If Ben Franklin did indeed invent the idea of a free public library, then I LOVE him!! But libraries have come a long way since his day. Today, most libraries offer much much more than books and the local newspaper. Here's a list of the possible freebies you could be taking advantage of in your very own neighborhood.
Books (fiction, non-fiction, how-to, cookbooks, travel guides. . . )
Books on cassette and CD
Movies
How-to DVDs
Exercise DVDs
Music CDs
Online services
Download music and books directly to your iPod (often from home)
Toys
Puzzles
Board games
Video games
Wii games
Book Club back packs (a backpack containing multiple copies of the same book with discussion questions)
Specialty cake pans -- I love this one!!
Reading time for newborns, toddlers and young children
Summer reading programs for youth and adults
Movie Nights
Free WiFi
GED, SAT and other standardized tests
Youth and Adult book clubs
Cultural passes for local museums
Lectures
Author visits and book signings
Bilingual reading time for children
Homework help
Genealogical research areas with specialists to assist you
Book sales
Seminars
Writing groups
Foreign films
Concerts
Magicians
Poetry readings
Computer classes
Themed help bags for parents (such as how to potty train a child)
Magazines
Local, national and international newspapers
A place for you to donate books you no longer need or want
The list is as creative as your branch librarian. . .
Heck, even with the occasional library fine, it's still a great deal! If you've run across an unusual kind of service or check out that your library offers, we'd love to hear it!
5 comments:
Great list, but we need to be careful about the "free" part. Public libraries are funded by tax revenues collected by the city or county. So another way to look at it is this: you're paying for the library whether you use it or not, so you might as well use it. And if you're not going to use it, then you should let your city council know.
I. love. libraries. Not only do we go twice a week to get books and such, I just found out my library has a program where you can get free passes to local museums with your library card--I am loving it.
I was going to mention the whole "You pay taxes to support the library, so you might as well use it," but didn't. Thanks for mentioning it!! Another good reason to drop in regularly.
Carole
It would be great to live where libraries actually have these items and services available. Our library, sadly, doesn't even have a very good selection of books. I do have to say that I'm glad that we have a library, because it is sadly under-budgeted.
Oh, and all our "local" libraries are "free" only if we live within each of the library's city limits. Otherwise, there is an annual fee.
One good thing, tho, now that we have inter-library loan, a person/family only has to pay one fee instead of to each library like we used to have to do.
I see people sitting in their cars in the parking lot at all hours of the day and night using the library's WiFi.
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