I saw someone talking about this online recently and I wanted to bring the discussion here too.
Libraries can be supported by a number of means including website traffic, social media likes, newsletter sign-ups, visiting events/ programs, and, of course, checking out books.
I have had a long history with my local library and it blows my mind, sometimes, the services they offer that people don’t know about.
When I was a kid, I largely got into reading because of a monthly book club our library ran. Before that, I had never enjoyed reading books outside of a select few series because I wasn’t encountering books that spoke to me; but the librarian that ran the program was very savvy and picked great books that children could enjoy. To this day, I am still grateful for that program.
They also have programs aimed at adults that can range anywhere from book clubs to classes, and even very interesting author talks from time to time.
You can also borrow all sorts of exciting media aside from books. You can rent movies/ TV shows, music, and even video games these days. This is really fantastic for movies/ games that you think you’ll only want to enjoy once or twice and don’t need to own. It’s also worth noting that your library can have some pretty rare media that can be hard to find online or in stores.
Additionally, your library can sometimes have large niche equipment on hand for you to use too. I’ve seen some libraries with 3D printers and some with projectors you can borrow. A lot of time you only need to use these large appliances once or twice a year. In cases like this, it is much better to borrow from your local library.
Finally, your local library can just be a fantastic third space. When I was a kid, the library was a great place to meet up to work on class projects, not just because they had lots of information on hand and a Wi-Fi connection; but because they had all sorts of places you could set up and work. There were conference rooms, tables, benches, and even armchairs for reading (though those weren’t very useful for group projects).
If you haven’t visited your library recently, I highly recommend checking it out. It may have more to offer than you remember.
If you are interested, I have also included the original skeet that inspired me to make this post here.
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It’s also worth noting that most libraries offer digital goods to borrow also.
I don’t have a lot of time to read anymore, but I’ve been able to “read” maybe half a dozen books or so in the last year by borrowing audiobooks from my library directly on my phone and listening to them on my commute.
i’ve been doing the audiobook thing a ton. it’s the primary way i consume books these days.
The convenience of an audiobook cannot be beat.
Some of them have really good narrators, too. I just finished listening to The Color of Magic and I swear the narration/ voice acting was so good it felt like I was listening to a radio serial.
When I was very young we would rent audiobooks from the library and copy them to tape (or eventually disc).
Since all my local newspaper websites went pay-to-read, I walk two blocks to my local library and read the hard copies maybe once a week. There’s only about one or three articles per week that aren’t just USA Today internet drivel, so it’s not like I’m sitting there for hours pouring through papers like a maniac, and how dare you picture me that way.
If you are a traveler, it is a good trick to pick up as many library cards as you can get your hands on. So many libraries are traveler friendly from old COVID policies and if you aren’t working touristy towns, even pretty flimsy community connections can get you a card. “Oh I work for this practice in the community, can I-” and when your contract in that community ends, what, are you going to go turn in your library card? And let your community’s ebook DRM go to waste? No 😜
I miss being able to go to the library. My local one isn’t wheelchair accessible anymore though.
That’s heartbreaking to hear. It sucks they would be so cavalier with their accessibility.
The library is great! I’m going to pick up a radon detector the next time they have them when I’m there, I’ve borrowed a Kill-a-Watt meter a few times, pretty useful. The main branch has a makerspace with a 3D Printer, a cricut, a sewing machine and stuff like that.
When I lived in Toronto, the library had a number of free passes to museums every week, was nice to use those.
Wow, I hadn’t even heard of a radon detector before. That’s pretty great that your library has them on hand!
Certain ones in Milwaukee’s network as well, yeah. There are also FireWire VHS-to-USB converters, telescopes, microscopes, etc.
Just renewed my library card, and apparently it’s been 17 years since I last used it. The staff did a double-take when she read the date 😅
I never realized how much extra libraries do until my friend invited me one time. They had computers for people to use and like you mentioned 3D printers. There was a corkboard littered with events happening almost everyday. From learning about phishing attempts to book clubs and meet ups. It was really cool to see.
I’ve been wanting to go more but tend to forget to as I get caught up in other things in life and all my friends frequent the pub so when I do get some free time I’m usually there
Libraries made a lot more sense before the internet. I’m not saying we need to abandon them, there may be a post-internet world sooner than we think . But honestly I feel like any book or literature more than 50 years old should be public domain and free to read on the internet. I don’t care about whatever organization owns the rights to it, fuck them. Let’s make books free to read. I mean yeah, pay the authors while they’re alive, but after that let’s actually share and make things better.
I understand your sentiment, and I’ve certainly gone to the library far less since becoming far more comfortable with the Internet.
Having said that, the Internet is a dangerous place to people who don’t know what they’re doing. Think about how many people don’t even use ad-blockers; and that is a bare-minimum from a safety perspective.
With that in mind, the library is a powerful resource to people who can’t navigate the shadier parts of the Internet.
It’s also worth noting some people have atrocious Internet speeds. For people with slow Internet, it could take an unfathomably long time to download/ stream something versus instantly being able to watch/ read/ play it as soon as you get home
Plus, as I said, it offers more than just books and TV/ movies. You can borrow equipment, have a place to work, have someone knowledgeable point you in the right direction. These are valuable services offered that I don’t think the Internet will ever be able to truly replace, and that’s not even getting into the value of building up your local community.
