I started reading more a couple years ago - like a lot more. One day my wife (who paid the bills) said "I don't want to discourage you from a healthy hobby in any way, but I want to make sure you know that you've spent close to $300 on books in the last few months. I had not realized it was that much. I started looking into alternatives and someone here on Lemmy mentioned the Libby app. I live in Los Angeles county and it turns out I'm legitimately allowed to have an LA city library card, an LA county library card, and a San Bernardino county library card (theirs are available to anyone who lives in the state).

I got all three and connected them to the Libby app. When I search for a book, it will check all the libraries I have cards for. So far this year I've read more than 50 novels (well, a few of them were novellas, but a few of them were really long novels, so it balances). I'm a big fan.

I haven't personally used a library in a very long time, but, having spent a sizeable portion of my youth reading, I have such fond memories of my mum taking me and my siblings to libraries when we were young and poor.

Genuinely one of the most beautiful things that exists in society. Free knowledge, available to anyone and everyone, with no expectations of payment. I read somewhere that if someone came up with the idea of a library in today's world, it would never happen. The fact that libraries exist in the modern world in spite of the commercialisation of everything, restores some of my faith in humanity.

My local library has Nintendo Switch, they have 3d printers you can use and classes you can take, tools you can check out, the books are great but it's basically like a whole new world in there.

It is what organizations should be, if everyone wasn't busy trying to upsell you to the $25/mo tier all the time.

Having fun isn't hard when you have a library card.

Having a library card has saved me in the past when I've needed to print something last minute and my printer wasn't working.

I've also made use of digital magazine subscriptions with them in the past.

Always worth checking out what other services they have, you might be surprised.

My library account grants me access to a bunch of courses on Udemy. Saved me a ton of money.

They even have board games.

BOARD GAMES.

Libby for audiobooks.
Kanopy for movies / plays / ballet productions.
Hoopla for music / TV / comics.

Maybe your library has a streaming or podcast setup. 3D printers. Laser cutters.

Or cooking supplies to borrow. Video games. Vacuum cleaners. Laptops. Wi-Fi. Car maintenance tools. Whatever.

Libraries are the best.

Fuck yeah libraries.

Mine has a "this is how much you've saved using the library instead of buying this fiscal year" segment on the receipts. Last year was around $1600.

I do everything I can to support my library. They are such an important resource. I also like e close to a good library that let's you not only check out media, but also let's you check out board games, power tools, cake molds, seed, and even neckties.

This sounds like one of the easiest ways a person can give back to their community. I think it's brilliant and will remember to share this advice to people for the rest of the time that we have public libraries (which might not be long, given the way things are going).

also because i've heard some horror stories of people not getting library cards because they didn't understand the social contract of libraries: "rent" isn't the word most of us use because "rent" implies you fork over money to use the resource. libraries lend. they let you have the media, or the knowledge, or the entertainment and only expect that in return you use it to enrich your life. that through this interaction you become a little more wholly the person you were always meant to be

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I have library cards in three different states.

My local library gives me access to newspapers and magazines delivered to my devices electronically every morning; movie streaming services; audiobook accessibe on my phone and - my favourite - they even have equipment loan, so if you want to borrow a hedge strimmer, rice cooker, embroidery machine, car jack, wallpaper steamer, etc, you can. That's to say nothing of the services I don't use, like arts classes, training courses, yoga sessions, etc. People pay hundreds every month for services freely available at the library.

Check out the Libby by Overdrive app! It give you access to the e-books, audio books, articles and I thiiiink.....podcasts too now, but I could be wrong. It uses your library card to connect to your home library branch!

1. Promotes library cards
2. Writes 'ur' instead of, you know, words.

Video games, cricuts, tool kits, baking pans, calligraphy sets, sewing machines, yoga/tai-chi classes, etc, etc, etc. Libraries can have a million things and you’ll never know until you come in and find out.

In some places making a personal copy of media is allowed as long as the media is acquired in a legal way.

Lending a dvd from the library is a legal way to acquire media for a short duration of time.

Put the results in jellyfin and enjoy your own personal Netflix where content is reliable and chosen by you.

Watch from outside home using a vpn.