Why You Should Use Your Public Library

It is National Library Week the last week of April 23-29^th 2023. To honor this week, I want to encourage you to use your library. If you don’t go to your public library, then today at my table you will learn why you should use your public library and what it offers you. There are so many free services and books for you.

Library Habit

Going to the Library really should be a habit for most families. You must be intentional and go to the library. If you go to the library once a month then that is good. Most libraries check out books for two weeks to 28 days. This should supply you with plenty of books to read for a month.

Honestly, if I didn’t make it a habit to go to the library, I would forget about it. I either wasn’t reading or I was buying more books than I needed to buy.

Many moms take their kids to the library once a week for story hour to have them hear a story from a librarian and check out books. This is habit forming starting young. Make it a goal to go once a month to the library. If you are not intentional you won’t go.

Summer Library Trips

In the summer when my kids did not have access to the school library, we would head to the public library every two weeks. My kids would check their books out with their own library card. The library had a summer reading program. I also helped the kids make reading goals in the summer to encourage them to read in their free time.

Library Paid by Our Taxes

Since you are already paying for the library with your tax dollars, then you may as well use it. When you go to the library you will be saving your own money on buying books. This doesn’t mean you can’t buy books. If you want to try a new series of books and are unsure about a book, then check it out. If you like the series then you will know if you want to buy it.

When I grew up and lived in the country, we didn’t have a public library within 25 miles. Every two weeks my mom brought us two miles down the road from our house for the One-hour bookmobile stop so we could get our books to read. I loved making my selection and reading my books the next week. If nothing else, using the public library creates great memories for you and your kids.

Some kids go to private schools and are homeschooled and they do not have access to a school library. Going to the library is essential for those students so they can read a variety of books/genres.

Library More than Books

At the library, you can check out fiction, non-fiction books, middle-grade books, and picture books. If you want to learn how to make sourdough bread, or how to garden there is a book at the library on it. Try reading a graphic novel- there are many of those books available to check out.

Today the book you check out can be a physical book or an E-reader book, or an audiobook. So many choices.

Libraries have websites and apps that let you pull up your wish list to compile books you want to read. You can request a book if it is checked out and they will notify you later when it is ready for you to pick up. This is great, especially with a new book in high demand. Just ensure you read it within the one or two-week limit on new books.

You can also check out magazines, and DVDs and even read the newspaper at the library. Find a comfy chair and you can read.

When you are returning your books you can just drop your books off outside the library like you are going through a drive-thru. Better yet, if you requested books you can pick them up at the window too. Now that is convenient.

Public Library Services

If you need to have a meeting for a group, most libraries offer a room you can use but you need to request it ahead. Sometimes it’s free and other times it’s a very low fee.

I needed to scan some items to send by Email and photocopy and this service is available for free. If you need to print something then you will pay for the paper. When I didn’t have a printer it was closer for me to go to the library to print a few pages. I could email my copy to the library and give them a code and it was printed for me for a low price.

Most libraries have computers to use for free for a time limit too. Each library offers different services, so check out your library to see what they offer.