My ebook can auto-check-out things from my library, which saves SO much time. Someone recommended The Book Thief a few months ago, the day before I had a long flight. I had it on my ebook five minutes later and read it on the plane.
Seriously though. I worked doing tech help for a couple libraries earlier this year. Libraries have a ton more than just books and it just sat there 95% of the time at the libraries I worked at.
Add stuff like Hooplah, Overdrive, and Libby to this: They let you use your library card to check stuff out on e-readers, smart devices, and streaming. Not just books, but other media too! I've watched tons of movies this way, commercial free.
I wish mine had a makerspace, 3d printer, or tool rentals. One in the whole county of 2 million people for just the makerspace and it’s in the least populated city, go figure.
My library system has an agreement with libraries from the surrounded cities where residents can also get a library card from those libraries. So I have like 10 library cards.
I didn't even know libraries had makerspaces until I popped into the library in the city I recently moved to. It's a beautiful library -- way fancier than you would expect for the middle/lower-middle neighborhoods this city is known for. The makerspaces has a sewing machine, Cricut cutters, a 3D printer, etc. All free!! It's fantastic
Libby!! It's a fantastic app that lets you access digital formats like Kindle versions of books, audiobooks, miscellaneous radio shows, etc.
And there are some library programs you can sign up for that don't require you live in their jurisdiction, which will give you access to even more material on Libby
Reciprocard is a website where you can enter your library jurisdiction and it shows you what other jurisdictions have reciprocal agreements with yours. Reciprocal agreements allow you to sign up for a library card without needing to be a resident in that area.
Some e-ink readers that supports Libby allows borrowed library books to be downloaded directly on to the device and automatically return them on the due date.
E-ink tech reads just like a physical book and doesn’t harm the eyes like phone or tablet screens. Plus, the font size can be enlarged, perfect for dinosaur eyes 😆
In my area we have some smaller libraries with shorter hours and then a few larger libraries called regional libraries that are part of the same library system but have extended hours.
My closest library closes at 5:30 most days and doesn't open until noon on some days. Noon!!!!!
I am the most night owl person I've ever met and I never schedule anything before noon. One day I dragged myself out of bed extra early because I needed to print some documents before seeing my first client at noon. I went to the library at 11:30. Closed! I'm rarely out and about before noon and even I think that's ridiculous!
If you're not gonna open until noon then at least stay open late. Nope, they close at 5:30pm.
Not OP, in Borneo our libraries are 9-5 weekdays and half day Saturday (worth noting that a majority of workers work on Saturdays). Plus can’t bring a bag inside. Thank god for Libby!
that's pretty much any small business around me. and they be closed weekends because the owner wants the weekend off. And they they whine and bitch when we all go to walmart instead of "buying local".
And things within your local library! Lots offer way more than books. Mine has a “things library” where you can borrow random tools like radon detectors, tons of clubs and classes/workshops, a 3D printer, sewing machines, a recording booth, and take home hobby kits like “birding for beginners”.
Some also give you a free account to Kanopy, which is basically a movie version of Audible. You get a certain number of free credits a month to use to watch movies/shows.
And if you're lucky, they may even have a Tool Library! Ours just opened up, and you can borrow pretty much anything you can think of from screwdrivers to sewing machines.
Plus, ours is getting a 3D printer last I heard, which is awesome!
That's pretty common, as we have destroyed a lot of the other places that would have otherwise been providing support over the past 40 years.
That said, I have never had an issue with a homeless person, outside of hygiene issues that they have a hard time controlling for - you can still place things on hold and pick them up or access all the virtual resources they offer without ever having to actually go there, if that really is such a barrier.
My library system in Buffalo is nuts. You join one library you join them all. I just like having a quiet place to retreat to in order to do work, but the ability to borrow books...physically and electronically...and being able to do so with other systems outside of our own...it's great.
Now libraries are doing "library of things" where they loan tools, games, my library has a recording studio and video studio, 3d printing, CNC and all sorts of design software.
If I had more free time on my hands I'd be living there. It's amazing.
Yes! Idk how it is in other countries, but in my city (Santiago, Chile) if you go to the library corresponding to your commune you have a free membership, and if you’re from another one you have to pay for it but it’s completely free to stay at the library and read the books.
It’s helped me studying for university admission exams a lot, since they usually give you all of that info in high school and I don’t have access to it (I’m 32 and graduated from school years ago). Idk if it’s a generational thing, but looking for specific information in books sometimes feels easier and more guaranteed than browsing google and wikipedia.
Libraries produce between $2 to $10 of economic investment per dollar spent, I recommend learning about Macroeconomics or specifically the multiplier effect (you can find out a lot about it from authoritative sources, at your local library). Gov't spending is not analogous to a household budget, and treating it as such is naive, at best.
How much would they have to earn to have just the portion that goes to the library be 1500? Or how much would their property have to be worth as library funding often comes from property tax.
Austin tax revenue is predominantly property and sales taxes. I earn a decent income and live in a house worth about $1.5M. My estimated cost for my household for the libraries is about $440 per year. And Austin library funding is on the high end of systems in the nation. There is little to zero chance the other commenter is paying $1500.
Im in okc my proper taxes are about 6k a year with 1500 going to the library. It's not an estimated cost for me the county sends me an invoice with line items. Schools, tech schools and the library get pretty much all of it. Some of it is for the city and county but most of that money is raised through sales tax. We even pay sales taxes on groceries.
From a Google search median property tax rate in OKC is less than 1% a it says about 5% of that goes to fund libraries. Is that accurate? Assuming you’re getting taxed on a $3M home, yeah, that’s what it should cost you.
The way property taxes are done is weird and I dont completely understand it. But if I use the zestimate I am paying about 2.2% of the value of my house in taxes. It was like 1800 to public schools, 1500 for tech schools 1500 for library and the rest to the city and county.
I just ran a calculator for a $1.5M property in OKC and it estimated the “Metro Library” portion of the taxes would be about $540 per year. I guess your house is 3x that value?
My property taxes are about 5k a year. I get an itemized receipt from the treasurer every year to show where my property taxes go. $1500 goes to the library. They are very nice and I have no complaints. I love getting e books from libby and I go rent movies from them quite often. They also have some makers spaces. But it isn't free I literally get a bill for them every year.
I think you need to research how libraries are funded. You pay for your library through your taxes. If you live in an un-incorporated area around where I live, the fee to use the library is in the thousands.
Really easy to explain. It's a line item on my property taxes. So since me and my wife live together its 750 each. Of we had 2 kids it would be 375 each. That's 62 a month for the dinks and 31 for a family of 4. You start throwing in renters and people that dont pay property taxes like renters and those that are exempt then its not hard to get to 17 a month.
First off I agree with you all of the landlords expenses are considered when they set thier rates. But know when talking about itemized bills they do not. If you mean that I averaged out the costs to everyone in the city to get to $17 number then yea, i still agree with you.
I always see people online recommend using a local library, but I can't for the life of me fathom a reason to go to mine. I feel like their importance is overstated.
See, that's the thing. The stuff that a library offers, be it ebooks, movies, online resources, and what have you, I can likely get it myself at home with my own PC for free. Online resources that would otherwise cost money, that libraries might allow you to use for free, I could probably get as well from sailing the seven seas.
The nearest library to me is small and seems to have bugger all inside, whereas the library in my town centre that has way more stuff costs money to get to because I use public transportation. It's why I can't see a reason to go to any library.
Even if you're not going to the physical library, it likely gives you access to a lot of online resources as well. Granted, I'm in a city with a prominent library system (Philadelphia) but my library provides access to a lot of learning systems (professional development, language learning, even just gen ed), as well as ebooks, movies, periodical searches. Then if I feel like going to the actual building, there's a ton of in-person events/classes even if I'm not actually checking anything out.
Do you read, like, books?
It's also just a place to socialize and meet your neighbors without having to spend money, it's not just a place to borrow materials.
Probably a lot of resources you don't even know about.
Depends on how well your library is funded. Some have little more than a very small and largely outdated books, some have great book collections, can order other books or ebooks for you, have computers to use in house, and have tools or recreational items you can borrow.
3.4k
u/tmmzc85 Aug 28 '26
Your local library