How to Make the Most of Your Local Library (and Other Libraries)
Including a library that offers you free access to its ebook / audiobook collection! Part 4 in our series: "How to Read Voraciously..." (Paid Subscribers only)
This is the monthly post in our series (for paid subscribers) "How to Read Voraciously and Build a Personal Library Without Breaking the Bank." Here are the previous three posts in the series:
(Part One) This Habit Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars on Books!
(Part Two) Mindful Practices of Book Buying
(Part Three) Being Generous in Our Bookbuying Habits
We’ve alluded to this in previous posts, but if you’re aiming to read voraciously, and have a limited (or non-existent) budget for buying books, libraries are your best friend!
Today we will dive deeply into the rich sea of resources that libraries offer (not just books, but also ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, music, streaming television, and movies), exploring how to use these resources effectively and in harmony with your reading goals. We also will explore some options to expand the breadth of your library usage, especially if you don’t have a local library or if your local library is small and doesn’t have a large collection.
“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.” ― Andrew Carnegie
Public libraries are an essential part of our democratic society. Andrew Carnegie knew this and used a substantial portion of his vast wealth to fund the creation of new libraries across the nation, including one here in the Englewood neighborhood of Indianapolis, where I live and work. In my 2016 book Reading for the Common Good (get a free ebook copy here), I argued that churches could do good work by supporting their local public libraries:
“Churches can promote local libraries in a variety of ways. Above all, churches that want to support a library should encourage members and neighbors to use the library. Many libraries leverage usage statistics to make a case for additional funding or at least to better allocate their funding. Additionally, many libraries have Friends of the Library groups. A church could appoint liaisons to this group, who would keep the church aware of what is going on at the library and how the church could be involved. Libraries are often eager to have volunteers who help with programming or other necessary work that supplements the efforts of library staff. Churches also should be advocates for libraries when they face threats of closure or funding cuts” (89-90).
In the twenty-first century, libraries’ collections contain much more than books. In addition to books, larger libraries (often urban and suburban) often make available to their users:
Ebooks
Audiobooks
Digital magazines
Digital newspapers
Digital music
Streaming television
Streaming films
Often, a library’s collection can be expanded through the use of interlibrary loans, where a library user can borrow a book that is not in their local library’s collection from another library that does have that book. Often interlibrary loans are made available for free, but sometimes small service fees apply, and typically the user is given the opportunity to set the maximum amount of fees that they are willing to incur to borrow a particular book.
Although local public libraries are typically the most efficient way to access books and other library resources, many university and seminary libraries (especially state universities) have programs where non-students can borrow books. For instance, in my home state of Indiana, any state resident can get a free borrower card to check out books from the vast Indiana University library system. Some university libraries may limit non-student use to borrowing print books, but others may grant non-students access to some digital resources as well. Getting access to one or more university libraries may be especially beneficial for readers who are doing academic research or who desire to keep up with academic research in particular areas, as public libraries often do not have the breadth of specialized academic books that one would be able to access in a university library.
Here’s some tips on how to optimize your use of your local library, and particularly going beyond just checking out print books (as amazing as that is!!!) :
Included below is a link to a library that allows anyone to create a free account for accessing this library’s ebook and audiobook collections!!!