The Top Ten Ways Your Library Can Help You Save Money:
1) Toys, Games, and Science Kits for Check Out.Seriously! When my kids were little, we checked out toys every week. Let me tell you, it saved us a bundle. Little kids get bored with new toys easily. We were able to bring home 3 new toys, played with them until they were no longer new and exciting to the kids, and then go back and check out 3 different toys. Literally, that saved us thousands of dollars.
As they got older, I loved the fact that we had science kits available for check out. Each kit was centered around a theme, and it had several books, a book of science experiments, and the equipment necessary to carry out the experiments included in the card. We were heavy users of those kits up until the youngest was somewhere in middle school.
On the ALA's facebook page, I read an article about a library that has added telescopes to their collection for check out. I don't care if I don't have little kids any more, I would definitely be checking out a telescope for my own home use!
2) Media
Depending upon your library system, the type of media available varies greatly. Most systems carry books on tape or CD. Some carry Play-Aways. (MP3 players that contain books. Very cool way to listen to books - my daughter loved listening to these on the bus on the way to school in middle school.) Most systems carry DVD's. (Even better - those DVD's carry a one week free check out as opposed to the overnight check out from Red Box that's going to cost you a buck or two.
One of the library systems around us carries video games for check out. Just the games, not the consoles. Talk about saving money! Not having to buy those games saves a lot of money!
Note- Beware the steep fines on overdue media items. Make certain you return them by their due dates!
3) Books
Lots and lots of books! On every subject, and for every age. Need I say more?
4) Internet
Computers and Wi-Fi connections are available at most libraries. Looking to save money on internet? Sign up for free e-mail through one of the free sites out there (Google, Yahoo, etc.), and then use the library to check your messages and surf the net. Probably not what you want to do on a daily basis, but if you are desperate to save money, this is an excellent option. There's a bonus in some parts of the country, too. Most libraries have high speed internet. We were still on dial up - nothing else was available until 2012. We got broadband in 2012. Still no sign of Fiber Optic cable in our neighborhood, but our library is wired with fiber optic cable, so I go to the library when I need a high speed connection.
5) Job Search Tools
Looking for a job? Start here.
6) Programming
Offering programs to people of all ages is one of the most important services a library offers. Libraries are known for their programs for children and youth, but libraries also offer some fantastic programs for adults. Book Clubs, Courses offered by the Master Gardeners, Literacy Classes, ESOL Classes for Adults, Arts and Crafts for Adults, to CPR, the list goes on and on.
7) Digital Content
Audio streaming and e-books. It's a quickly growing field in the library world. You can check out digital materials the same as you can a book. After your check out period is over, your material just disappears off of your device.
8) E-Readers
This is a very new service. Some libraries have e-Readers available for check out. Each reader is pre-loaded with books of a similar genre. I've only seen a handful of library systems that are actively using this service, and I'm really curious to see how this works out.
9) Summer Reading Programs
Not just for little kids anymore, everyone gets to participate! The little kids participate in the game with incentives along the way. Here in Maryland, you write a summary of the book you most recently read and then enter a drawing. Five years ago, I won a pretty snazzy basket filled with new books and some swag from the New York Times! It made my day!
10) Databases
When we were kids, we'd go to the library and hit up the reference collection. Nowadays, that reference collection has moved online. You can access thousands of electronic records in the comfort of your own home - and in your jammies - if you have a library card. These databases are copyright protected, and a large portion of the libraries' annual budget goes to database subscriptions. Not sure how this works, or even where to find it? Head over to your library and ask a librarian! They'll be happy to show you all that is available for you.
Having fun isn't hard, when you have a library card. -Marc Brown
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