Please, read responsibly...

Please don't do this with your library (or any) book!

More eloquence about libraries...

More from author Jon Katz, who writes often about the value of public libraries on his blog:

"Fight for libraries. We need libraries as well as banks and insurance companies. We ought not let libraries vanish into the corporatist maw of layoffs, profits and budgets. What is at stake in many ways is our humanity, the traditions, records and stories that embody our culture and aspirations, the things that give us context and meaning."

Library Value Calculator

How much do you save by using your local library's services? Instead of buying books, books on cd, downloadable audio books, DVDs, or periodicals, borrow them from your local library. If we don't have an item you need we can borrow it from any library in the state (and beyond)! And don't forget to factor in all the programs you attend at the library. Click here to see how much you've saved this year.

What do you think?

The library at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass. is getting a complete makeover. Administrators at the school have decided to give away all of the library's traditional books in favor of three large-screen tvs, laptop-friendly carrels, and 18 electronic readers. Oh, and a coffee shop with a $12,000 cappuccino machine. Is this the library of the future or is there a place for books made out of paper that you can browse on a shelf? Read the entire article here.