I am a big fan of the public library. Even though I’ve forked over more than my share of late fines (oops!) borrow materials has still saved me hundreds upon hundreds of dollars over the years. However, it’s not just for checking out books, CDs and DVDs. If you haven’t visited your library’s website recently, here are five reasons to do just that.
Reserve Materials
Does it seem like all the things you want to get at the library are always checked out? Instead of getting frustrated, simply reserve them online. When they’re returned, the library will give you a call to let you know you can stop in and pick it up.
Request Materials through Interlibrary Loan
So, you want a book that your library doesn’t have. Don’t give up just yet! There may be another library in the system that you can borrow it from.
Download Audio Books
This is one I just discovered today. Through your library’s website, you can download audio books for playback on your Mp3 player. Since my small town library offers this service, I assume it’s pretty readily available elsewhere.
Investigate Book Bags
If you’re in a book club like I am, you know that buying a copy of each selection can add up. Our library offers book club bags for checkout, each with 12 copies the book to distribute to your members. Through the website I can peruse available book bag selections and see which ones are coming soon. (Example)
Learn About Free Activities
Many libraries offer free activities for toddlers and kids. Besides story times, our local library offers movie days, writing classes, knitting workshops, and many other free events. When I log on, I take note of the things my family may be interested in and enter them in my Outlook calendar.
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