I am a book miser. I *hate* paying for books if I don't have to. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm also a book spider: I find books in order to consume their delicious innards...and only rarely feel the need to keep their husks for future consumption. (Or, more likely, for sharing with others who have yet to taste them.) So, like any book miser, I have plans-of-action to ensure I get my hands---fangs? or is that taking the metaphor too far?---on the books I want.

First, of course, is the library. Convenient, yes, that I work in one? Next is interlibrary loan, which happens to be free in my library system. If those fail, I move on to BookMooch, which though not entirely free, at least allows me to "pay" for my books by sending my unwanted books to others. (Along the lines of the aforementioned sharing with others.) And if that doesn't work, I resign myself to buying the book used. But my soul shrivels a little at the idea.

Fortunately, this rarely happens. I can usually find what I'm looking for by utilizing options one through three. But about a week ago, I found myself perusing used book sites in search of a copy of Patricia C. Wrede's Caught in Crystal. While glowering at Amazon and Alibris and Barnes & Noble, I saw a familiar name listed in the sellers: BetterWorldBooks.

I'm not sure how well they're known outside the library world---or Mishawaka, IN, where they're located---but my library donates our surplus, good-condition materials to BetterWorldBooks. In return, they give us money to spend on new books. That explanation may not quite convey how desperately happy this sort of thing makes us librarians. Money for new books? Very nice. But a place to donate our extraneous books where they'll be resold? Where our customers can't accuse us---with much glaring and righteous indignation---of "throwing away perfectly good books"? *Awesome!* Really, really, *really* awesome!

So I decided to see if BetterWorldBooks had a website where I could buy the book I wanted directly from them. Sure enough: they did. And with no shipping fee, I ended up paying less than I would've paid at any other website, even the ones that listed a used copy of Caught in Crystal for 1¢. I was also informed as I paid for my book that my purchase would allow BetterWorldBooks to donate a book to someone in need. So even though I had to buy my book, it was really more as though I was sharing a book with others. (Plus, my book wrote me a very funny email when it was time to ship itself off.)

All of this to say, BetterWorldBooks is *awesome*. ...And I'm a book miser. And a book spider. But that stuff is kind of incidental to the point. I hope.