“Provide services to poor people” is really valuable and kinda covers this but it’s worth mentioning on its own anyway: a lot of libraries have tools and stuff you can borrow when you need something occasionally but not often enough to waste money and storage space on having it. Need a food dehydrator for the occasional camping trip? Waffle maker? Laser cutter? Amazing service for anyone imo, poor or not

Plus library cards can be used to access ebooks and audiobooks. They really are a fantastic resource

I have 3 library cards and I use them as frequently as I can. I’ve been building my video collection by borrowing blu-rays and ripping them to my pc. I have all of Star Trek Lower Decks and working on getting The X-Files.

I also walk the stacks to grab random books off the shelf. Sometimes I’ll flip through them, sometimes they will just sit at home before I return them a week or two later. Either way, the use numbers for library books go up and that’s a good thing!

The events are great, lots of art and music access. And one branch has a gardening swap meet to take in extra gardening scraps like cuttings, and extra fruits and veggies. I dropped off a bunch of extra spider plant babies and walked away with some new succulents like my new agave plant 🥰

Everyone should use their library card if you have access to one!

You can use your library card with apps like Libby, OverDrive, and Hoopla to read, listen to, and watch all sorts of stuff for free.

A buddy rents all his video games there. He hasn't bought a game in several years. As he has two younger children it's nice to save the money I'm sure.

So if you're a budget gamer this is smart! You don't even need to be a patient gamer it seems. He's been renting games that have come out just weeks before.

His library (and mine) only offer console games. Not helpful for us PC gamers.

This goes for voting, too, btw.

I listen to so many books through Libby. Libraries are sacred

Books, e-books, library of things, games, reading clubs, meeting spaces, computer access, community; libraries are an amazing resource and pillar of healthy communities.

Do they accept volunteers on average? I should check. I need to build solidarity with my community, figured something like that might be nice.

My library’s Kanopy selection is great. Finally watching The Prisoner all the way through.

More people should be using Libby I’ve been trying so hard to get everybody I know on Libby

Usually I just use the library online. Recently they made me come in to renew my card. While I was there I looked at the movies and saw one that I had just rented on Amazon. Face Palm.

I've been learning Japanese for free through the Mango languages app through my library. It's great!

I'm currently streaming a show on Kanopy.com for free through my library card.

I go there for my state parks pass and occasionally check up on the people who I used to volunteer for

"Provides service to poor people."

Rrreeeee CoMmUniSm!!!!!!111!!!1!1

/s

I use Hoopla to read comic books on the train. Just download before you hit a tunnel.

Some even have 3d printers if you wanted to get into that without making a $600+ investment.

Our County Library offers preloaded Kindles that you can check out for a month. Each one has a different genre on it.

Libraries are also where people who can't afford air conditioning like to hang out, where classes for everything from yoga to crochet are offered, kids can hear stories and participate in craft groups, and where I found out from a visiting ACA rep that I could save $600 a month on my health insurance.

You can use your library card with stuff like Libby, OverDrive, and Hoopla to read, listen to, and watch all sorts of stuff for free.

I visit the library often.

Not that I check out many books, but I love the fact that the local main library is a giant big concrete building with air conditioning and nice quiet desks with power strips for laptops. Immense productivity.

The library was closed for renovations last summer and the heat waves really put a huge dent on my work.

the main branch in Vancouver used to(might still, but don't live there now) have a full on recording studio you could book sessions and rent almost any kinda instrument and/or equipment you wanted. did a few recordings there and it was awesome. sound isolation booths and all sorts of studio monitors and headphones. really cool stuff

dont do books

Also you can borrow cds and dvds and rip them

About 15 years ago - kill me now - I used to travel to neighboring towns by bicycle only to create library cards at their libraries and collect them as if they were Pokémon cards. 🥰

Idc if this gets reposted. 1000 times. I will upvote every single time I see it.

Not only do these places let you borrow books, movies, equipment, provide access to tons of difgital content (comics, ebooks, eaudio books, magazines) but they are one of the last indoor public spaces.

Where else can you be inside chilling for 8 hours without buying stuff?

Please support your local library.

Got a library card a few years back out of solidarity (its like 40 bucks a year, here) and didn't use it, really.

Until a year ago I discovered they do audio book streaming which my partner now uses a lot. So, win-win!

The library here has a 3D printer you can use for free. Just bring your own filament.

I wonder who still has a CD player...

If you're between 13 and 26 and in the United States, you can get a library card from the Seattle library too. It's a program to help kids read books that are banned in other areas.

they even have self checkout now yay :) lots of great info in this thread everyone!

In addition to the above, mine will digitize your old VHS, VHSc, MiniDV, 8mm (cassettes and reels), compact audio cassette, and records. For free!

Went camping recently, hours from home.

Brought a few meshcore radios with me to experiment with. Needed to reprogram one, couldn't do it from phone or tablet..

Drove 20 minutes to nearest library, nicest receptionist ever, put me on a computer immediately. Only thing they asked was my first name.

It was like going back in time, in a strange way. So very useful.

Good advice, except with the current government it'll only lead to you landing in a few more databases and the library getting closed anyway.

Which is to say, go for it.

Get added to so many government databases that they'll think it's a bug. No way this girl is part of 713 terrorist groups. Unless... yeah, let's just go for the grandpa who posted "why hasn't Trump made America great again yet?" on Facebook.