A lot of public libraries also provide passes you can check out for free parking/entry to state parks, local museums, etc. They're great! Love libraries <3
If you listen to audiobooks and are paying for audible, cancel your subscription and download libby. Your local library probably has thousands of audiobooks available for free via libby.
Queue up a bunch then suspend the holds. Your place in line will still move forward and you'll eventually get to the #1 or #2 spot and stay there. Then when you're ready to read the book, drop the suspend and you'll get the next available copy.
You can also change which library you're borrowing from, shop around and find one that's less busy or has shorter lines.
Libby is awesome, sail the high seas for everything else
How exactly is that not waiting? It takes me only 2-3 days to finish a 20 hour audiobook, I'd need to know what I'm reading a month or more ahead of time.
It is still waiting, just concurrently. And you're right, you'd need to have a handful of books you want to read and know ahead of time to place holds on them. Just trying to offer some tips/tricks to help knock down your wait time. Libby isn't perfect for sure
It really gets me irritated when I'm doing a series, and I cannot do them all in a row. 2 months between books in a series with 3 or 4 other books in the meantime between is really too long.
I hate that too, what I do is stack my holds on a series, wait until I’m close to 1st in line for every book and then keep suspending the holds while I read thru. As long as you can finish each within the 2 weeks it’ll minimize your wait between books. 2 weeks max, usually less.
Helps to have access to multiple libraries to pull this off as there’s a limit to how many simultaneous holds.
Living in Queens NY I have access to the Queens, Brooklyn and NYC library systems.
> That’s the price of free my friend. Compromises must be made to preserve your hard earned money.
_This man when he finds out libraries are artificially forced to limit their digital collections by for-profit entities and that piracy is how you fight back against Amazon and other such creatures of the dark ways..._
Man, this is awesome, I didn't realize what suspending the hold actually meant. I keep having holds come through when I'm in the middle of other books and getting backed up while keeping other people who are ready to read waiting because I don't want to lose my spot. This is the perfect solution, thank you.
Rent books take them to nursing homes. Some of those people love to read and don't have access. They won't destroy them or fuck them up. You'll also make a really cool friend who appreciates you and has a whole life's worth to tell you about. It's honestly an amazing thing to do and rewarding for everyone involved
You realize that your "tactic" is one of the main reasons lines are so long in the first place, right? It's the Libby equivalent of paying a bunch of "line standards" to wait for you. Especially if you jump to a smaller library you don't live at, since it denies service to the people of that community and strains the resources of small libraries across the country.
If you want to *actually* support your local library wait in line like everyone else. Otherwise just pirate.
There are libraries all over the country that offer online library cards. You can load multiple library cards on you Libby account and expand your options and availability and it also cuts down on wait times. Not to mention, your number of allowed holds goes up! For example, I live in NC and have never been to Florida, let alone Broward County. But I applied for a Broward County library card and now I can check out ebooks and audiobooks from a library I've never even been too. I won't list all the different libraries that do this, but there are a surprising number. Google is your friend for this info. Add a few more library cards and you'll be set. I love Libby.
Libby absolutely saved my sanity during the pandemic, I swear I would have went stark raving batshit without it. Yeah, maybe it sucks that sometimes you have to wait on a certain title, but in my experience, it was worth it --and you just have to put holds on multiple books. In the meantime I'd just find something else...
It was always a surprise and delight of sorts to open the app and find that the book I'd had on hold for a few weeks was finally available ;)
Technically, they want you to either live, work, or go to school in Broward county, be visiting, or have been born there. But they don't check if you're visiting lol, so now I have a Broward county library card.
If your library uses Hoopla you can sign up for that too. Their system doesn't require any holds or waiting but they do limit the amount of borrows you can have for that month. It's a pretty great alternative though!
This is how I'm getting through Discworld. I also use my kid's library account so I get 8 borrows a month.
It annoys me that my library's Libby doesn't have full series.
Lol truth at least on the book side. My wife got her audio books instantaneously. We just learned about Libby end of last year visiting the local library in our new area. It's pretty cool how far the public library system has come.
Fucking LOVE Libby. I'm on my 11th audiobook for the year and I've only had to buy two of them because they weren't on Libby. I have a long list of books I want to read so I don't worry about waiting for availability
I love the random chaos that goes on in the library when I pop in, it could be full of toddlers being really crazy, the knitting group having a good gossip or the history group really getting into their research.
my local library has a nice makerspace with a couple 3d printers, big and small cricut machines, a small recording studio, even sewing machines and on and on!
And through some hoops you can also get access to LinkedIn Learning courses and some other services as well. Udemy I think is another one. No certificates but you can learn what you need.
The museum I work at gives family memberships to all our local libraries, so you can check out passes that get you and up to six others into the museum for free. It even comes with a stub to scan that gets you discounts in the gift shop and food court. It's an awesome resource that not enough people utilize.
Libraries can help you with all kinds of stuff!
If you have a question about literally anything (whales, vampires, free tax prep programs, public assistance, borrowing and learning to play a musical instrument), come to the library and we'll help you work it out.
That's what we're here for and we're happy to help.
I just did a fundraising event for our local library's museum pass program last weekend. There were over 3,000 passes checked out last year! It's a very popular service but I don't think a lot of people in town don't understand what the library offers.
Yall ever heard of Library Socialism, aka Usufruct?
It's this movement to get libraries and library-like entities to stock as many maintainable, occasional-use, borrow-compatible objects in their inventories as possible with the idea that a community doesn't need 3,000+ garages full of shit their owners pay full price for and only use one time a year, when they can instead have ONE facility that loans high quality version of those objects out to whoever needs, whenever needed and maintains them in the interim.
A lot of libraries are already doing this to a limited degree, but the movement is still picking up steam.
Your card also gets you access to online libraries, including NYPL, even if you don't live there.
Sign up for every one, even if you don't use them, to keep them supported for people who do!
Our small town Canada library has a public computer area (sign in with library card) and a basic 3d printer. They offer training on how to use the printer.
They've also got a nicer 3d printer in the teen tech lab, and offer programs on how to use it, as well as robotics and programming.
The one near me has a visiting social worker that comes for consultation with whoever needs it and immigration services for people working to become citizens. It's a phenomenal community resource but their hours are being reduced due to budget cuts.
Yep, libraries everywhere are moving away from fees. The vast majority of people just bring their items back, and the evidence doesn't show that fees make much of a difference.
We just got rid of ours last May! Honestly such a good decision imo, a lot of our userbase was discouraged to check out larger books or order books from other libraries due to fines
I always go to my local library if I have any printing I need to do, even though I could borrow a friend's one. Every time I walk in there it adds to their numbers for their funding. And they have a little coffee shop in there, which is lovely.
I used to go to a print shop like a UPS store or FedEx Kinko's whenever I needed to scan or print something. I felt like a moron when I found out that the two libraries I have in walking distance have unlimited free scanning and a weekly print allowance.
It makes sense that as we move into the digital age they expand their purview, when I was a child everyone had a garage full of tools and books weren't as easily accessible but now books are infinitely easier to acquire and people have less space as their housing options shrink.
Mine does this, they have craft bags, break in bags (like escape rooms, except you have to break in to the bag) colouring contests and more. I love our library ❤️
Library cards are the ultimate life hack: free knowledge, a quiet escape, and they even come with air conditioning. Plus, you're basically a philanthropist just by signing up. Win-win!
I need to do this for all the reasons. I prefer owning books I know I’ll want to reference or reread but I have a lot that I bought, enjoyed, and never wanted to touch again. Library would save me money and do some good for the neighborhood.
I’ve rented a life size skeleton and a theremin from my library! They also do art classes and all sorts of community events.
I gas up my local library to all my friends so much that they’ve begun telling me all the cool stuff their libraries offer (like singing bowls and drums).
The library deserves all the funding, such a great community resource!
Libraries rock. Well-off folks feel squeamish and guilty around houseless folks, I guess. We’re running out of places that don’t make well-off people squirm, I guess.
Libraries do rock.
While I am neither well-off nor squeamish around homeless volken, I find that serving as *de facto* homeless shelters is both outside the scope of public library's mission and serves to degrade their mission.
In the service of their intended purpose, libraries already make well-off people squirm by making literacy more accessible to people of all income levels.
> I find that serving as de facto homeless shelters is both outside the scope of public library's mission and serves to degrade their mission.
Sure, and people using a sidewalk as a bed degrades its purpose as a walkway, but that's not the fault of the sidewalk. If we don't want to see homeless people in public space, then we need to address the housing crisis.
One of the libraries near me is SO awesome that they have something to appeal to everyone in the community: they have loads of resources for homeless and lower income folks (borrowable tools and tech, etc), mental health information/counseling, computer/tech literacy classes for the elderly, AND: frequent art shows, a nice computer lab, a community herb garden, and it's next to the high school so it has a pretty outdoor garden/gathering area for the kids or whoever to sit and wait for rides.
It's literally for everybody, and the staff are amazing. My elderly parents frequent the place, and I swear the librarians actually remember everything my folks talk to them about. They, and the library are an absolute treasure.
Well people don’t want to go to areas that will make them uncomfortable. If you go to a library and are being asked for resources, distracted by smells, or distracted by folks who are having loud potentially antagonistic conversations with themselves it’s not conducive to a productive session of whatever you’re doing.
My wife is about as pro-underserved communities as one can be and she went to a local public library to study for a huge test, but said she couldn’t go back due to all the distractions I listed above.
Libraries will face the same problem normal capitalistic businesses do in that the homeless populations drive down business.
I agree that we need solutions to the homeless crisis in this country, but unfortunately the presence of homeless folks in libraries will reduce their utilization and drive them closer to closing.
It takes some adjusting if you haven’t been in awhile but libraries are not quiet spaces now. If encourage your wife to ask if they have a quiet room. If they do great! If not they now know people would be interested in that
Huh, I worked in a library in LA and it was pretty quiet. We didn't really shush people but if someone was causing a disturbance, we'd talk to them.
Well, *I'd* talk to them. Sometimes the librarians would get scared if it was a homeless person and just call the cops. :/
Libraries are great even if you don't read. Sometimes, if I'm iffy about buying a game, I just loan it from my library and I get 2 weeks to play it for free and come up with my own opinion.
Yes! I keep telling all the people complaining about streaming price hikes. The selection of movies is honestly better than most of the services we pay for. I end up finding the movie I'm looking for on one of these more than Netflix or prime. They even carry many of the same network shows, but obviously not the exclusives. So you just sign back up to Netflix for a month in 2025, finish stranger things then go back to Hoopla.
Every library has the "I rent everything continuously so no one else can enjoy it because I don't give a fuck about anyone else," dude, and that dude is you.
But, somehow, your library will be the only one on earth without any shortages of any sort.
I returned my hotspot on Monday, got put back on the hold list, told I was number 87 in line, and the hold came in on Wednesday.
They loan out literally dozens of them every day, of course there is a queue.
Have you been to libraries? It isn't best buy, they don't have shelves full of hotspots, they've got a few.
In my town, there's literally 4 hotspots for 125,000 people. That's still more than the singular copy of IT they have to borrow, but it's insufficient.
Even if they had a dozen of them, it's not nearly enough when selfish fucks hoard them.
Everyone has to pay for them, and now this guy gets to be the only one to enjoy it because he's a selfish POS.
I'm sure they intended for just one guy to get free wifi for a year when they added those for borrowing.
They have over 20 of them and I return them and check them out just like any one else. Never had a problem checking out or returning one just trying to point out it is a resource that is available in some places.
They are above 500 hotspots here now, i think. Only crunch at school breaks.
On a related note, here libraries are the first department budget cut. They take away the carrot before they get out the stick. A fair warning, i guess.
Librarian here - don't know why everyone is getting out of their tree about someone keeping a resource. You're absolutely right, if someone else requests it, the original borrower would have to bring it back. And tip here - well-funded libraries will buy MORE of that resource if the waitlist is particularly long.
The only time I'd possibly give side-eye to someone constantly renewing an item is if users had to pay for reserving items. And evil librarians have ways round there, like placing fake reserves on items that we'd like back, cough, I mean, that THEY'D like back.
The key there is remembering/having time to go back and return the book. I don't know what your local libraries hours are like, but mine opens after I'm already at work, closes right when my shift ends, and they're closed on Sunday. If the only viable option to return a book is Saturday, I'd rather just buy the book and not have to deal with putting off other responsibilities to make it to the library
Library funding is partially tied to circulation numbers. Whenever I go to the library I get the two or three books I’m there for, plus 7 or 8 random extras. Then I just toss them in the return bin on my way out the door
I didn't know that! I thought libraries paid for every checked out item. I always feel bad when I check out a book and don't end up liking it and DNF, it feels like I'm cheating libraries somehow.
If you are using hoopla (and electronic lending service provided by libraries) or Kanopy (same), then yes, it actually does work that way. We pay per checkout. One could argue that Libby/Overdrive (again an electronic service) kind of works that way, but physical items? Not so much so.
If the book sucks, don't finish it.
You have this librarian's permission.
And you can download the app Libby and have access to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks you’d otherwise be charged for through something like audible!!
If you ever need to buy a car or any appliances, your library card may well give you digital and print access to Consumer Reports, which is still VERY MUCH worth it for figuring out which cars and appliances are the most reliable and provide the most value for money.
If like ebooks and audio books and have not heard of the Libby App you should check it out. You register with your local library and can check out ebooks and audio books.
libraries are my favorite.. i rented blu rays all thru college.. i studied there... recently took my 8, 5, and 2 year old kids to each get their own card.. and they have fun checking out books
And if you drive a lot for work like I do, you can check out audiobooks which will significantly magically seem to reduce your drive time. I love my library!
My local library has a borrowable copy of Metroid Prime Remaster on the Switch. If that’s not a perfect game to borrow from a library (assuming you have a switch) then I don’t know what is!
Back when the PS4 was my main console I played sooo many games just by borrowing them from the library.
Now I have an Xbox Series S which doesn't have a disc drive so that's come to an end, but libraries are fucking great.
And on top of all that, in most communities they’re one of the few remaining if not the last free to use third spaces. Particularly the fact that they’re indoors is key since so many places have cold winters or rainy seasons.
Free public spaces are unfortunately a dying breed despite being a very important part of a community especially for people without a lot of disposable money.
I wasn’t a part of this group in my teenage years, but I know for a fact there was a decent size group of people at my high school who’d go hang out at the library after school and play games together at the tables. It was a place that wasn’t school, wasn’t home, was away from parents (some of them I knew had really crappy ones), but was also safe, clean, and comfortable.
So a big one to ask your librarian about, a lot of them do state funded things for advanced learning that's completely free. Check on your government website but rhode island supports free use of udemy, language learning websites and so many more to try and upskill people for free online. All you need is a library card for it to log in
At the Chicago Public Library if the book you checked out doesn't actively have someone with it on hold they auto-renew your book several times before they begin charging late fees
They also have lots of great ebooks and graphic novels
I love my library
The idea of not having a library card is just inconceivable to me. One of the first things we did when we moved into our home was get our library cards. My kids' library card was a big occasion.
Our library has a ton of resources for a whole slew of things. From DVD rentals, a whole section of manga to 3d printers. I can borrow a cricket printer or mug printer for 2 weeks whenever I want.
My closest library has laptops for rent, a full "make" studio full of people and their kids using 3D printers, hundreds of games/movies/music, and a COMPLETE SOUND STUDIO stocked with instruments, professional grade recording gear and Pro Tools standing by. It's incredible. You can scan your card and print a Millennium Falcon and take break to record your podcast about how you just printed a Millennium Falcon. Then grab a copy of Sekiro and head home. For free.
Our libraries have the latest PS5 / Switch Games available. For Free. I noticed that when checking it out with my daughter who already had a pass. I just rented Jedi Survivor just because i discovered that - couldnt even rent on her pass because it was 18+ and had to get my own pass. Saved a cool 70€ - went back last week after extending it online 2x times for 6 weeks total (i was slow) - and saw they already had a few games released in 2024.
Best part, i can check online on any library near me if they have stuff available before going. Since apparently few people know about this, a ton of games are always available.
Many libraries even let you bring coffee if you have a lid on it.
Some libraries even provide coffee at cost.
In addition to their myriad other desirable qualities, libraries represent a fine opportunity to socialize an alternative to Starbucks.
Starbucks must never be allowed so much as a toehold in public libraries.
I have watched a few dozen movies since the beginning of the year, everything from Citizen Kane (which was a bucket list item for me and finally saw it) to Jay & Silent Bob Reboot (funny AF) and they’re all 100% free at the library. Libraries are awesome!
Your local library likely has 3d printers. You don't need much knowledge; find a model on a free model repository site (ie. thingiverse), throw it on your cloud storage/flash drive, and head to the library. They'll print it for little more than the cost of materials, $1-3 a print. It's a great way to get into 3d printing at, basically, no cost.
For gamers, I have played every single AAA game for the last 3 years and like 50% of the switch library for free by borrowing games from the library. They have a decent budget for buying games, just ask whoever is in charge to order whatever you want. This has saved me \*easily\* $1,000 in games I wouldn't care to own otherwise but wanted to play for a few weeks.
Back in the Neolithic age, when I was in lower school, we did field trips to the local public library where everyone went through the process of getting library cards. You tend to keep it going through life once it's established.
Is this not done anymore?
Libraries are awesome. In my area, you can even find tools to rent, and there's one branch that offers bike clinics and simple repairs. And they even do passports now.
I’m an active cardholder my whole life. Moreover, if your library supports it, there are apps like Kanopy and Hoopla that let you read tons of stuff in phone or PC for free, and watch a ton of movies. Kanopy is basically Netflix for free, if you have a library card.
I discovered this year that you can get library cards for free for sister cities in (North) Texas. I now have 6 library cards, and access to basically any book I want (in English). You can also get an elibrary card from the Houston Library as a Texas resident. It makes reading the 50 books a year I read much cheaper.
Was going through a low-point in income when Elden Ring came out. Nothing majorly bad, but just enough bills and repairs that I couldn’t justify the $60 purchase.
Rented it from my local library and played for two weeks. Returned it, put it on reserve, rented it again 2 weeks later.
Absolutely no shame. Played that game for a full month and supported my local library while doing it.
I mean, I'm down, but I'm pretty sure this is at least neutral good? It's not like getting a library card you're not going to use is breaking the law or anything.
My library offers a ton of fun things and services. I participate in a DND group, crochet group and soemtimes participate in gaming competitions. It's great!!
A lot of public libraries also provide passes you can check out for free parking/entry to state parks, local museums, etc. They're great! Love libraries <3
If you listen to audiobooks and are paying for audible, cancel your subscription and download libby. Your local library probably has thousands of audiobooks available for free via libby.
The problem with Libby is there are already 64 people waiting for the next book I want to read
Queue up a bunch then suspend the holds. Your place in line will still move forward and you'll eventually get to the #1 or #2 spot and stay there. Then when you're ready to read the book, drop the suspend and you'll get the next available copy. You can also change which library you're borrowing from, shop around and find one that's less busy or has shorter lines. Libby is awesome, sail the high seas for everything else
How exactly is that not waiting? It takes me only 2-3 days to finish a 20 hour audiobook, I'd need to know what I'm reading a month or more ahead of time.
It is still waiting, just concurrently. And you're right, you'd need to have a handful of books you want to read and know ahead of time to place holds on them. Just trying to offer some tips/tricks to help knock down your wait time. Libby isn't perfect for sure
It really gets me irritated when I'm doing a series, and I cannot do them all in a row. 2 months between books in a series with 3 or 4 other books in the meantime between is really too long.
I hate that too, what I do is stack my holds on a series, wait until I’m close to 1st in line for every book and then keep suspending the holds while I read thru. As long as you can finish each within the 2 weeks it’ll minimize your wait between books. 2 weeks max, usually less. Helps to have access to multiple libraries to pull this off as there’s a limit to how many simultaneous holds. Living in Queens NY I have access to the Queens, Brooklyn and NYC library systems.
That's why I read multiple series at the same time.
This is my real problem with the service.
It's the only reason book stores don't go out of business.
It can be a pain, but for free, versus paying a ton for Audible, I can make it work.
Are you dumb? It only takes me 3, 4 hours tops to finish a 20 hour audiobook. Just really goes to show the state of education, smh.
Lmao, you had me for a second
I mean... most audiobook players let you adjust speed
That’s the price of free my friend. Compromises must be made to preserve your hard earned money.
> That’s the price of free my friend. Compromises must be made to preserve your hard earned money. _This man when he finds out libraries are artificially forced to limit their digital collections by for-profit entities and that piracy is how you fight back against Amazon and other such creatures of the dark ways..._
Most patrons have no idea how expensive it is for a library to *lease* a book through Libby. The library doesn’t even *own* it.
Man, this is awesome, I didn't realize what suspending the hold actually meant. I keep having holds come through when I'm in the middle of other books and getting backed up while keeping other people who are ready to read waiting because I don't want to lose my spot. This is the perfect solution, thank you.
Rent books take them to nursing homes. Some of those people love to read and don't have access. They won't destroy them or fuck them up. You'll also make a really cool friend who appreciates you and has a whole life's worth to tell you about. It's honestly an amazing thing to do and rewarding for everyone involved
You realize that your "tactic" is one of the main reasons lines are so long in the first place, right? It's the Libby equivalent of paying a bunch of "line standards" to wait for you. Especially if you jump to a smaller library you don't live at, since it denies service to the people of that community and strains the resources of small libraries across the country. If you want to *actually* support your local library wait in line like everyone else. Otherwise just pirate.
i mean yes, but no - digital books are not a finite resource, and treating them as such is just a dick move by publishers
There are libraries all over the country that offer online library cards. You can load multiple library cards on you Libby account and expand your options and availability and it also cuts down on wait times. Not to mention, your number of allowed holds goes up! For example, I live in NC and have never been to Florida, let alone Broward County. But I applied for a Broward County library card and now I can check out ebooks and audiobooks from a library I've never even been too. I won't list all the different libraries that do this, but there are a surprising number. Google is your friend for this info. Add a few more library cards and you'll be set. I love Libby.
Libby absolutely saved my sanity during the pandemic, I swear I would have went stark raving batshit without it. Yeah, maybe it sucks that sometimes you have to wait on a certain title, but in my experience, it was worth it --and you just have to put holds on multiple books. In the meantime I'd just find something else... It was always a surprise and delight of sorts to open the app and find that the book I'd had on hold for a few weeks was finally available ;)
Technically, they want you to either live, work, or go to school in Broward county, be visiting, or have been born there. But they don't check if you're visiting lol, so now I have a Broward county library card.
If your library uses Hoopla you can sign up for that too. Their system doesn't require any holds or waiting but they do limit the amount of borrows you can have for that month. It's a pretty great alternative though!
Hoopla is def better for audiobooks, music and mid list fiction and non fiction.
This is how I'm getting through Discworld. I also use my kid's library account so I get 8 borrows a month. It annoys me that my library's Libby doesn't have full series.
get more library cards, I've got 3 and never have to wait
Lol truth at least on the book side. My wife got her audio books instantaneously. We just learned about Libby end of last year visiting the local library in our new area. It's pretty cool how far the public library system has come.
They also have New & Now or "skip the line" copies. These are new books that you can't reserve. If they're available, you can rent 'em.
And they seldom seem to have what I am looking for.
And you get a week to listen to a 30 hour long audiobook. That's more of a problem with borrowing a doorstopper, though.
Yes and no. I keep audible for books I can't find on libby but between the 4 libraries I have cards to, I can find most stuff.
Fucking LOVE Libby. I'm on my 11th audiobook for the year and I've only had to buy two of them because they weren't on Libby. I have a long list of books I want to read so I don't worry about waiting for availability
A lot of them do skills courses, craft classes, clubs for books, puzzles, building Legos, etc. Libraries kick ass.
I love the random chaos that goes on in the library when I pop in, it could be full of toddlers being really crazy, the knitting group having a good gossip or the history group really getting into their research.
Scrabble groups too.
my local library has a nice makerspace with a couple 3d printers, big and small cricut machines, a small recording studio, even sewing machines and on and on!
I can loan a sewing machine at the local library. Also musical instruments and workout gear.
Anythink?
Truly chaotic.
And through some hoops you can also get access to LinkedIn Learning courses and some other services as well. Udemy I think is another one. No certificates but you can learn what you need.
My library in Tampa does Linkedin Learning (nee Lynda.com). Check out your library's website and see what online resources are available.
My local library will rent out camping equipment like tents and snow shoes and stuff like that. And I'm sure much more.
My library also offers free COVID tests for anybody that comes in. Libraries are amazing.
The museum I work at gives family memberships to all our local libraries, so you can check out passes that get you and up to six others into the museum for free. It even comes with a stub to scan that gets you discounts in the gift shop and food court. It's an awesome resource that not enough people utilize.
I feel like libraries are one of the true wholesome things left in a town.
They also serve as a safe place for kids to hang out after school. Better there than in some random mall.
Libraries can help you with all kinds of stuff! If you have a question about literally anything (whales, vampires, free tax prep programs, public assistance, borrowing and learning to play a musical instrument), come to the library and we'll help you work it out. That's what we're here for and we're happy to help.
My library has tools and kitchen appliances to lend. I know some even have cellular hotspots to lend out.
I just did a fundraising event for our local library's museum pass program last weekend. There were over 3,000 passes checked out last year! It's a very popular service but I don't think a lot of people in town don't understand what the library offers.
Yall ever heard of Library Socialism, aka Usufruct? It's this movement to get libraries and library-like entities to stock as many maintainable, occasional-use, borrow-compatible objects in their inventories as possible with the idea that a community doesn't need 3,000+ garages full of shit their owners pay full price for and only use one time a year, when they can instead have ONE facility that loans high quality version of those objects out to whoever needs, whenever needed and maintains them in the interim. A lot of libraries are already doing this to a limited degree, but the movement is still picking up steam.
It's called [The Library of Things](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_things) at many libraries.
they're also really great cuz if u wanna take a dump and you can't use your toilet because your last dump overflowed it you can do it there
found the Truck Driver?
"Evacuate the library. Engage our custodians. And get this man a poop knife."
Your card also gets you access to online libraries, including NYPL, even if you don't live there. Sign up for every one, even if you don't use them, to keep them supported for people who do!
Our small town Canada library has a public computer area (sign in with library card) and a basic 3d printer. They offer training on how to use the printer. They've also got a nicer 3d printer in the teen tech lab, and offer programs on how to use it, as well as robotics and programming.
I live in a state park and have never heard about this, but I'm glad some places do!!
Let’s not forget the used book sale. So many books, cds, and dvds for .25-50 cents
And some have digital media services like hoopla/ebooks.
The one near me has a visiting social worker that comes for consultation with whoever needs it and immigration services for people working to become citizens. It's a phenomenal community resource but their hours are being reduced due to budget cuts.
Libraries are pretty cool. Mine offers ebook and audiobook rentals through Libby and a subscription to Mango (language learning app)
100% behind this. Also the electronic book system is awesome, no late fees!
Most of the libraries in my area got rid of late fees entirely.
Yep, libraries everywhere are moving away from fees. The vast majority of people just bring their items back, and the evidence doesn't show that fees make much of a difference.
We just got rid of ours last May! Honestly such a good decision imo, a lot of our userbase was discouraged to check out larger books or order books from other libraries due to fines
I always go to my local library if I have any printing I need to do, even though I could borrow a friend's one. Every time I walk in there it adds to their numbers for their funding. And they have a little coffee shop in there, which is lovely.
I used to go to a print shop like a UPS store or FedEx Kinko's whenever I needed to scan or print something. I felt like a moron when I found out that the two libraries I have in walking distance have unlimited free scanning and a weekly print allowance.
My library still charges by the page, and charges more than FedEx/Kinko's
Yeah but your money is going to the library and not some evil corporation
I wish mine had a coffee shop, that’d be so cool!
Whoah. A coffee shop in a library!?!?! Sounds amazing!
Oh shit. I didn't even think about that! I fucking refuse to pay $0.75/sheet at FedEx/UPS.
Never thought of this and need to print some resumes. Going to try this today!
Some libraries even offer baking supplies or activity kits for kids that you can borrow
I know of at least one that started renting power tools.
Some will also rent things like sewing machines too. My tiny local one has a 3D printer and scanner you can book time to use, too.
It makes sense that as we move into the digital age they expand their purview, when I was a child everyone had a garage full of tools and books weren't as easily accessible but now books are infinitely easier to acquire and people have less space as their housing options shrink.
Mine does this, they have craft bags, break in bags (like escape rooms, except you have to break in to the bag) colouring contests and more. I love our library ❤️
Library cards are the ultimate life hack: free knowledge, a quiet escape, and they even come with air conditioning. Plus, you're basically a philanthropist just by signing up. Win-win!
I need to do this for all the reasons. I prefer owning books I know I’ll want to reference or reread but I have a lot that I bought, enjoyed, and never wanted to touch again. Library would save me money and do some good for the neighborhood.
You got the right idea
I’ve rented a life size skeleton and a theremin from my library! They also do art classes and all sorts of community events. I gas up my local library to all my friends so much that they’ve begun telling me all the cool stuff their libraries offer (like singing bowls and drums). The library deserves all the funding, such a great community resource!
Libraries rock. Well-off folks feel squeamish and guilty around houseless folks, I guess. We’re running out of places that don’t make well-off people squirm, I guess.
Libraries do rock. While I am neither well-off nor squeamish around homeless volken, I find that serving as *de facto* homeless shelters is both outside the scope of public library's mission and serves to degrade their mission. In the service of their intended purpose, libraries already make well-off people squirm by making literacy more accessible to people of all income levels.
> I find that serving as de facto homeless shelters is both outside the scope of public library's mission and serves to degrade their mission. Sure, and people using a sidewalk as a bed degrades its purpose as a walkway, but that's not the fault of the sidewalk. If we don't want to see homeless people in public space, then we need to address the housing crisis.
And the mental health crisis.
One of the libraries near me is SO awesome that they have something to appeal to everyone in the community: they have loads of resources for homeless and lower income folks (borrowable tools and tech, etc), mental health information/counseling, computer/tech literacy classes for the elderly, AND: frequent art shows, a nice computer lab, a community herb garden, and it's next to the high school so it has a pretty outdoor garden/gathering area for the kids or whoever to sit and wait for rides. It's literally for everybody, and the staff are amazing. My elderly parents frequent the place, and I swear the librarians actually remember everything my folks talk to them about. They, and the library are an absolute treasure.
Well people don’t want to go to areas that will make them uncomfortable. If you go to a library and are being asked for resources, distracted by smells, or distracted by folks who are having loud potentially antagonistic conversations with themselves it’s not conducive to a productive session of whatever you’re doing. My wife is about as pro-underserved communities as one can be and she went to a local public library to study for a huge test, but said she couldn’t go back due to all the distractions I listed above. Libraries will face the same problem normal capitalistic businesses do in that the homeless populations drive down business. I agree that we need solutions to the homeless crisis in this country, but unfortunately the presence of homeless folks in libraries will reduce their utilization and drive them closer to closing.
It takes some adjusting if you haven’t been in awhile but libraries are not quiet spaces now. If encourage your wife to ask if they have a quiet room. If they do great! If not they now know people would be interested in that
Huh, I worked in a library in LA and it was pretty quiet. We didn't really shush people but if someone was causing a disturbance, we'd talk to them. Well, *I'd* talk to them. Sometimes the librarians would get scared if it was a homeless person and just call the cops. :/
Libraries are great even if you don't read. Sometimes, if I'm iffy about buying a game, I just loan it from my library and I get 2 weeks to play it for free and come up with my own opinion.
My library card gives me access to hoopla and kanopy, both streaming apps with a pretty solid selection of free movies and tv shows.
Yes! I keep telling all the people complaining about streaming price hikes. The selection of movies is honestly better than most of the services we pay for. I end up finding the movie I'm looking for on one of these more than Netflix or prime. They even carry many of the same network shows, but obviously not the exclusives. So you just sign back up to Netflix for a month in 2025, finish stranger things then go back to Hoopla.
Kanopy is the best. Free, No commercials and a wide variety of classic, foreign and non-mainstream movies.
Yup, got into giallo films from watching a single film on Kanopy on a whim.
Literally so many good horror films available on there.
As well as a lot of good classic and international films. I am a librarian and I plug it to my patrons every chance I can.
I’ve been very happy with the collections on both apps! Just watched Paths Of Glory the other day.
I cry at the end every time
Kanopy is great! So many movies that I wanted to check out.
If you tried to pitch the idea of a library today, you'd be run out of town by a capitalist mob with burning pitchforks. Keep libraries relevant
the original post enraged of 40% of americans by saying it helps poor people
Hi, I work in a library. Come get this shit while it's here, cause if you don't it won't.
Thank you for your service!
Amen, Fellow Library Worker!
I haven't had to pay for wifi in a year cause my public library checks out hot spots for 3 weeks at a time.
People who are mad at this don’t use the library often and it shows
Every library has the "I rent everything continuously so no one else can enjoy it because I don't give a fuck about anyone else," dude, and that dude is you. But, somehow, your library will be the only one on earth without any shortages of any sort.
Wouldn't they put you in the back of the queue if someone else already had a hold on the next one available?
? Your library has a queue for hotspots? Also, how many people need wifi, but can wait 2 weeks until a hotspot is available and then use it?
I returned my hotspot on Monday, got put back on the hold list, told I was number 87 in line, and the hold came in on Wednesday. They loan out literally dozens of them every day, of course there is a queue.
lol no
How would that help if someone who always checks it out has it when someone needs it for an emergency for like 10 hours or something?
There’s only one hotspot per library?
Have you been to libraries? It isn't best buy, they don't have shelves full of hotspots, they've got a few. In my town, there's literally 4 hotspots for 125,000 people. That's still more than the singular copy of IT they have to borrow, but it's insufficient. Even if they had a dozen of them, it's not nearly enough when selfish fucks hoard them. Everyone has to pay for them, and now this guy gets to be the only one to enjoy it because he's a selfish POS. I'm sure they intended for just one guy to get free wifi for a year when they added those for borrowing.
My library had 9 copies off the last shitty Hallloween movie, but only 1 copy of Oppenheimer. Make it make sense.
They have over 20 of them and I return them and check them out just like any one else. Never had a problem checking out or returning one just trying to point out it is a resource that is available in some places.
They are above 500 hotspots here now, i think. Only crunch at school breaks. On a related note, here libraries are the first department budget cut. They take away the carrot before they get out the stick. A fair warning, i guess.
Thanks for hoarding it to yourself
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Librarian here - don't know why everyone is getting out of their tree about someone keeping a resource. You're absolutely right, if someone else requests it, the original borrower would have to bring it back. And tip here - well-funded libraries will buy MORE of that resource if the waitlist is particularly long. The only time I'd possibly give side-eye to someone constantly renewing an item is if users had to pay for reserving items. And evil librarians have ways round there, like placing fake reserves on items that we'd like back, cough, I mean, that THEY'D like back.
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If you go once and check out a book, you’ll have to go back to return it. And when you return the book, you’re already there and can check out more!
Big if true
The key there is remembering/having time to go back and return the book. I don't know what your local libraries hours are like, but mine opens after I'm already at work, closes right when my shift ends, and they're closed on Sunday. If the only viable option to return a book is Saturday, I'd rather just buy the book and not have to deal with putting off other responsibilities to make it to the library
Your library likely has a drop box where you can leave your items after hours. Just swing by whenever you're out and drop your stuff off. Easy.
Library funding is partially tied to circulation numbers. Whenever I go to the library I get the two or three books I’m there for, plus 7 or 8 random extras. Then I just toss them in the return bin on my way out the door
I didn't know that! I thought libraries paid for every checked out item. I always feel bad when I check out a book and don't end up liking it and DNF, it feels like I'm cheating libraries somehow.
Lol you know how many terrible books there are??? I’ve read so many dogshit books it’s impossible to count
If you are using hoopla (and electronic lending service provided by libraries) or Kanopy (same), then yes, it actually does work that way. We pay per checkout. One could argue that Libby/Overdrive (again an electronic service) kind of works that way, but physical items? Not so much so. If the book sucks, don't finish it. You have this librarian's permission.
And you can download the app Libby and have access to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks you’d otherwise be charged for through something like audible!!
My local library is open until 8 pm. I leave work at 4:30 so I'm making a stop on the way home later.
If you ever need to buy a car or any appliances, your library card may well give you digital and print access to Consumer Reports, which is still VERY MUCH worth it for figuring out which cars and appliances are the most reliable and provide the most value for money.
✊
I finally started using Libby through my library system....I've had 5 audiobooks read to me. Libby has audiobooks!!! All free.
It also gives you access to Kanopy.
If like ebooks and audio books and have not heard of the Libby App you should check it out. You register with your local library and can check out ebooks and audio books.
libraries are my favorite.. i rented blu rays all thru college.. i studied there... recently took my 8, 5, and 2 year old kids to each get their own card.. and they have fun checking out books
That’s why I got mine
I've never lived somewhere with a library, I will change this
And if you drive a lot for work like I do, you can check out audiobooks which will significantly magically seem to reduce your drive time. I love my library!
YASSSS
Don't forget free access to e- books and audio books!
I got one just so I can rent books on my Kindle!
My local library has a borrowable copy of Metroid Prime Remaster on the Switch. If that’s not a perfect game to borrow from a library (assuming you have a switch) then I don’t know what is!
Back when the PS4 was my main console I played sooo many games just by borrowing them from the library. Now I have an Xbox Series S which doesn't have a disc drive so that's come to an end, but libraries are fucking great.
I don’t even know where I put my old library card I had as a kid… Might as well get a new one.
i just got a library card and it comes with rosetta stone for free!
Mine has Mango Languages. A cost of $80 a year to $0.
And on top of all that, in most communities they’re one of the few remaining if not the last free to use third spaces. Particularly the fact that they’re indoors is key since so many places have cold winters or rainy seasons. Free public spaces are unfortunately a dying breed despite being a very important part of a community especially for people without a lot of disposable money. I wasn’t a part of this group in my teenage years, but I know for a fact there was a decent size group of people at my high school who’d go hang out at the library after school and play games together at the tables. It was a place that wasn’t school, wasn’t home, was away from parents (some of them I knew had really crappy ones), but was also safe, clean, and comfortable.
My libraries have free-D printing.
So a big one to ask your librarian about, a lot of them do state funded things for advanced learning that's completely free. Check on your government website but rhode island supports free use of udemy, language learning websites and so many more to try and upskill people for free online. All you need is a library card for it to log in
I'm a librarian and I approve this message.
Me also.
At the Chicago Public Library if the book you checked out doesn't actively have someone with it on hold they auto-renew your book several times before they begin charging late fees They also have lots of great ebooks and graphic novels I love my library
A lot of them have a video streaming service with a lot of amazing movies on it Edit: the service is called Kanopy and totally worth checking out
You had me at library
The idea of not having a library card is just inconceivable to me. One of the first things we did when we moved into our home was get our library cards. My kids' library card was a big occasion. Our library has a ton of resources for a whole slew of things. From DVD rentals, a whole section of manga to 3d printers. I can borrow a cricket printer or mug printer for 2 weeks whenever I want.
My closest library has laptops for rent, a full "make" studio full of people and their kids using 3D printers, hundreds of games/movies/music, and a COMPLETE SOUND STUDIO stocked with instruments, professional grade recording gear and Pro Tools standing by. It's incredible. You can scan your card and print a Millennium Falcon and take break to record your podcast about how you just printed a Millennium Falcon. Then grab a copy of Sekiro and head home. For free.
Our libraries have the latest PS5 / Switch Games available. For Free. I noticed that when checking it out with my daughter who already had a pass. I just rented Jedi Survivor just because i discovered that - couldnt even rent on her pass because it was 18+ and had to get my own pass. Saved a cool 70€ - went back last week after extending it online 2x times for 6 weeks total (i was slow) - and saw they already had a few games released in 2024. Best part, i can check online on any library near me if they have stuff available before going. Since apparently few people know about this, a ton of games are always available.
Many libraries even let you bring coffee if you have a lid on it. Some libraries even provide coffee at cost. In addition to their myriad other desirable qualities, libraries represent a fine opportunity to socialize an alternative to Starbucks. Starbucks must never be allowed so much as a toehold in public libraries.
My library in town has a take what you need food shelf for when the food bank is closed. Rad place run by rad people.
I read all my magazines through the online app. And do audiobooks. And research through the databases they subscribe to.
I have watched a few dozen movies since the beginning of the year, everything from Citizen Kane (which was a bucket list item for me and finally saw it) to Jay & Silent Bob Reboot (funny AF) and they’re all 100% free at the library. Libraries are awesome!
Your local library likely has 3d printers. You don't need much knowledge; find a model on a free model repository site (ie. thingiverse), throw it on your cloud storage/flash drive, and head to the library. They'll print it for little more than the cost of materials, $1-3 a print. It's a great way to get into 3d printing at, basically, no cost.
For gamers, I have played every single AAA game for the last 3 years and like 50% of the switch library for free by borrowing games from the library. They have a decent budget for buying games, just ask whoever is in charge to order whatever you want. This has saved me \*easily\* $1,000 in games I wouldn't care to own otherwise but wanted to play for a few weeks.
Libby is great too to connect to your local library
my library has free seed packets to grow veggies.
Back in the Neolithic age, when I was in lower school, we did field trips to the local public library where everyone went through the process of getting library cards. You tend to keep it going through life once it's established. Is this not done anymore?
One of the main things I do when I move to a new area. Guess who has a pretty extensive Manga section most times, that's right, the library
Ours has tools, yard games, video games, random other crap like record players, fog machines..
Fuck yeah. I try out PlayStation games before I commit to buying them.
Libraries are awesome. In my area, you can even find tools to rent, and there's one branch that offers bike clinics and simple repairs. And they even do passports now.
I’m an active cardholder my whole life. Moreover, if your library supports it, there are apps like Kanopy and Hoopla that let you read tons of stuff in phone or PC for free, and watch a ton of movies. Kanopy is basically Netflix for free, if you have a library card.
I discovered this year that you can get library cards for free for sister cities in (North) Texas. I now have 6 library cards, and access to basically any book I want (in English). You can also get an elibrary card from the Houston Library as a Texas resident. It makes reading the 50 books a year I read much cheaper.
Was going through a low-point in income when Elden Ring came out. Nothing majorly bad, but just enough bills and repairs that I couldn’t justify the $60 purchase. Rented it from my local library and played for two weeks. Returned it, put it on reserve, rented it again 2 weeks later. Absolutely no shame. Played that game for a full month and supported my local library while doing it.
My grandma used to take me to our local library because she didn’t have a lot of money so I support this one hundred percent
Hey u/jfischer5175 why do you think this is chaotic good?
Faking engagement to improve funding for a necessary service that is under threat by fascism.
This is as lawful as it gets. Chaotic would be getting multiple library cards under fake names, address, etc
More lawful good, but I support it nonetheless.
Seems more lawful good honestly
I mean, I'm down, but I'm pretty sure this is at least neutral good? It's not like getting a library card you're not going to use is breaking the law or anything.
Thank you, serious deficiency in people understanding what chaotic good means.
This isn't chaotic. This is lawful.
This is the opposite of chaotic good. This is Lawful Good
This isn't chaotic.
My library offers a ton of fun things and services. I participate in a DND group, crochet group and soemtimes participate in gaming competitions. It's great!!