Here’s a riddle for you.
I have thousands of stories but very few floors. Bring back what I give you and you can take more.
Of course, you know that most public libraries are only a few floors high, but they contain a seemingly endless supply of stories in the pages of their books. When you bring back the ones you check out, the librarians encourage you to take more.
Over the last few years, many libraries have been in the spotlight for the items in their collections, but there has been little talk about the many great services offered in your local library.
1. Books
This one seems obvious, but that may be exactly why we need to talk about it. Bookstores are getting harder and harder to find, meaning that to purchase a book you will likely need to choose between driving a long way or ordering online and waiting days for the book to arrive. The data tells us that the number of bookstores has declined by 51% since 2009 and the price of books has increased by 14% in that same period. So even when you find a place to buy a good book, it will cost you more than it used to. Why go through all of that when you don’t have to? If you are looking for a great story or you need guidance on your latest hobby, your local public library is teeming with books for you to borrow — for free.
2. E-Books
Since 2009 the number of smartphone and tablet users has increased — and with it, the sales of e-books have risen. This increase in demand has improved the services offered by public libraries too. Through services like Overdrive, CloudLibrary, and Axis360, you can borrow an e-book from your library, and you never have to leave your house. Even better- you won’t risk a late fee because the e-books you borrow will return themselves! Many e-books can be delivered directly to your Kindle or other e-reader, or you can access them through mobile apps like Libby.
3. Check out a Movie
When I was growing up, in the absence of the internet and before there were any streaming services, the weekend meant ordering a pizza and checking out a movie from the video rental store in the next town over. Today, the population of the United States is nearly 340 million people, but all of those people are only served by an estimated 668 video rental stores. Even the number of Redbox Kiosks has declined in recent years. Public libraries remain your best hope of finding a great movie to borrow, and they offer those for free. Don’t worry if you don’t have a DVD or Blu-Ray player, many libraries offer the ability to stream content completely free through services like Hoopla.
4. Video Games
This is just like the opportunity to borrow movies but with way more money saved. In 2022, the average price of a video game was about $60. Why would anyone pay that if they could walk out of their public library with the same game completely free?
5. Online Databases
My grandparents always kept a set of World Book Encyclopedias, and I still remember when my parents bought a set of our own encyclopedias from the traveling salesperson. By the time I was in high school, the internet was making the word “encyclopedia” obsolete. We relied on Encyclopedia Britannica to give us all the same information without huge books. Today, the amount of information available online cannot be contained in a single reference point. You could spend thousands of dollars on subscriptions to scholarly journals and professional publications, or you could just visit your public library’s website. Whether you are researching the long-term effects of UV rays or trying to climb your family tree, public libraries offer free access to a massive quantity of sources. Most even offer access to online editions of auto repair manuals like Chilton’s or AllData, which will be less of a gamble than trying to figure out if the guy on Youtube did it right.
That is just the beginning! Some libraries offer access to a maker space or a 3D printer. Still, others allow you to borrow a painting to hang in your home! If your local library is limited in its resources, many public libraries offer free or low-cost memberships to people who do not live in their service area.
With all the talk about inflation and the holiday season straight ahead, this may be the perfect time to check out the excellent free resources offered by your local public library. Take part in Library Card Sign-Up Month this September!