Telorand@reddthat.com 2 months ago
On a related note, if you are fortunate enough to have a public library where you live (like many of us in the US), avail yourself of their resources. They often offer a lot more than just books.
It’s perhaps not fully in the spirit of the author, since you don’t solely own that either, but in the US at least, they’re unique public institutions owned and run by local government, not state or federal. So in a sense, you own it insomuch as your community owns it and you continue to be a part of that community.
stellargmite@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If we have to pay for access to something we then don’t own, we may as well do it as a collective. So public libraries. Librarians in my country and city are excellent curators and, information and topics on display are more interesting and less insulting than what a pyramid scheme’s algorithm thinks I should ‘buy’ next. They’re often topical, relevant to our local community and timely. Libraries and librarians have a vested interested in books being good for us, and the service being useful to individuals and community, which goes beyond physical books also as you say. Amazon is in a race to the bottom with total disdain and disregard for readers, authors and probably even the sellers.