Stroke of Genius or Oxymoron?

The library rental.  I looked briefly for an article or rant or something about this phenomenon, but a search for "library book rental" just turns up a bunch of Netflix-type systems which--hello!  Why would you pay them $23 per month to borrow books when,  if you live in the U.S., you likely have access to a free library?  And don't tell me it's because they deliver, because many towns have a system where you can get library books mailed or delivered to you, and many others have services for shut-ins that will pick up things like library books.  And don't tell me you're spry enough but don't have time to go to the library, because then you probably don't have time to read.

I suppose I will concede only to a certain type of person who would rack up so many overdue fees that it would exceed these membership costs.  Normally I'd rant about that type of person, but I've come to understand that they're human too, and even to care for some of them as individuals.  And to envy their Kindles.  Go figure.

Anyway, the point of this is that Waltham Public Library appears to be willing to rent me a copy of The Passage.  How much for this great privilege, you ask?  $1.00 for one week; $1.75 for two.  So wait, you're telling me that for less money than my morning bagel I can get this book and make a monetary donation to a library?  Sign me up!

It's really no different than the speed read option--first come first served, so I'll have to race the rest of the populace there tomorrow morning.  But they have one in, and I'm going for it.  As long as the cost is nominal and there are also free books, this seems like a great idea to me.  But maybe that's just because it's working in my favor today.  Either way, wish me luck!