hbeels]

I'm a little old school for kindle... I need something tangible to hold!

Buying the books that are intergral to my thesis/dissertation and the classics in my field is a no-brainer. I suppose I'm more concerned about the sources I don't think I'll be using much. Oh well. I'll likely end up buying most of them if only for fear I'll need them later.

That's a great point about the notes though, StrangeLight--I'd probably benefit from writing more out than scribbling in the margins.

[unforth]

I thought of another vote in favor of Kindle - many older books are either VERY cheap or free. I got my copy of On War for a dollar. Historiographical works from the early 20th and 19th century and older are often available at no cost. And one doesn't need to own a Kindle (or equivalent e-reader) - you can read them using Apps for smart phones or tablets (I use my iPad) or readers on a computer.

(it was a tough transition, but having to move 8 times in 5 years made me much less attached to 50 boxes of books, and helped me make the switch to digital... )

Edited April 24, 2012 by unforth

[crazedandinfused]

I'm a little old school for kindle... I need something tangible to hold!

Hear, hear. Plus, beef probably kills more trees than do books. I love beef as well. I'm not a very tree-friendly tree-hugger it appears. The stench of hypocrisy is surprisingly delicious.

Edited April 24, 2012 by crazedandinfused

[Sigaba]

I've been taking mental notes of what books friends in my field have read for quals and have started looking out for them cheap/used. Also, I get anything available on Kindle. Being able to search through notes and highlights is pretty much the best thing ever.

Relying heavily on the highlighting and marginalia of a book's previous owner may be a double-edged sword, especially if one is preparing for qualifying exams.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Sigaba

[annieca]

On a Kindle you can make your own notes so you don't ever worry about the "previous owner's" marks. Granted, if you're using used books, then yes, that's a potential problem.

I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to book buying. I cannot, and will not, buy books if they've been marked in. Other people's highlighting is the worst.

But come whenever book lists come up I make an Excel spreadsheet with the book and then comparison's for about 10 different places - bookstore, new; bookstore, used; bookstore, rental; Amazon; Chegg; Campus Book Rentals, etc. That way I know I'm getting the cheapest price possible on a book.

I'm also a big fan of renting. I know this is somewhat less feasible for those who will eventually be taking quals, but it definitely saves money and precious apartment space!

[Sigaba]

I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to book buying. I cannot, and will not, buy books if they've been marked in. Other people's highlighting is the worst.

You are not alone. (Although I recently did bend from this sensibility to buy one book that had a handful of check marks in pencil.)

[theregalrenegade]

I find other people's highlighting and marginalia interesting, not necessarily distracting. I like being able to see what people are thinking as they read a text. It doesn't bother me one bit.

Edited April 25, 2012 by theregalrenegade

[TMP]

You are not alone. (Although I recently did bend from this sensibility to buy one book that had a handful of check marks in pencil.)

Third! I'll buy used but will read the comments carefully to make sure they're "like new" inside.

[hbeels]

I think I'm going to have to just bite the bullet and buy a little bit more expensive books. I customarily just get whatever is the cheapest and usually end up with marked/highlighted copies. And that drives me crazy. Have you noticed that the previous owners always seem to underline the irrelevant information?

(insert giant sigh) I wish I wasn't so picky.

[sandyvanb]

I usually buy my books, I like to know that they are mine. Also, deadlines from the library or ILL stress me out!

[Lola Wants]

I buy all of my books because it ends up being more convenient in the end but then again I'm in a master's program and not a Ph.D program so the reading load is significantly less. I always get my history books from Amazon and they are mostly used unless the prices between the new and used books are similar. In my opinion it's just better to pay an extra dollar for a new book. I always get paperback (naturally this is cheaper) and I try to get cheap ones labeled "Like New" within the used category because they usually don't have highlighting and writing in them.

One has to beware of how long it takes to get books from interlibrary loan as well. I just ordered six books through ILL and while I thought I would get them in a short period of time since all of the books were available at surrounding universities this was not the case. It took two weeks for me to get all six books that came at different times from different institutions and none of them came from surrounding university libraries! One of the books was from out of state which was ridiculous since the books were at surrounding institutions but this highlights the precariousness of ILL if libraries in the area do not participate in lending to other schools.

[StrangeLight]

man... some of the books that have been on my reading lists have either been over $150 or not available in the US, even online (the costa rican press doesn't seem to make it this far north). y'all will learn to love the ILL a little more, particularly when you're buying 40-45 books a semester just for classes and your stipend has disappeared.

another added bonus for typed notes: those are keyword searchable, like the kindle. but they're more extensive than the notes you can take in a kindle. in seminars, when a prof asks about a book from 2 months ago, while your colleagues flip through handwritten notes or try to remember because they don't have that book with them, you can keyword search the document and have a specific answer right away. not that you always need to have an answer, or have it first, but when no one else can pull it, coming up with a precise response can kill one of those brutal moments of silence in a seminar.