Dumpstering the library is easy.
- Go to your local library
- Find the trash/recycling area.
- Root through it.
- Take what you like.
Libraries throw out a lot of books. I work at a library and I see several big rolling recycling bins FULL of books go out to the recycling area DAILY. Sometimes these are donations that the library can't use or sell. Sometimes they are books from the regular circulation that are being replaced or removed from circulation. In any case, the library dumpsters and recycling usually lack banana peels, fish skeletons, and other cliche dumpster fare. They are a goldmine of literature for those willing to partake.
From my local library (not the one I work at) dumpsters, I have found:
You can save a ton of money this way. If you get really ambitious, try making runs of all the libraries and bookstores (I haven't tried this) in your area. Don't let perfectly good reading go to waste.