10 Surprising Ways to Use Your Library Card
Have you heard of a Library of Things?
Like most people nowadays, you’re probably getting pretty fed up with inflation. Everywhere you turn, all the things you buy are significantly more expensive than they were last year or even last week in some cases. For anyone living paycheck to paycheck, it can be unsettling. There’s only so much you can cut from your budget before you’re left with the essentials.
So what do you do when money is tight, and you can’t stand another weekend at home binge-watching Netflix (if you haven’t already had to cancel that too)? Thankfully, when you take full advantage of your public library’s offerings, you can maintain or improve your quality of life without exceeding your budget.
Go to the zoo.
Your family can visit Zoo Atlanta for free courtesy of the Henry County Library System in Georgia. To take advantage of the zoo Atlanta Library pass, you must check out a special DVD about the zoo. Once you view the DVD and return it to the library, you’ll receive a receipt that gets you and two other adults or children into the zoo free of charge. The pass is available once per year per household.
Try out the latest video games and consoles.
Some brand-new video games can be as much as $60 a pop, which can be off-putting, especially if you are curious if you or your kids will enjoy the game enough to make the investment worthwhile. Elmwood Park Public Library in Illinois allows you to try a unique video game collection before you buy. Patrons can borrow for one to three weeks at a time. Need a video game console? No problem! The library also allows you to check out a Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS, PlayStation VR headset, or one of their preloaded retro gaming consoles, such as the Super NES Classic or SEGA Genesis Mini.
Borrow an American Girl doll.
Starting at around $115, American Girl dolls can quickly burn through your budget. If a young person in your life is a fan of these dolls, you can borrow them for free from the Arlington Public Library in Virginia. There are currently 15 American Girl dolls in their collection, which can be borrowed for seven days at a time and renewed up to three times if no other holds or placed on that doll.
Check out tools.
If you’re short on storage space or your budget is too tight to build a collection of tools and equipment for home maintenance or improvement, you’ll love having the option of borrowing these items from the library. The Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky has partnered with the Center for Great Neighborhoods to create its Empower Tools program. You can borrow anything. a ladder, a chainsaw, equipment you may have never heard of, a broadfork, or loppers.
Try your hand at a new instrument.
If you’d like to learn how to play a particular musical instrument, try borrowing it from your local library first. The Twinbrook branch of the Montgomery Public Library System in Maryland has a collection of 29 instruments, along with amplifiers and accessories, available for patrons to borrow. See if you like it before investing the money into your instrument and lessons.
Get a discount at local businesses.
The Suburban Library Cooperative has partnered with 21 public libraries in Michigan to offer the GoLibraryCard Discount Program. All patrons need to do is show their library card to participating businesses to receive a special discount.
Learn how to cook.
The Free Library of Philadelphia hosts unique cooking experiences at their Cultural Literacy Center. Adult classes focus on expanding patrons’ palates with recipes from different cultures. In contrast, children’s cooking programs focus on literacy and nutrition education.
Learn some new dance moves.
The Princeton Public Library teams up with the Central Jersey Dance Society to provide an annual series of dance classes each summer. Dancing Under the Stars features an evening of basic dance move instruction, then the opportunity to practice one’s new dance moves to specially selected music.
Get a green thumb.
If you are interested in learning how to grow plants and flowers or start your edible garden, the library can help. Seed libraries are becoming more popular at public libraries, including those in Maricopa County, Arizona. Through the University of Arizona Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, volunteer Master Gardeners help library patrons, schools, and community centers learn how to get started in horticulture. You can borrow free seeds from participating libraries and get growing advice from local pros. And growing your fruits, veggies, and herbs can help cut your grocery bill!
Borrow a bike.
Do you enjoy a bike ride on a beautiful day but don’t have the funds to buy your own or the space to store one? You can borrow a bike from your library instead! The Winter Park Public Library in Florida received a grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation’s Healthy Central Florida Initiative, allowing them to purchase seven bikes, including one tandem bike and helmets. Patrons can check out a bicycle and helmet for the day using their library card.
Your Library Can Help You Enjoy Life More.
A tight budget doesn’t have to mean giving up all the things that make life more fun. You can pick up a new hobby without breaking the bank by attending virtual or in-person classes at the library. And while you may have to cut back on shopping, you can still indulge yourself by “shopping” for or borrowing items from your local Library of Things. From borrowing passes for family attractions to checking out toys or games for your kids, your local library will ensure you can still have fun on a shoestring budget.
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