21 Treasures to Find at the Public Library

(Updated 4/5/2022 in honor of National Library Week, with some additions. The pictures and opening text are from 2016.)

When I was a kid, I heard many references in books and on Sesame Street about “the Public Library,” which after a while I assumed was a specific building, probably in Washington D.C., that was the central hub of culture and learning for the entire United States. (Every country must have one, I decided— after all, Egypt had just that one library in Alexandria that got burned down a long time ago.) It still makes some sort of sense: in books and on TV, the Public Library was two stories tall and had columns, while the gray-stoned building Mom took us to every week, which I often heard called “the local library,” looked nothing like it. 

Reading selfie attempt #1

Although it wasn’t the Public Library, I knew that even a Local Library was a magical place. As a homeschooled kid, a significant chunk of my childhood education came straight from the books in this building. Mom had only one rule: you may not check out more books than you can carry. All of us kids, but especially me and my oldest brother, got our weekly exercise by hauling (and sometimes pushing across the floor) multiple baskets stacked to overflowing with books about nature crafts, military science, Renaissance art, ancient Egypt, technology during Bible times, ecosystems, homemade musical instruments, and everything in between, not to mention all the chapter and picture books in tow. As a fast reader, I devoured books, absorbing huge amounts of information into my young brain.

Somewhere along the way, between being a teenager and being an adult, I stopped using the library as much. It just kind of slipped through the cracks, and I only used the library to check out the occasional novel. Two summers ago, though, when I was hiking for five months straight, deprived of intellectual stimulation, I thought, “You know, I should really start using the library again.” When we got home, I did, and the books I read steadily began to change my life.

This is all to say, your library is an incredible resource, and if you haven’t been there in a while, you should check it out. Here are 21 incredible resources the library offers. 

1. General nonfiction. This has multiple sub-categories, with books on any topic you can imagine (these make up the bulk of my What I've Been Reading posts): philosophy/theology books, memoirs, travel guidebooks, local history, etc. etc...

2. Fiction. They have every classic, novel, or book of poetry you could ever want to read. My library also has a separate section for young adult fiction.

3. Graphic novels. Some people call them comic books, but they are an art form unto themselves, telling stories or presenting information in powerful ways. My library has a whole section.

4. Magazines. My library carries a fairly large array of magazines, from The New York Times to Real Simple to Birds and Blooms. 

5. Movies and TV shows. Since Zach and I have limited data with our Internet, we had to give up Netflix. We’ve replaced it by watching DVDs from the library— yay free stuff! We've watched countless movies, Stargate: SG-1, Parks and Recreation, Lark Rise to Candleford, and more. 

6. Audiobooks. I don’t like audiobooks (I process much better by visual reading), but I know our library has a good selection of these, too.

7. E-books. You can download these for free onto any reader (or just save them as a PDF onto your phone). I use them a lot when we travel!

8. Cookbooks. I've learned so much about cooking just from checking out books from the library and trying out recipes! 

9. How-to books and videos. Although the internet is a great source for how-to materials, Zach and I have found that it's often best if we can just find a book, which has been fact-checked and edited, to provide instructions. The library has tons.

Reading selfie attempt #2

10. CDs. Although I don't really use this since I don't have a CD player, it's still a great feature.

11. Video games. Would be particularly good if you want to try out a game before buying it.

12. Children’s books. Children's books are awesome! Whether revisiting a childhood favorite or checking them out for your own kids, libraries help you keep your reading material fresh.

13. Books in another language. Our library has a Spanish-language section.

14. Sheet music. In the past I’ve learned fiddle tunes from sheet music borrowed from the library, and there are also fakebooks if you want to learn chords.

15. Foreign language courses. My library has multiple courses for all the major languages.

16. Book discussion kits. Most libraries have resources for you if you want to start a book club.

17. Exercise videos/equipment. I've been using exercise videos to get me to actually do cardio, and it's been working great! Our library also loans weights and yoga mats.

#nofilter

18. Non-media materials. More and more libraries are getting on board with loaning unexpected items. My library loans cake pans (good for when you want a novelty cake for a special occasion), kitchen equipment, fishing rods, telescopes, exercise equipment, activity packs for kids, and even wi-fi hotspots and laptops! Zach and I recently borrowed a disc golf set and played at a local course.

19. Programs and events. My library has author appearances, lecture series, teaching events, help with taxes, children's programs, board game nights, a knitting club, and more.

20. Office services. When I need something printed, faxed, or scanned, I head to the library! It's cheap (or, in the case of scanning and faxing, free) and easily accessible.

21. A wonderful place to hang out. Libraries are often the only indoor public space where you can hang out and not spend any money. I would often visit libraries when I used to travel because, as long as you brought yourself snacks, you had everything you needed right there: water, bathrooms, wi-fi, and tons of entertainment. Some libraries even have rooms you can reserve to study in silence.

~~~

Despite my confusion about the Public Library as a kid, I got one thing right— the library is magical, and I’ve come to appreciate it even more as an adult. Like the advertisements say... if you haven’t been to the library in a while, you’re overdue! 

~~~