Having a Boston Public Library card as a college student has been a lifesaver in so many ways. When I need a novel for a class and I don’t want to buy it, a swipe of my library card has saved me a lot of cash. While spending hours on end in my college library has driven me crazy, a change of scenery and working in the quiet comfortable spaces of the Back Bay branch has renewed my motivation. But what else can a library card do for you as a college student?
If you’re writing a paper and you aren’t sure where to start, you can book an appointment with a librarian. They will help you refine your research topic and help you look for sources. If you struggle to put together citations, the librarians can help you with that as well. With a little help from the library, writing papers just got so much easier!
Feeling unsure about looking for a job that will put you on the right career path? The library can also help with that as well. They offer meetings for resume reviews and interview prep. If going in person is too overwhelming or doesn’t fit into your schedule, they have free guides online for patrons to peruse. If money management is your worry, they are constantly hosting budgeting seminars and have various online resources that you can reference for quick tips.
While many colleges provide money to students for printing it may not always be enough. Having a library card is a great way to make sure you don’t run out before the semester is over. Each month your library card is reloaded with $20.00 to be used at their printers. If that’s not enough, they have a feature where you can add your personal funds to your library card.
For students whose first language is not English, or for anyone who is looking to improve their English grammar skills, they have a variety of English language learning classes. They offer differing levels, as well as classes that focus solely on reading or conversing in English. Again, if going in person isn’t for you, a library card grants you access to online language classes through the platform Mango.
Aside from all of those perks, having a library card allows for other things that are a bit more entertaining. They often host yoga classes and tai chi for a variety of skill levels. If that’s not your thing but you still want to get moving, you can join one of their dance classes. A library card also gives you access to free museum tickets. You can check out museum and aquarium tickets online, just like you would an Ebook. The Boston public library partners with just about every museum, zoo, and aquarium in the area to bring you free tickets!
To sign up for a library card and get all of these lovely perks, all you need is proof of Boston residency and some sort of identification. For those who are out of state students you can prove your residency by pulling up an online version of your tuition bill. As a general warning, they will not accept student IDs as proof of residency or valid identification. So just head over to the library branch closest to you, show your ID and tuition bill, give them a good email, and they will let you pick the design of your library card. Now you can enjoy all of these resources that will hopefully make your college experience a little easier, all while supporting your local library!