The Columbus Public Library system has had to cut its budget by $8.5M this year, which will mean fewer library hours, fewer media materials (back to 1988 levels!! - that sucks!), and no pay increases for its staff. This is incredibly disheartening news for anyone who uses the library system here in Columbus, Ohio. The library system is one of the few shining glimmers of culture in this city, in my opinion, and to see our state economy suffering so much that we would lose this wonderful resource is truly a devastating blow for my wife and I personally, and for many of our friends in this city.

However, I have learned one important thing lately, and that is that adversity brings creativity. So I have been thinking of some alternatives, as has my wife, on how we might deal with this library situation. (The two of us usually spend about $40/person a year in fines, and check out at least 300 books per year because we are avid library visitors.) Of course there is always Amazon.com or Audible.com - but I don't want to buy every book that I wish to read or peruse. My wife suggested that the library should just change their membership policy, so that people like us could pay for various membership levels that would allow us to check out more books, and keep them for longer. Great idea!

And guess what? It already exists! It's called Bookswim.com, and they have four different pricing plans. Unfortunately, the prices seem a little steep (they range from $20-$40 per month, and the highest plan only lets you have 11 books checked out at one time), but it's at least worth a look. The one thing I haven't determined is whether they carry the harder-to-find books that the Columbus Public Library does not currently carry in their inventory. If they do, then it is worth a look.

Does anyone have any experience with Bookswim.com? If you do, please comment about your experiences with it so far.

www.bookswim.com/register.html