I love this public library. Yes, the building is older but what is wrong with that? Lots of buildings are old but having been built years ago doesn't mean that it is out of date. This public library but is still a great place to study and read. There's ample seating, plenty of tables, chairs next to a central fireplace. I come here after work to study. My only complaint is the noise level. read more

very helpful people in the front

WOOHOO!! I got a library card!!! Oh yeah, baby. The world is my oyster! Yeah, I love to read. I haven't bought a book in a long while and for the past couple years, have been re-reading my fairly large collection of books and doing the same with my brother's collection. Needless to say. I've run out of shit to read. Obviously I could go back to spending hundreds of $$$ a year on books, like I used to do, but seriously, we're running out of room to put our books. And, call me old fashion. I like having the actual book in my hands than going digital or reading from books on-line. So, like a sensible humanoid, I went out and got me a library card from the OCPL. And, like a kid in a candy store, I had 5 books in my hand in less than 15 minutes and was about to go and check out. "Uh, dude!" I said to me. "You know you can always come back later for those, right?" "Oh yeah!! " I smiled inwardly. "I'm coming back next week!" I also remembered that I only had 3 weeks to borrow a book...not that I takes me 3 week to read 3 books mind you. But, I do have to eat, sleep and work. Hehe... Oh yeah!! I even got me an audio-book for the drive back and forth to work. SCORE!!! Like and decent library, Heritage Park Library is a treasure trove of literary wanders! Damn, I love reading. read more

Irvine Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Irvine, California

Although this is a library, it was oddly quite loud on my most recent visit. There are a number of tables located in the center and many families engaging in full blown conversations - so it's not a place I'd recommend bookworms to study. Nevertheless, this library does have a really good selection of old school dvd's and a hardback books, which is what's most important! read more

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Compared to other libraries in other counties or even different cities, this one kind of pales in comparison. You would think that Irvine would have nicer--and bigger--libraries but somehow Irvine seems content with its small libraries. This place gets pretty crowded on school nights--especially between 2 pm to 6 pm. Good luck finding a desk much less an outlet if you come here to study on a week night. Their computers are extremely slow. A lot of the things they have is outdated...but...I can't help but love this library branch. I want to start off by saying that I grew up going to Heritage Park Library. In elementary school, I went here at least once a week. This increased to about four to five times a week when I went to Irvine High School. When I was little, I attended story time. When I was in middle school, I would use up my hour of allotted internet time on their computers playing Neopets. When I was in high school, I was a volunteer who handed out the prices to little kids that filled out their reading chart. And when I was in college, I depended a great deal on their used bookstore to get literary classics for 50 cents. Back when I discovered how wonderful books were, I rented every single Nancy Drew book I could from this library. Then, I moved on to other children's book series and slowly began to pull every book from the shelf that looked/sounded mildly interesting. Then I learned how to use the online catalog. It went on like this for a few years and even in high school I was stuck in the teen/YA novel section, reading every new book that came in. It was only when I went to other libraries that had bigger teen sections that I realized Heritage Park had a small selection of books to offer. But by then I learned the "Place Hold" tool on the online catalog and getting any book from any branch was easy. Overall, I couldn't give this library a low rating because libraries automatically deserve high ratings. Reading and renting books for free? Encouraging children to read? Offering residents free resources? How can you not love libraries (whether small or old)? Hurray for books and hurray for knowledge! read more

Lame! With about 15 minutes left an announcement was made. "The library will be closing in 15 minutes, please check out your materials prior to closing". Okay that's normal, but then BAM! Over the PA system a Ray Charles song starts playing?? WTF?!!! Is it standard OC library policy to play music before closing? How rude! Everyone around me was either ignoring the music or in a frantic hurry to shut down their laptops and run away from this Kryptonite music. (If this is not normal please let me know so I can notify Managers that over see this library) Seriously??? I know this library always seems to surprise me in a bad way. Yesterday, I saw kids (or teens) playing with a soccer ball in the library and a baby was crying on the opposite side on the library like it was being raped for about 10 minutes. Dear Librarian, do you get paid for your job? THEN DO IT! When I used to work retail back in my teen years I wish I could play loud annoying music to get people to leave before closing, but this is unexcuseable. THIS IS A LIBRARY!!! SHSHHHHH! Yes I know it's Friday before Memorial Day, but what if someone was about to finish their homework or a writer had a wonderful idea that was interrupted. Someone could have finished and the equation to cure cancer, but BAM comes on annoying music. Wrong Place, Wrong time. One more strike Heritage Park and I will never go back to this library. **Everyone should protest next time by playing loud rock or inappropriate Rap music. If we are aloud to play music at the library take advantage of it! Secondly, this is Memorial Day weekend I expect more patriotic music at least. For a full review, please check my previous review for Heritage Park Library. :) read more

Did you know that you can rent DVD's here? Like Game of Thrones? Well now you do. So, if you need a book or a DVD, head to the library! You're welcome. read more

The library (pronounced "lie-berry"), of my childhood. How can I not love this place? I actually came here for the first time in about eight (8!!!!!) years today. And aside from the PCs, the search engine to find books, and all the new items in the library, it hasn't changed that much (um, so... I guess it has changed a bit then). As I went to grab a few books and fill out a library card form (since the last one I used mine was a while back), I waited in line, handed the librarian the form, and waited. After a few seconds she asked "what's your middle name?" I told her and she then stated, "you are here in the system". Wow, how's that for record keeping? I paid the $2 replacement card fee and just before I was on my merry way, she said "oh, you have a fine". Just as she finished the sentence I had that episode of Seinfeld in my mind - the one where the library cop is investigating Jerry for a book he supposedly never returned. Horror instantly took hold of me. But then she said "its 60 cents. From 1995." Hahahahahaha, wow. A 60cent fine from 1995. Yay for upgrading their databases! Anyways, i paid the fine, grabbed my books, and headed out. Lots of good memories in this place, and I was able to add one more to the pool. read more

I came here to donate some books to the library to find that they have a cute little used bookstore attached to it too! If you want to donate your books you donate it in the bookstore, not inside the actual library. They'll give you a tax receipt too. Of course I decided to browse through used books, and though the selection is small I found several interesting gems, all for $1-2! I bought The Namesake, The Pilot's Wife, and the Mermaid Chair. These books were at one point, all New York Times Bestseller's! Their used book sections include fiction, psychology, school textbooks, business, self-help, and history to name a few. read more

We keep discovering new areas of this library, like the nice patio in the back. They have a huge selection of books, graphic novels, magazines and DVDs. It is also our hub to the 30+ libraries in the Orange County Public Libraries system. Let me tell you why I am madly in love with OCPL. Over the years I have kept an Amazon wish list (and I emphasize WISH) of about 70 books I really want to read, from classics to very recent best sellers. The dollar amount of those books is in the 1000s. So far, I have been able to fill my OCPL list with more than 50 of those titles, and as a bonus, the whole Hayao Miyazaki animation collection! It is crazy that every time I come across a book I will want to read in the future, I search here and they have it! Did I mention all of this is FREE and manageable online? You can also pay 25c and they bring any title to the OCPL library of your choice. Wow! read more

Irvine Public Library - Small, but powerful card, and 2 year-old learning to love books! - Libraries Near Me - Irvine, California

Great Library. Love it. There is a park behind it with a pond and ducks. My grandson enjoys the story time and playing at the park.

Oh the good old days of childhood when my mom would take me and my sister to this place. I remember looking through the aisles and checking out a pile of books that end up being taller than me! This place is still great! The online database is really helpful, if you want to "act smart" and see if the books you're interested in are available at the library. I used to find books for the library to "hold" for me to pick up, which only costs 25 cents. Not bad. The librarians are friendly and helpful. My sister had to do a school project, and one of them (this nice old Asian lady) at the service desk helped her to the computer and recommended various search engines and tips on how to research her topic. Now, isn't that nice? There's plenty of magazines and DVD and VHS (yup! if you're old school!) rentals that you can check out for only 1 week. Otherwise, you can check out books for a longer period. This is a great location for bookworms like me and also for families to spend quality time together. I recommend visiting this place during the summer for those with families, since there are summer reading programs! read more

This is a lovely library for children. I've come here a few times and I always see families here reading together. There is free wifi and a lot of seating, which I usually see filled with students. The atmosphere is very quiet and clean. There is a large selection of books and they usually sell a lot of children's books for a quarter each. Just outside the library is a playground, pools, baseball field, and tennis court. There are also a lot of Asian books in various Asian languages. There is a strong Asian community here, and many tai chi groups come to visit early in the morning. read more

Irvine Public Library - Very quiet library that seems to be fairly busy. Lots of children and older people playing Pokemon outside. - Libraries Near Me - Irvine, California

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We had some time to kill before going over to my aunty's house for dinner so we stopped by this library to enjoy the cool airconditioning and relax a bit. They were really friendly and opened an account (internet only as I requested because I wasn't going to borrow any books) so I could use the computer. There weren't many computers, only 8 of them which were internet accessible, but I was able to get on one about 5 minutes of wait time. Only drawback is that you can only log in once a day and use time is only an hour, so you can't log off after 5 minutes and then try to log back on again. There is a really nice children's section as well as a bookstore where you can purchase copies of used library books at a fraction of the cost. We bought 3 books for 80 cents!!! What a bargain. It is a rather small library, but the service was just exceptional. UPDATE: If you choose to use wifi with your laptop it kinda sucks because the connections is very iffy. It drops when you're in the middle of something and then you're not able to get back on. I spent the entire afternoon trying to do some work but ended up only completing about 10% of it. read more

Outdated library. Slow internet. Tables do not have outlets. And a lot of homeless. There needs to be more individual tables with outlets instead of large outdated tables. read more

This library has some bad juju or something going on with it. Every time I visit -- which isn't often, because bad juju -- I get this weird feeling. It might be the security guard standing at the entrance, staring at everyone. Which brings me to: Why does this library need a security guard? It is located in Irvine, for goodness sake. It's next door to a fire station. What in the world is going on in the library to warrant hiring security? I've visited many libraries all around Orange County and have never seen security guards at any of them. Why this one? Also, the children's books are in terrible shape. A lot of them are dirty, torn or missing pages. I understand that kid's books see a lot of wear and tear, but these books are just plain neglected. read more

A great place to purchase inexpensive books. And each purchase supports the local library - which makes you feel good. It's also a nice option for recycling books which make be accumulating on your shelves. HINT: Children's books make great baby and birthday gifts. read more

If you want a place to hang out, great, come here. it's noisy and lots of kids running around. But if you're looking for a quiet place to study, do not waste your time here. It's been a few years since I was here because of the insane noise level, but today I had an hour I had to spend between appointments and figured I'd stop here and get a little studying done. Yeah, as I type this, the librarians are speaking loudly to the patrons. I want to scream "USE YOUR GOD DAMN INDOOR VOICE". Children are running around like this is a playground. Do not waste your time here and instead go to Newport Beach Library. That one is actually quiet and peaceful. I'll not be coming here again unless I want to hang out with friends and there are no coffee shops free. I've been to restaurants that are quieter than this place. I'm pretty annoyed as I used to love this library a decade ago. read more

Like some of the other writers have pointed out, I too am surprised that Irvine doesn't have more modern, upscale libraries. I stepped into the University Park Library last week and it was pretty dumpy. The Katie Wheeler Library is posh but, Jesus, it's kind of a joke how small it is. Heritage Park Library is not fancy at all but it's passable as far as aesthetics; it looks like about 1985. I was looking for some short story books and their selection is very good. A nice librarian even walked me over to where it was. I think there's even a fireplace too. I guess my only criticism is that the parking sucks. It gets crowded too. Shit, where I live in Fullerton has a newly renovated library and Irvine doesn't. One thing Fullerton has that Irvine doesn't, haha. Maybe one day the Irvine Company will build a contemporary library for the city. You'll have to pay $3 for every 15 minutes of parking and a library card will cost $500. I could see that. read more

It's my first time visiting this library and I had a great experience. The staff are very friendly and helpful, which I love. I had a lot of questions about the books that I was looking for and it's great to know that the staff are very knowledgeable about the facility. A lot of children and young teens come here to study so you might find this library full most of the time. If you're looking for a very quiet place to get some work done, I wouldn't recommend coming here. The noise level isn't too loud nor distracting but it is there. This might be something you'd want to consider so plan accordingly. Parking is so easy. There's a huge parking lot! read more

I attended an orientation in the room near the entrance/bookstore and explored the rest of the library after the meeting. The parking lot was very crowded. There's a drop box by the door that's accessible 24 hours (very convenient). There are lots of round tables at the entrance and desks scattered around the rest of the library. Good place for study groups since it seems like they allow open conversations (no one was really whispering). I browsed the new releases and classics before walking through the fiction aisles. There's a huge selection of books! Lots of self-checkout stands too. Not the most convenient location for me, but one of the better OCPL collections I've come across. read more

4 stars for its wide selection of foreign language titles! I love public libraries and the services they provide. I dropped by to browse their Japanese book selection, by far the most comprehensive in the oc public library system. There are many Korean and Chinese books too. Foreign language dvds are available if you're so inclined. Check the library catalog! I was able to find a cool Japanese children's book to practice my Japanese with. Sure, this library may not be the most modern, or the most beautiful, but it's completely free. The grounds it's located on are gorgeous - lots of open green space and fresh air. Parking can be a little difficult, but there is dedicated library parking. Come on a weekday if you're worried about parking. I dropped by at about 4pm on a weekday and was able to find library parking easily. If you're looking for a beautiful and modern place to study, I would recommend "private" city libraries like Newport Beach or Mission Viejo. Both are completely free. This public library on the other hand deserves at least 4 stars for its selection. read more

Public libraries deserve 5 stars, almost purely for existing! I only started coming to this OCPL branch after the Tustin Library closed down, but in general am happy with it. *Parking is fine though the park itself and tables in the library can get crowded during peak times *I appreciate lots of self - checkout stations *Though I will say I don't love that the book drop is only open when the Library is closed *I dislike OCPL's policy of charging $0.25 to hold books (is free in LA), but understand and like that you can accumulate up to $5 ($10?) before paying *They're pretty quick to put back hold books if you don't pick them up in time, so just realize that if the email says Pickup Before X Date, if you go in on X Date, the book will be gone already (I know, I know, "before means before") read more

I'm so irritated with my experience that I'm writing a review first thing now that I'm at home. Today I wanted to go over to a library to study for my finals and also research some books for my research paper, so I went over to the Heritage Library. This is the library that I grew up going to and I remember coming here frequently with my mom when I was in elementary school. I also got tutored here in the children's section and back then I always knew that the other side with all the long tables were considered the "adult section" because everyone seemed to quietly be reading or studying. Fast forward 15+ years to today, this place is a far cry from a library. Back then the librarians would ask us to quiet down or leave if we were being rowdy in any section of the library, but now they don't even bother. All the circle tables were filled with high school students talking loudly and even the long tables in the back section were filled with chatty teenagers that weren't studying. I wanted to rip out my hair because I could hear them over the music blasting in my headphones. I'm the type of person that can't study unless it's quiet, so if there's some loud jabbering going on I'll be fighting my brain on drowning out their mindless high school banter. It was bad enough that no other secluded area was available so I was stuck between two tables filled with 6+ people talking and laughing loudly nonstop. I guess this generation doesn't tell their kids to pipe the f*%$ down in libraries or teach them the proper library etiquette. If you're in high school and want to chat with your friends, go to a Barnes and Noble since all of you repeatedly love to ruin the environment there for everyone trying to quietly enjoy a good book. No one needs the same thing happening in a library. read more

Old, outdated, not peaceful at all....I travel 26 minutes to experience a clean peaceful ambiance that has an up to date class at the mission viejo library when heritage is only 11 minutes from my house. I know mistakes can happen, but I but I was charged for not returning a book1 (at heritage), but I called them and had them check their shelves for it. Sure enough, they had it on their shelf. read more

I am very disappointed with my experience at the Heritage Park Regional Library. It was disappointing to walk into a library that looks disrespected, and not kept well. First off, the library is dusty, old, hasn't been vacuumed in ages, and the bathrooms are even worse. Granted I am using the Men's Room, but I don't understand why the toilet seats haven't been cleaned well, why their are stains and dirt and debris on the ground. Hygiene is extremely important to me, and should be to a place of business especially one funded by the city. THEY HAVE ROACHES!!! I'm not talking a lot of cigarette butts, I am talking actually insect roaches that crawl on your shoes and pants, and create a feeling that you have walked into an establishment that has no pride or respect for what they do, or what they give to the community. I am thoroughly disgusted at the fact that there were insects in the bathrooms. I immediately went to the front counter to inform the librarian, and the two people at the counter looked at me as though I had intentionally left the vermin their myself. A library is a library. People will be there with their children, and children will be inconsiderate of others because they are children. You will find books here, or they can recommend somewhere for you to find them, but if you are looking to go, relax, study or enjoy a quiet time in a CLEAN and Safe Place, I don't believe that you will find it here at the Heritage Park Regional Library. I believe that the staff is very polite and courteous, they are attentive and helpful, but unfortunately that could not save the fact that the establishment is absolutely filthy. I would not recommend that you come to this library, and if you do, avoid the restroom, unless it has been cleaned, and sprayed for vermin. read more

This place is more like a community center than a library. If you just thought "Oh cool," then goooood for you! You're in for a treat. Yes, I've heard they have a great selection of books and a superb staff, but this review is just for the facility. Maaaan this place needs some funding. I started with white flashcards, but after shuffling them on the round tables, they are now one-sided. HAHAHA. No really, I had to toss them out. Pro Tip: Bring Chlorox Wipes if you plan to touch anything. I've also never been inside the restroom, because students have told me it's better to hold it. read more

I do not like this library, the staff is rude and when you ask for help, know one is willing to help nor know where anything is. The children run around the library and are very loud. There is no paper or penciled proved when searching for books. When you try and look for the book that supposedly is on the shelf it's actually not there. Also the library is dirty and cluttered everywhere you look. Management seriously needs to re-evaluate their staff and presence of the facility. read more

I really like the environment here and I come to study everyday to prepare for my tests. However, the way I was treated by the staff just now made me very uncomfortable and I think I have to say it here. I know the library is closed at 9, so at 8:55 I packed all my stuff and went to the bathroom. I spent a few minutes in the bathroom and when I was washing my hands, an Asian lady, around 50 with grey hair and glasses came to the bathroom telling me the library is closed. I told her I was leaving after I finish, she then asked (with her tone up):"finish what???" I told her "finish my job in the bathroom", she then asked:"how long do you think you're gonna take to finish?" Then I told her I was leaving right now and left the library right away. Her attitude towards me made me feel being disrespected since it was quite obvious I was just washing my hands and leaving in a second. I hope the staff working here treat people more nicely to make the library a better place. read more

Terrible experience at this library! A group of teenage boys walked in and sat right behind me-they were as loud as can be! (I was sitting right by the checkout/ customer service counter) and I literally said "SHHHHH!" Indicating I was studying! The employees did NOTHING about this! Very disappointed and will NOT COME BACK!! read more

WHY ARE THE COMPUTERS SOOOOOOOOOOOO SSSSSSSSLLLOOOOWWWWW!!!!!! All I wanted to do was look up on their Library Catalog to checkout a book.... I seriously wasted 30 mins waiting for the page to load so I could search... I finally gave up and just went to the checkout desk... What's the point of these computers if they're not functional??? (I'm not crazy... there were 4 other customers frustrated just like me and they were upset, gave up, and just went to the circulation desk for help... One of them complained about the computers.... ) read more

This is a great place for the kids to get some books. We typically don't check out. Grandma usually takes the kids to buy books from the book store. Great deals on gently used books. The other thing I like here is that they have a supply of Irvine World News, in case you need one. This place has been here so long, and I still prefer it over some of the other locations in Irvine. read more

The things that make me go.. Hmmm? -Don't bother putting something on hold online. I tried doing so and drove to the library thinking I would be in and out. Not the case. The woman who helped calmly informed me that it is best to reserve something by calling the library directly. She proceeded to go find said item and took 20 mins to look for it. If I had the time and energy, I would have found the thing myself..... But my patience was low and I was in my final month of pregnancy. Patience is not a virtue when you're a balloon like crazy woman trying to get errands done within a few hours! -No car return slot? I decided to return a DVD on a rainy weekday afternoon thinking there would be an easy way to drive in and out without walking in the rain. Boy was I wrong. -Terrible parking situation. If you're coming after the kids get out of school, good luck. It is a mad house of cars and children. Don't get me wrong... The lot is huge; however, maneuvering your way to the actual front door of the library can prove to be a tad tricky. -The surroundings of the library are quite serene! There is a pond with duckies and a sand box where little kids can play. Maybe the one redeeming quality of this place. read more

I love this place! Ange C. told me about the Friends of the Library used bookstore attached to the library and it is a little hidden treasure! It's pretty small, but my husband and I both found books there we wanted. We basically spent $3 on $54 dollars worth of books. SCORE! They take book donations here too. One man's trash is another man's treasure. read more

Staff is usually very rude. It doesn't matter if they are not native English speakers. They should still know how to be friendly. On two separate occasions, they did not scan items back in when placed in the book drop. They weren't able to find it and I was held responsible. Finally found the book from the first time. It was not found on the shelf where it should have been. Not in usual places around the counter. It was finally found after me pestering them, on a shelf that was not where it belonged. Now the same thing is happening, with a DVD I borrowed from a different branch and returned in the book drop. I borrowed 3 dvds, all returned together but 1 is missing somewhere. The lady on the phone says maybe I will find it in my car. What the.. I told her no I won't because I returned it with the others! She is insisting it is not there and she had looked for it. She renewed it on my account not even removing the late fee. So what am I supposed to do next week when it is still not there??? read more

It's been a few years and an MLIS since I'd been to IHP, so I came in with a pretty critical eye. Firstly, there are no easily viewable directional signs. You walk into the library (very narrow sliding doors, btw, quite awkward if many people are trying to enter or exit), and there are study tables. I expect signs hanging from the ceiling indicating fiction, non-fiction, children, teens, reference, circulation, or at least some sort of map-like directory telling me where things are. I didn't even see a reference sign on the reference desk. The teen section is the only one neatly and clearly labeled. Where do I return books? Where do I sign up for a computer? Where are the catalog computers? WHY IS THIS SO AMBIGUOUS? I walked past the reference desk a number of times, and neither of the staff members looked up, made eye contact, smiled, or even nodded to acknowledge my presence. The library catalog was extremely slow, to the point that I wasn't sure that it was actually processing my search. The lights in the adult stacks are placed very high above the shelves, creating a shadowly, poorly lit area. There were some cubicles for laptops and people were using them, but I did not find the atmosphere to be welcoming or inviting to stay much longer. This feels to me like a library that has gotten complacent since it is in Irvine and people will come to the library regardless. As the regional library in Irvine, this branch should be setting the bar high for library services in the area; instead, it gives a very poor impression. read more

being the total library nerd I am, I am always borrowing and returning books. Most of the time, the books I want aren't actually at the library so I have to request them online and have them delivered to the library (for each request, you pay a quarter once the book comes in). I don't like the rental section where you can borrow new books for a few days for a buck or so. But the reason I'm giving the library five full twinkling stars is that once my checkbook got jammed into one of the books I borrowed (i have a massive handbag, alright?). Yes, I basically gave the library my blank checkbook, not that there is money in the account, but they wouldn't know. I immediately got several phone calls from the library informing me that they had found the checkbook and reassuring me the checkbook was safe (or really, I probably wouldn't have missed it until my next cable bill was due). My poor baby checkbook. When I rushed back in a panic, they unlocked a safe where they were keeping my checkbook. Very kind - and much more careful than me. read more

Heritage Park regional Libray is located next to Irvine high school. I have had been to this library to study for my college classes, grad entry exam, and now for my grad classes. This library is pretty popular as they are a lot of high school students and also tutors as well. This library does get pretty busy, so if you want a spot then be sure to come early! They usually sell old books for a very cheap and affordable cost. I love it! It's deifntely a place to coem check out books or study. read more

-security: this library has a security guard walking behind u making you as uncomfortable as it gets. -noise: loudest library ever! People are extremely loud talking and laughing and people who work there don't care at all, maybe it's because they're AS LOUD. -wifi: if you're lucky to be there when the wifi is not down, it's extremely slow! Yeah the last time I was there the wifi was down and the staff had no idea when it'll be fixed! So after wasting my time and money driving there, finding a parking space, and trying to connect to wifi for 5-6 minutes I just had to go back home! Clean? No! Desk tops, chairs, and the worst of all... The bathroom are soooooo damn dirty! Note: every Starbucks I've been to is less noisy than this library and their wifi is never down at Starbucks. Just saying! read more

I really like this library because it is small, intimate but not small enough to make you feel like a sardine. I went to their annual bookstore sale and I got great books for insanely low prices (paperbacks for $.25). I can't wait for their next sale :) read more