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Building your home library? Used hardcover books make that library grow quickly!

Book lovers now find themselves between a rack and a hard place when it comes to buying books. It can be a slow process if you’re starting to build a personal library, not for lack of choices, but due to the expense of each addition. Many people don’t consider the used hardcover book market. While it’s true that in some cases, you want to get the most recent publications, such as in the field of medicine, the majority of books you need for a well rounded personal library can be found in used bookstores.

For example, classic literature, grammar texts and geology books don’t change much in content. If you’ve got kids, such used hardcover books can be found at a fraction of the price of new books, serving as excellent reference resources. History and religion are other subjects in which there are established classics which have yet to be surpassed in quality. Philosophy, humanities and anthropology are yet other additions to your library which can be fulfilled with used hardcover books.

So where’s the best place to begin building your library? Almost every town in America has at least one good used bookstore. Make a habit of browsing these bookstores once a week. You’ll discover some gems this way. Many wonderful books are now out of print, but can be found through used booksellers. Make friends with the bookshop owner, who can lead you to some special finds in whatever subjects you’re seeking.

Public libraries usually have a yearly sale, which they use to make room for newer books to add to their shelves. Often, the used hardcover books are sold by the pound! Many select books are sold for less than a dollar. Garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales are other good resources.

Once you become more practiced in recognizing the better quality used hardcover books, there are thousands of online booksellers, many of whom will find rare and out of print books for you. The eBay market always has a huge and ever-changing inventory of hundreds of thousands of books.

As your library grows, you can fill out areas of your basic collection with some of the more obscure subtopics. For example, your section on cultural anthropology might be supplemented with books more specific in nature and which are of special interest to you, such as a book on the Maori tribe or the indigenous peoples of Australia.

Once you get started, it’s hard to stop. The more you learn, the more you want to know. Our natural curiosity is hard to squelch. You’ll also be surprised at how often your kids will gravitate towards a book, rather than the TV. Have fun!

Get started with some Classic Literature and Classic Books