At the library! Okay, so technically not free because your taxes fund public libraries, but overall a terrific deal!
I left a comment on another blog suggesting the library and then I saw the one after mine and realized, probably not everyone realizes you can access the catalog online and select items for pick-up using your library card. With a PR background, I know libraries have a way to come in promoting their services, but check out the “For a Nickel” marketing campaign Lexington Public Library ran to show what their patrons enjoy.
Remember, don’t borrow your way into prision or let overdue books after your credit score. And as to why libraries have turned to collection agencies, chomp on this bit from The Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac (2005)
A spokesperson for the Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library reported more than 500 patrons each had $300 worth of items overdue, and that the library was losing up to $400,000 a year in materials. After hiring Unique Management Systems, a 10-year-old collection company specializing in libraries, 70 percent of the delinquent patrons contacted were reported to be cooperating with requests to return or pay for their overdue materials. Those who didn’t respond to Unique’s “gentle persuasion†were reported to credit agencies.
