As someone who always visited the library when I was young, it was disappointing when I realized that, with growing up, I didn’t have much time to visit anymore, especially when I was off at college. However, I’ve since learned that there is so much more a library card can be used for than to go borrow a quick read.
Whether you’re trying to cut down on those never-ending subscription payments or just want to get some use out of that decade-old library card, learn here what more your library card can do for you.
Before we get started, a quick note: I’m sure there are many more resources than the ones I mention here, but I can only go over the ones I have used and/or seen. Feel free to try these out, but also browse around if there are any other ones you like better.
And with that, let’s get into it!
- Books/Audiobooks
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The most obvious and well-known use of your library card is, of course, borrowing books to read. However, if you don’t want to be driving back and forth from the actual library, you can use an app! I personally use Libby, which has books, graphic novels, magazines, and audiobooks, all available with a few clicks. My favorite feature is that, since the books are on your phone, is that you can read anywhere, even in the dark. This is how I finished reading “Real Americans” by Rachel Kong (highly recommend) in just a few days.
- Comic Books
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I’ve become a chronic DC fan recently and desperately want to read their comics. However, comic books can be pretty expensive to buy, and I’m just a broke college student. Thankfully, with your library and the Hoopla app, you can borrow a myriad of comic books and read them right from your phone. Hoopla not only has comics, but also lets you zoom in to see the small details and keeps full page spreads uncropped for the full effect. Now, I finally have the chance read comics like “Batgirls” that, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to. Thanks Hoopla!
- Movies + TV Shows
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Hoopla not only has comics, but a ton of other visual media too, including movies and TV show seasons! It might just be what my own library has to offer, but I will admit that the TV show selections seem a bit outdated. However, the movie selection, while not including every new blockbuster or indie project, has a healthy mix of newer and older movies. I used it to watch “Clue (1985)” for free, and it was actually hilarious for having come out 40 years ago.
- Music
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This one really surprised me, but, again, with Hoopla, you can actually borrow music! This includes albums, soundtracks, and pre-made playlists. The best part? No ads! Even though you can’t make your own playlists, you can listen to your favorite music without any ads cutting in, all with just your library card.
- Language Learning
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Last, but certainly not least, you can use your library card to learn a language. Not just by borrowing language learning books, but with an app: Mango Languages! Personally, I haven’t been able to try it since my library doesn’t offer this option, so I can’t say much about how it works. However, it has very high ratings and offers more than 70 languages. Now that I’m taking an Italian class, this would definitely be really helpful.
As you can see, there is so much that libraries offer. Plus, they also usually have so many fun events to attend, all for the sake of the community. So, take this as inspiration to dig up your card and support your local library!