15 Reasons to Love the Library!

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Did you know that March is National Reading Month?  I think it's mainly because Read Across America Day is held on March 2nd, which just happens to be the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  Not only that, but our friends across the pond enjoy their own celebration of reading this month with World Book Day.  (Have a child in school in the UK or Ireland and looking for costume ideas?  See what Gv and I did on her first Halloween, when we held our own little book character parade!) 

So with all these books being devoured and pages being flipped in homes all around the world, I figured it was time to make myself finally publish a post that I've had written for ages (almost since I started this blog last year) ‐ I'm going to give you 15 reasons to love the library!


The library is practically a home away from home for us; we make a family trek there every weekend and several other trips separately during the week.  The connection isn't just limited to visits in person, either.  We're on the library website constantly ‐ so often that its homepage boots up right along with the Internet on our computers!

What's so wonderful about the library? 

You might be surprised to find out that it's so much more than just books!

I worked at a library while I was in college.  I was excited to get the job because I have always loved to read.  Growing up, some of my best friends were Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Cherry Ames, so I knew working in the place that introduced me to so many amazing adventures would be a perfect fit.

The experience turned out to be so much more than that and opened my eyes to the almost limitless possibilities that a library can offer you.  Here are my best tips for making the most of your neighborhood library:

Tip #1:  Have a set day that you always take care of your library business.  For us, this is every Saturday.  You might not need to go as frequently, so once a month might work better for you.  I always joke that we've got half the library checked out and sitting on our shelves here at home, so it's essential for us to make the trip every week if we want to avoid fines.  We're able to renew books online from home if they aren't requested by someone else, but after two renewals, we have to return them.  Of course, we can always check them in and then back out again onto a different card, which leads me to...

Tip #2:  Get a library card for everyone, even if they aren't interested in checking books out.  Everyone means getting one for Gv just one week after she was born. {grin}  Having more cards means not only being able to check out more goodies, but being able to keep some books out forever (by returning and rechecking them out on a different card) if no one else is requesting them.  Yes, this tip opens you up to a greater chance for fines, but if you follow tip #1, that won't be an issue.  It also helps if you...

Tip #3:  Know your library's staff.  We all know each other by name and the staff knows our reading habits, which means when they come across something we might like, they let us know (both in terms of books and events).  For example, we were checking out lots of books on chickens a while back and our favorite library assistant put us in touch with another patron who raised chickens and ran a website detailing all things fowl for our county.  Knowing the staff so well also means that on those rare occasions when we're a day or two late with our books, we sometimes aren't charged for it.  Since the staff is well aware that we usually always return things on time, they are more apt to help us out.  Additionally, the staff always goes out of their way to help us get requests, which leads to...

Tip #4:  Request books to be held for you.  Your local library most likely has some system for requesting books from other branches or asking to hold an item (that is currently checked out) for you when it is returned.  Some libraries (like the one I worked at in college) charge a small fee for this service, but I've found that most do not.  We literally have an entire shelf set aside at our library branch for the Healy Holds since we get so much of our material in this way.  Because our library system is extensive and covers a large geographical area, this means that we have access to books from over 31 different locations!  That translates to us being able to get pretty much anything we're interested in, but sometimes we have some pretty unusual requests (ahem, An Introduction to Analysis: From Number to Integral) that our library system doesn't have, which means we can...

Tip #5:  Request the item as an Interlibrary Loan.  Again, some libraries charge for this, but most don't.  What this means is that if you're interested in an item that your library doesn't have, it can be borrowed from another library somewhere else.  Like from a small college library that's 3,000 miles away (the obscure title above's author taught at the college that sent the book ‐ he was probably thrilled to have someone ask for it)!  Another way to get materials that your library doesn't physically have on the shelf is to...

Tip #6:  Check out Ebooks.  If you have some sort of Ereader, then you might already know how great this option is.  But did you know that even if you don't have that fancy little piece of technology, you can still get Ebooks on your computer?  You might have to download a bit of free software to do this, but then you can check out items instantly and from the comfort of your own home!  This is especially helpful if...

Tip #7:  You want to look at a book to see if it's worth buying.  So often, you want more than the measly 4 pages of text and Table of Contents that Amazon makes available to view so that you can tell if that book your favorite blog is recommending is really for you before you plunk down the cash.  Go check out the Ebook from your library and see what you think for yourself, even before your shopping cart times out.  Most often what I do is check out a bazillion books on one subject and then determine which is the best one to purchase.  I did this with a bunch of make‐your‐own‐pantry‐staples books recently and finally decided on Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, which has turned out to be wonderful.  Besides using this trick for books, you can also try it out with...

Tip #8:  Finding a variety of materials available to check out.  You may not even realize the array of materials your library loans out.  There are books, of course, but you can find these in regular and large print, audio book versions and even translations into other languages or Braille!  You'll find all types of children's materials to keep your little bookworm's shelves bulging at the seams, including board books for even the youngest of bibliophiles.  Besides digital Ebooks, you can often use your library card number to open a free account with Zinio (online magazines) or Hoopla (streaming movies and television shows).  The library also carries music CDs, DVDs, magazines, newspapers, and even maps, paintings and photograph collections!  That's right, you can even check out items to decorate your home!  Speaking of home, we all have technical issues every so often and you don't have to panic when they occur because... 

Tip #9:  The library provides technological tools for its patrons to use!  These tools include computers, free Internet access, printers, copiers, and more.  You can even bring in your own device to use with the free wi fi that's usually offered.  We've especially made use of this perk while visiting libraries during our travels ‐ even while abroad!  This feature can be especially helpful when researching your location during a trip, but also...

Tip #10:  The librarians are there to help you get whatever information you need.  That's right, reference librarians are equipped to provide help on any topic imaginable and grant you access to databases full of information.  Did you know that pretty much all librarians must hold a master's degree in library science?  They are trained experts in research and resources and must be able to lead you to information so you can find your own facts, rather than provide you with the answers to your questions.  And although librarians aren't allowed to give answers to homework...

Tip #11:  Many libraries offer free tutoring and homework help for students of all ages.  Imagine that ‐ finding volunteer tutors to help your child study for that tricky physics exam that you just can't conjure up the explanations for.  Also, libraries often have free adult reading resources and tutors, to help improve the literacy rate in this country.  And while we're talking about encouraging literacy...

Tip #12:  The library offers many options to help promote reading in children.  Children's activities may include story time, craft days, Lego clubs, puppet shows, reading programs and contests.  These selections not only provide free activities for your child to participate in, but can help to foster a love of reading in even those little ones who won't always sit still for a book at home.  Even adults can benefit from services like these, when they engage in...

Tip #13:  Programs that are hosted by the library for all ages.  These range from lectures to concerts to classes (such as yoga and karate) as well as book clubs and other organized meetings.  You can even find free tax help at libraries during the busy season!  Getting a tax return?  Then you can use put it to use in the library's...

Tip #14:  Book stores.  The books sold here cost mere pennies and are all donated or discarded from the library's collection.  It's where I pretty much got all the books I had as a child (my mom and I would come home from a book sale with brown grocery bags bursting with books bought for a nickel or a dime each ‐ they're probably not quite that cheap these days).  The proceeds from such stores go to support the Friends of the Library, which put on so many of the great programs and activities that are offered at your library branch.  And if all that isn't enough...

Tip #15:  Some libraries have really unusual things that you can check out or use.  I've visited a lot of libraries in my day, and some of the things I've seen patrons borrow are puppets, games, seeds, household tools, telescopes and passes to area attractions.  These attractions might include zoos, aquariums, science, art and history museums that can all be quite pricey!  Many libraries offer unique spaces, as well.  My hometown library devoted an entire floor in its downtown branch to resources for genealogy research.  Often libraries will also have meeting rooms that can be used free or for a nominal fee.

As you can see, the library is more than just rows of dusty, musty bookshelves.  I hope that by exploring these 15 library tips, I've given you 15 reasons to love your library!

Did you already know all 15 of these library tips?  What's the most unique thing your library has to offer its patrons?  I'd love to hear - leave a comment or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

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