Maybe the Friends of the Library will have one for sale.
I fear that many libraries will be hanging onto their full sets until 2037 when the 3rd edition of the OED full-version will be released online.
Their only other current option is the CD or online subscription service. I have to keep reinstalling my OED CD because it's really pretty crappy software. I think that the same people who designed the Lucas "Prince of Darkness" electrical components for older Jaguars and Triumphs wrote the software for the OED CD's. ;-)
In these economic times where cities are actually closing libraries to cut costs, I doubt that many will be dumping their deadtree OED versions that they've already paid for in exchange for the cruddy software or the expensive online subscription.
Disks are not the same: you can’t take one to the bathroom like a book!
Agreed. And if you accidentally knock your Ann Coulter paperback into the tub, it's a few dollars to replace. If you knock your iPad, Kindle or other eBook reader into the tub it could run from hundreds to thousands depending upon the platform and how many eBooks you've got stored on there.I’ll be looking for individual volumes hanging out at the bookstore or library sale. You gotta have the words on paper, man. Keep ‘em in the van for traffic jams. Take one on the airplane. The OED is *it*.