Saving Money on Entertainment with Your Library Card

Your Library Has More Than Just Books

I remember spending many an hour during my childhood, working on school projects at my local library. Over the years, as paper encyclopedias have made way for the information superhighway, many people have overlooked this wealth of free information and entertainment. Rising prices and falling wages are forcing many Americans to start cutting back to save money. If you believe a limited budget means having less fun then dust off that old card because your local library has a few surprises in store for you.

Technology

If you're a child of the 80s or older, you might remember painstakingly searching through a paper card catalog file for a book and using the Dewey Decimal system to locate it on the library's shelves. The digital catalog system now allows patrons a quicker, more efficient search. Most public library systems even have websites that allow you to browse and reserve materials from the comfort of your own home.

Are you without Internet access or considering cutting that from your budget? Your local library should have public computers; my library will allow you PC use for unlimited 30 minute increments unless someone else is waiting. I can browse the Internet, open documents from my memory stick and even print up to 10 pages. Forget paying for WiFi at Starbucks or McDonalds, it's free at your local library.

My local library has even begun catering to techies with a digital edition. The digital edition is great if you're like me and have a problem returning books on time. Download the book to your PC or iPod and it automatically returns itself two weeks later if you don't renew it. If you enjoy shopping on Amazon.com, put that credit card away. Your digital library is absolutely free and offers a diverse selection of e-books, audio books, music and videos. If you're searching for children's movies, foreign language study guides, politics, romantic fiction, self-help, business books and beyond, you'll find it all here.

Beyond Books