I am of the understanding that buying books online is hardly worth anything because you don’t actually own anything. Maybe you own the digital file? I’m not sure. I don’t trust the longevity of it, though.
I’m told a lot (mainly by my Dad) that its a good idea to print those out to keep them. However, I’m talking about books that are easily 200+ pages.
I don’t know if its worth the ink or money to print them out. At that point would it be better to just buy a book?
It really depends on what you mean by “worth it”.
When you start getting into the large page number range, the cost of printing starts to approach that of just buying the book outright.
On top of this you have bindings - they aren’t just pretty things for show, they preserve the book and increase its longevity in use.
There’s a reason why paperbacks are often referred to as “battered”. Loose leaves of text will have an even shorter lifespan and are prone to getting lost or torn.
You can get your printed pages bound, but then that adds extra cost, and by that point you may as well buy the book outright.
Digital libraries are great for compactness and accessibility, but if you want durable, physical hardcopies, you may as well just buy them. Secondhand if you can, if cost is a real concern.