\n<\/p>\n
I love our local library. We bring our kids, they feel like it\u2019s Supermarket Sweep but for books, and it saves us money and clutter around the house.<\/p>\n
The other day, I went in and saw a whole display for art you could borrow. These were framed prints you could borrow for six weeks at a time with a limit of two per customer. (the overdue fines were steep though, $2 per day whereas they suspended overdue fines for books after Covid)<\/p>\n
That sent me down a rabbit hole that showed me all the amazing things you could borrow from the library.<\/p>\n If you love your library too, you\u2019re probably familiar with Libby<\/a>. Libby is an app that lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks directly to your phone, tablet, or Kindle. You set up your account, add your libraries, and are able to put holds and borrow from each one.<\/p>\n You can expand your available catalog by adding additional libraries because each one has a separate catalog. Reciprocard<\/a> lists reciprocal borrowing programs so you can find and join other libraries that partner with yours. They also list library programs that allow non-residents to join, typically for a fee.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s my short Instagram video explaining how Reciprocard works:<\/p>\n One of my favorite hidden benefits is free access to premium research databases and online subscriptions.<\/p>\n Many libraries now offer subscriptions to premium research like Consumer Reports, Morningstar, and others. This is in addition to online subscriptions to newspapers and other sites like the New York Times.<\/p>\n Ours collects them under Digital Library and the terms for each subscription is different. For the New York Times, there is a daily code you can redeem onto your own account to get 24 hour access to news. I save it as a bookmark and load it whenever I see a NYT article I want to read.<\/p>\n Many libraries provide access to two streaming services for free \u2013 Kanopy<\/a> and hoopla<\/a>. They\u2019re separate services with different catalogs but many libraries offer you access to one or both for free.<\/p>\n Kanopy is primarily streaming video with thousands of movies, many classics, as well as television series and documentaries. Hoopla has video but also includes audiobooks, comics, magazines, and music.<\/p>\n Many libraries have museum and park passes that you can \u201cborrow\u201d to help save on entry and or even parking. For example, the Boston Public Library offers a DCR ParksPass<\/a>. It\u2019s a physical pass that gives you free parking at 50 facilities in the Massachusetts State Parks System.<\/p>\n The New York City Public Library offers a Culture Pass<\/a> if you have a library card from the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, or New York Public Library. It allows you free access to 100+ cultural institutions across NYC<\/a>, including Carnegie Hall, the Intrepid Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.<\/p>\n Do you need a tool to finish a home improvement job? <\/p>\n What about a cake pan?<\/p>\n How about binoculars or a camping lantern?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t buy it when you can borrow it.<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/summary>\n
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Ebooks & Audiobooks in Libby<\/h2>\n
Digital Subscriptions<\/h2>\n
Movies & TV Shows<\/h2>\n
Free Museum Passes<\/h2>\n