I like to buy from independents when I can - especially The Children's Bookstore in Roland Park and Daedelus at Belvedere. I also shop at Amazon and Borders, especially when I have a coupon or when the books are on sale. I tend to buy mostly children's books, and use the library for my own reading.

Cleo, I'm with you ... most of my book purchases are gifts, and Daedelus has great bargains. --- lfk.

I purchase books about four or five times per year from Strand Books in NYC. If you know what you want you can get both new/used, hardcover and paperback at 50% or more off cover. A great place to buy and great service.

People buy books?

Library for new releases; yard sales and thrift stores for the rest.

Thx, MrRational! -- lfk.

I've gone "green". I use my Kindle!

W, I just revealed I live in the dark ages ... should have included that as an option on the blog! --- lfk.

I chose other because I couldn't choose more than one response. In the last 2 years, I've bought books at used bookstores, independent bookstores, Costco, national chains, and online. I use them each differently. If I'm buying gifts that need shipping or books for work, I tend to buy online. I use used and independent stores for browsing or if an author I'm interested in does a reading. I use Costco and chains to find specific books. I haven't used the library in years, mostly because, due to budget cuts, the one where I live doesn't buy as many of the bestsellers or any of some of the less popular books I like to read.

cabterp, I guessing most people use a variety of sources ... I'm such a procrastinator I usually have to default to brick-and-mortar stores for gifts, but enjoy libraries when researching a particular topic and independents and used stores when I'm browsing. I almost never buy online ... although I guess I do browse. --- lfk.

I go to Borders to browse, drink coffee, and surf the Internet but not to buy except when I have a 30-40% coupon.

I buy online for the lowest price. Fiction mass market paperback at ecampus.com. Nonfiction trade paperback at amazon.com. Occasionally, hard-to-find or out-of-print at half.com. Libraries do not have the selection.

Borders has such a better selection of books than B&N. I love shopping at Borders and they send me coupons too. I hope they reconsider closing.

I like to buy from Borders or Politics and Prose. I like the Borders at White Flint. It's a nice store and good place to have coffee.

I used to work at a Waldenbooks that was shutdown 6 years ago and I hold no ill will against them for shutting that store. In my opinion the mall owners were incompetent. That's then. However I am highly disappointed that they have chosen to "right size" and put people out on the street in an economy with 10% unemployment for the sake of short term profitability. People who probably are struggling as is, working on a part time basis who will unlikely be eligible for Unemployment. Whose severance if it is the same as mine will, to the best of my memory, be 2 weeks pay. Does this "right sizing" ever actually work long term for a company?