The Higher Cost of Building a Psychology Library!

A few years ago, I wrote a little article on  “How to build your own Psychology library.”  Times have indeed changed and I thought I should update my story with a blog on this changing subject. I hope this answers some of the questions I have been asked over the years.

As with all hobbies, collecting what has now become rare textbooks can become an increasing challenge. The scarcity and the rising costs can make building your library difficult at best. However, there are a couple of compromises we can make:

1) Although a first edition might be desirable, a later edition can provide much to the reader at a significantly lower price. Later editions do become pricey as they too become rare.

2) You have to know what you want. Do you want a copy to be placed under glass or a ‘working copy’ to read and study for yourself? Often you can buy loose originals to use as ‘working copies’… and restore them later if need be.

3) Be patient. The copy you want may not be available when you want it. Make a list of the books you desire and watch the used book sites, but be prepared to buy immediately should it become available!

My favorite used book site is :  Abebooks.com

4) Buy new reprints. Sometimes you can’t or don’t want to buy the originals; however, some of the ‘old masters’ have been republished inexpensively. It is better to have access in your library to a modern reprint than not.

For me, a library is not an ‘financial investment,’ nor is it a ‘hobby.’ It is a way to read the history of my subject in the original and walk a few steps in the shoes of those who have traveled before us. A library is a living time machine.

Laura

Pictured above is the now expensive William James classic “Principles of Psychology.”