Just rediscovered Libraries!

[BiggerFishToFI]

Was shopping for a recommended book on Amazon, then remembered a recommendation on here to use your local public library. Don't think I've been to a library since college!

I was able to go to my local libraries website and sign up for a library card. I then found the audio-book version of the book available to checkout online and was able to download it to my smartphone via their smartphone app! All free and took less than 10 minutes.

Browsing the website it looks like they have recent movies on DVD available for check out also!

I am going to find some time soon to go check it out in person.

[jim555]

It is a great resource and overlooked.  Who needs premium cable when most movies are in the library.

[Frankies Girl]

They also have music, movies, e-books, graphic novels/comics, some in my area offer internet hotspots (that you check out and take with you - portable wifi!!), free classes on things like crafts, art, exercise (I love the free yoga class!), child activities, computers with free internet and scanner/printer/copiers, most systems have a county and even state-wide lending program so you can request books, tv shows, movies or music even if it's not available from your branch.

[JoJo]

Ours has a limited number of free tickets to local educational and art museums as well.

[CupcakeGuru]

I love our library. Along with audio and ebooks, we also can check out tickets for local museums, nature centers etc.  They also have small rooms that my daughters use for study groups.

[FireHiker]

Thanks to MMM I too rediscovered the library two years ago. I got a Kindle for Christmas (bought for $100 on sale) and I have tracked the cost of the ebooks I've checked out from the library. In just the past two years I read $739.92 worth of ebooks on my kindle, all free from the library (and another $24.95 so far in 2018).

[hadabeardonce]

I was really impressed with the selection and availability at my local college campus library. Books were way easier to get than at my nearest city library, where many things have a 30+ person wait list.

[GuitarStv]

Every other week I'll browse the hundreds of brand new titles that come into our library, pick out a few that sound interesting and reserve them.  Then I bike down on the weekends and pick them up.  It's really awesome.  If we do ever move, I'll be quite sad to leave Toronto's library system.

[lizzzi]

Our library is smallish, so I have to get a lot of books and DVDs through inter-library loan, which means a wait, but I find that for reading long-running mystery series or watching a long-running TV series, it saves me a fortune. I'd also recommend going to the library sales if your library has them. Ours seems to run sales a couple times a year, and I pick up all kinds of used books from 25 cents to a dollar. I read them and them re-donate to a charity--or just keep them...depending on what they are. 

[lexde]

Yes! I just got my library card reinstated in December. I drive a lot for work and audiobooks are the best for passing time. They get digitally checked out to an app on my phone and automatically returned once they are due (if I don’t read and return sooner) which means NO LATE FEES! I am so, so happy I rediscovered the library. I’ve already read 4 books this month, and listen to books while I drive, lift, and do housework.

[Davids]

Overdrive is a great app too they hopefully your local library is part of.

[FireHiker]

Overdrive is a great app too they hopefully your local library is part of.

Overdrive is what I use for my ebooks. I was reluctant to use the library because of my general busy-ness and not wanting to worry about returning books late. I LOVE that the ebooks are returned automatically without any late fees.

[EmFrugal]

Our library also has nature backpacks with state park passes (so no parking fees). We now take our kids on day trip weekend excursions this way. They love it!

And I also realized that my library has subscriptions to many magazines like the Economist and Consumer Reports. CR has come in handy several times in the past year for broken appliance replacements.

[Noodle]

My library also does Hoopla for electronic books. It's better for comics and graphic novels...they also have some books and movies.

For the Overdrive users on tablets...the system has a new app called Libby. It took me a little while to get used to it, but I find it is much more user-friendly than the old Overdrive app.

Our library has a really good book selection, and wait times are much shorter than when I lived in the Pacific Northwest--I can usually get a brand-new book by a well-known author in a few weeks instead of waiting months. The one downside is that they don't buy television series on DVD and the DVD movies get banged up pretty quickly, so I am envious of those whose libraries stock that type of materials.

[wordnerd]

Rediscovering the library has been a really positive development over the past few years for me. I love putting a book on hold online whenever I want. If it takes awhile to come in and I forget about it in the meantime, it's like a little present to myself when it shows up. I read more books because I have a deadline to get them back. And, whenever I go pick them up, I take my kid to play with the puzzles in the kids section, which he loves. Libraries are the best <3.

[JoJo]

And... if you like travel, I always check out books to plan traveling.  If I'm on a trip of 4 weeks or less, I even take the books on the trip, saving the purchasing of a good guidebook. 

[Tobias]

The library is awesome! I used to get all of my movies at the library instead of the video store when I was a teen. They had a much better selection, too, since I mostly wanted to watch cult classics as a teen.

Now I use it for ebooks and a subscription to Lynda.com instructional videos.

[Off the Wheel]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

[Astatine]

I love our library system in my city. If I find a book I'm interested in, I can reserve it online and then I get a text telling me when its available to pick up.

I can also borrow e-books on my phone and this week I downloaded the free app for access to magazines through my library. I forsee some binge-reading of New Scientist coming up.

[dreams_and_discoveries]

Yes libraries rock!

I'm a member of three local ones, and they vary in service and charges, but such a great public service.

[soccerluvof4]

I bet with out library we are there at least 3xs a week. Its so close so thats part of the reason but we to have everything from Movies, to e-books, computers to use its a full on source of entertainment and knowledge. And if our library doesnt have what your looking for with the network of libraries in they will be able to get it for you. Think we have 25+/- libraries in our system so can always get what you want.

[lizzzi]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

Just anecdotal, but I've been going to libraries my whole life, all over the USA and also overseas--never heard of a bedbug problem anywhere.

[HenryDavid]

Also, libraries are amazing for travellers!
As a broke young backpacker in Europe, I found libraries were always a sane, pretty clean, and free refuge from the streets.
Now I always seek them out for free wifi (often), useful local info, and sometimes cool architecture. Or as a work space when I'm occasionally working on the road.
Landmark libraries are a great way to punctuate travel. Have recently enjoyed them in Oxford, Paris . . . and I need to get back to Fez for this place:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/19/books-world-oldest-library-fez-morocco
“Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, located in the old medina of Fez.  . . . widely believed [to be] the oldest library in the world” and now re-opening to the public.
As a lifelong university person, I'm starting to think the public libraries are a MORE important resource than universities.

[big_slacker]

I went to the library a lot when I was a kid and teen but stopped going once I was out of school. I started going again now that I'm in a city and it's awesome. When new books I want to read come out I just stick myself on the 'hold' list and they get delivered when they're ready. There are always events for the kids to do as well. Lego building, cooking, reading with service dogs, music, etc. All freeeeeeee! (Obviously taxes pay for the library, but you know what I mean)

[Pigeon]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

Just anecdotal, but I've been going to libraries my whole life, all over the USA and also overseas--never heard of a bedbug problem anywhere.

Librarian here (but not a public librarian).  Yes, some libraries get bedbugs.  So do other buildings frequented by the public, like stores (esp. dressing rooms), concert halls, theaters, convention centers, office buildings, etc.

[GuitarStv]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

Just anecdotal, but I've been going to libraries my whole life, all over the USA and also overseas--never heard of a bedbug problem anywhere.

I've actually found a bedbug in a book that I took out (bug was dead).  It was scary.  We're pretty heavy users of the library, and this was one time in more than seven years.

Bedbugs exist just about anywhere that human beings do, unfortunately.

[honeybbq]

Don't forget to install the library extension on your chrome browser - it automatically checks your library when you click on a book on amazon! It was mentioned here and it's great!

[rubybeth]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

Just anecdotal, but I've been going to libraries my whole life, all over the USA and also overseas--never heard of a bedbug problem anywhere.

I've actually found a bedbug in a book that I took out (bug was dead).  It was scary.  We're pretty heavy users of the library, and this was one time in more than seven years.

Bedbugs exist just about anywhere that human beings do, unfortunately.

Libraries take evidence of bedbugs extremely seriously. If you see one, do alert the library (they may be able to figure out who last checked it out, and locate other materials also checked out by the same person). Many major public libraries have ways to mitigate bedbugs in materials, or have procedures to discard materials that may have been exposed. Kind of like mold, one book that has a problem can quickly spread to others, so things are taken seriously and action is taken immediately.

All of this to say, no, I wouldn't spend my life in fear of bedbugs from the library.

[Off the Wheel]

There is a beautiful library I walk pass every weekend on our routine long-dog-walk-to-best-croissant-and-coffee walk, and I've been SO interested in checking it out... but I have this fear of bed bugs after reading a horrible news article years ago.

Is this a valid concern?!

Just anecdotal, but I've been going to libraries my whole life, all over the USA and also overseas--never heard of a bedbug problem anywhere.

I've actually found a bedbug in a book that I took out (bug was dead).  It was scary.  We're pretty heavy users of the library, and this was one time in more than seven years.

Bedbugs exist just about anywhere that human beings do, unfortunately.

Libraries take evidence of bedbugs extremely seriously. If you see one, do alert the library (they may be able to figure out who last checked it out, and locate other materials also checked out by the same person). Many major public libraries have ways to mitigate bedbugs in materials, or have procedures to discard materials that may have been exposed. Kind of like mold, one book that has a problem can quickly spread to others, so things are taken seriously and action is taken immediately.

All of this to say, no, I wouldn't spend my life in fear of bedbugs from the library.

Thank you, that is very reasonable.

I am particularly heightened/aware because I work in an apparel business with a retail store, and we had an issue where the unit above ourselves had an "infestation". We went on lock down and high alert, and had months of preventative treatments and surveying and it was all very stressful. During that time I learned more about bed bugs than I would like to know, and it has actually prevented me from doing certain things - like going to a particular theatre. Ugh.

[InquisitiveMind]

Not about bed bugs, but just wanted to mention that I recently discovered that my library has free online access to the Mango language learning software. I had previously been considering purchasing an expensive language course via e.g. Rosetta Stone, but it was a revelation to me that Mango is readily available at no cost, and offers dozens of languages...

[Michael in ABQ]

I do about 95% of my reading on my phone or via audiobooks these days. Never have time during the day to read and I don't have to worry about keeping my wife awake with a lamp to read in bed. Most of that is from the library via the Overdrive app or audiobooks on CD.

I don't visit the library as much as I would like, maybe once a month. I've gone through almost all of the non-fiction audiobooks on CD at the closest branch (at least the ones I'm interested in). Some interesting biographies (Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Polk) and a fair amount of historical non-fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War, to Lewis & Clark, building the transcontinental railroad, and World War II.

The overdrive app isn't the greatest but I did find a few authors I had read when I was younger and was able to read/listen to a lot of their books I hadn't back then.

[rubybeth]

Hot tip from your resident mustachian public library administrator: see if your library now has Axis 360. It's a newer eBook/eAudiobook service from Baker & Taylor (a huge book vendor), and many libraries are moving from OverDrive, which has a proprietary agreement with Amazon, to Axis 360. The app is very intuitive!

Also, if you use your public libraries--tell your friends and family how great they are to encourage them to also use them (use drives support), and that they need donors and advocates at the local and federal levels. Many attacks are happening on free speech and could directly impact libraries and access. Following your library's social media or getting on their mailing lists to stay up on current events is much appreciated. <3

[NorthernBlitz]

Libraries are awesome.

We rediscovered them when we had kids.

Recently, I discovered that living in NY State gives me access to the NY Public Library in the "Overdrive" app. I had previously written off Overdrive for audiobooks because our local library is small and doesn't have much to offer. But having access to the NYPL is awesome. There are so many free audiobooks available.

For example, over the last 4 months I have listened to all of the books from:
Game of Thrones
The Saxon Tales
Mistborn

And I'm working on books from:
Harry Potter (waiting for Half Blood Prince); and
The Stormlight Archive

I've also listened to 4-5 Stephen King books and got a bunch of books for my kids to listen to on road trips back to Canada on vacations.

It's awesome! Especially since I hadn't been reading fiction books in a while.

Tip: If you go with Overdrive, make sure to set the loan time to 21 days (I thin the default is 14). Some books on my list are really long (even at 1.8-2x speed). I would hate to have to wait for them all over again because I missed the last few chapters.

[Michael in ABQ]

Hot tip from your resident mustachian public library administrator: see if your library now has Axis 360. It's a newer eBook/eAudiobook service from Baker & Taylor (a huge book vendor), and many libraries are moving from OverDrive, which has a proprietary agreement with Amazon, to Axis 360. The app is very intuitive!

Also, if you use your public libraries--tell your friends and family how great they are to encourage them to also use them (use drives support), and that they need donors and advocates at the local and federal levels. Many attacks are happening on free speech and could directly impact libraries and access. Following your library's social media or getting on their mailing lists to stay up on current events is much appreciated. <3

I read it somewhere on here or in a comment section on the main site about how libraries are basically credited for lending books/media, ordering new requested books, and renewals count as another checkout. I no longer feel bad renewing some random horse book my daughter likes to look at for the 5th time. That just counts as another thumbs up to the library and justifies more funding, more books, etc.

I'm not a big fan of government in general and I usually vote against all the local bond issues with the exception of the library one. As a voracious reader who is raising several more voracious readers it's a great resource. You can't beat the price either.

I have to say though, I don't think I've ever been charged a late fee by the Albuquerque public library system. And I've had books be a week or two overdue before I remember to renew or return them. As a kid in Oregon I remember routinely paying $0.10 (maybe $0.25 later on) per day per book as you couldn't just go online and click to renew all your books and I would often have 5-10 checked out at once that I might return a few days late. Is this a trend where libraries have decided it's not worth it to try and collect late fees or is my local library system just lazy?

[rubybeth]

I have to say though, I don't think I've ever been charged a late fee by the Albuquerque public library system. And I've had books be a week or two overdue before I remember to renew or return them. As a kid in Oregon I remember routinely paying $0.10 (maybe $0.25 later on) per day per book as you couldn't just go online and click to renew all your books and I would often have 5-10 checked out at once that I might return a few days late. Is this a trend where libraries have decided it's not worth it to try and collect late fees or is my local library system just lazy?

Your library does what I wish my library could do: they do not charge fines. https://abqlibrary.org/librarycards/fineprint It's a growing trend in the library world; some libraries like yours only charge for materials that are never returned or just returned with damage. Unfortunately, many libraries still rely on the revenue from fines to help offset less governmental/fundraising support. Most people, even if they never use their public library, still appreciate having one in their community. But the best way to show support for libraries is to actively use them--all public libraries must make annual reports to the federal government to show usage levels, and many states and funders use this same data to either show a need for increased funding, or prove that the library is somehow "no longer relevant" and close them or reduce hours. It's a sad state of affairs for many communities.