The services like renting power tools is amazing, or free tickets to museums and stuff.
I loved the Last Week Tonight segment about it, and not just the taxidermy parts 😁
I've moved around in the last year and literally registered for library cards in two cities earlier this week thinking of this post. Nice to know it's still making the rounds
literally registered for library cards
How else does one register if not in a literal sense? #learnOtherAdverbs
They provide services to ALL people. So tired of reading that only the poor use the library. My kids are always begging to be taken there to get books and do activities. We just used the color printer/copier at ours the other day and the first 3 copies were free. Libraries are an amazing community resource for EVERYONE.
The three big branches around me have well stocked maker spaces. I see young classes in there all the time.
Some have seed selections for gardeners. Many assist with tax preparation. I've heard of a few who lend music equipment (think mixers, PAs, synths) for musicians who can't justify going all in getting their own gear.
Libraries are fucking rad.
The post clearly says that they also provide services to poor people and just adds it at the very end. I get that you are primed to reading this wrong but in this case it actually isn't wrong...
I use my libary card to download and read free ebooks on my Kobo all the time. Absolutely love it.
The Los Angeles Public Library offers:
Obviously not every library offers all this, but check in with your local branch, and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Prefer to spend your time outdoors? I'm not sure about other states and countries, but in CA your library card can get you free entry to state parks!
You have to pay for State Parks in Cali? That's absurd
state parks often do, they are usually on the honor system and require you to put money in an envelope and put it in a drop box
Not if you have a library card! But the fees go to help keep them clean and well maintained, which they need more when they're used more. Of course they also get funding directly from taxes.
Our library let's you borrow free passes to different museums and attractions in the area.
One of the "protect our children" protests in the UK yesterday involved burning down a brand new library because....reasons, I guess?
If you ever had any doubts about the right wing protests affecting the UK, remember they burned down a local community library for no fucking reason.
My wife is a library administrator in (depending on how you want to look at it) a large town or a small city.
Some of the things the library offers people might not expect:
• Free 3D printing.
• Free large format printing.
• Free sewing machines.
• A 'libary of things' where you can check out things like tools or musical instruments.
• Tabletop RPGs you can take home or play there with people.
• A teen room with an XBox and a Playstation and a bunch of games, but adults are welcome too.
• eBooks and streaming audiobooks, movies and TV. My wife listens to audiobooks constantly and hasn't paid for one in years.
You can also book a librarian to basically be your own personal researcher for a certain amount of time and they will even deliver books to you and pick them up later if you need them to.
Soon, a new branch will be opening. It will have a room with a lockable door and a signup sheet, one person allowed at a time. Inside will be a shower, a washer and a dryer, free to use.
By the way, if a library doesn't have the item you want but another library has it, they can get it for you from that library.
Libraries are amazing.
Y'all should all
All y'all's.
That's grammatically correct in the neck of the woods I grew up.
Same thing for surveys and stuff at museums and similar places. Help them get more funding with them, even if you don't have time to write something sincere. Numbers say a lot.
Libby app uses your library card for digital loans on books and audiobooks.
Don't get too used to this. Libby was bought by the same vulture capital firm that bought Toys R Us among other businesses they killed
Libby isn't the only app though! My library uses Libby and overdrive and maybe even a third one
A new public library place recently opened very near to where I live. I've nothing to say, am just a bit comforted that when the world is crashing and burning, at least I can be happy about this.
Also some libraries provide 3D printers which is really cool
edit: I didn't notice how many people were commenting about 3D printers
My library offers free accounts for online courses like Coursera and Udemy. Saved me a few hundred bucks when I was trying to get into UX and web development. All I had to give was an email and choose my local library from a list, that was literally it. I was surprised these things were readily available for free with no hassle.
And also, they have toilets.
Starbucks, billions in revenue:
We cAn nO loNGer be America’s bathroom
Libraries, scrimping pennies:
Piss with us. We’re family.
I think libraries should get improved internet connections and some up to date web browsing capable computers for people who don't have Internet or computers at home.
Now hear me out before I get stabbed. Libraries shouldn't have to provide this service. In fact I wish more libraries were specialized in locking down their systems to be only used for knowledge gathering. Think a terminal that an only access reliable web sources for information.
We need a separate public space for free Internet access. Most libraries see funding hits because they are used as resources for the less fortunate to get back on their feet.
Large metro libraries right now sort of act as a "get a job center" which the unfortunate fact is drives off anyone else who wants to use the library for it's actual resources. And also puts other costs on the library.
I have a library card. But never used it bc I pirate all of my books. But I will still be keeping it.
I also find most of my books through unconventional sources but still use my library card for books through apps like hoopla and libby, both for the convenience of the mobile format and to keep my ratios in line.
Some have 3D printers!
Our main branch has a whole mini-maker space in it. No wood, metal, or pottery stuff but there are 3d printers, cricut-like cutters, looms, knitting machines, and things like that.
And a Library of Things that can be checkout out that include games, STEAM toys, baking pans, musical instruments, and more.
📚 📖 🫲😃 = 😎 👍 🪙
and even if they don't know how to read, they could always pretend.
They have audiobooks too
Also some of them close to me allow you to rent/lend actual telescopes with a library card!
I always go grab the latest video game from my library. I don't pay for em. You get them for 3 weeks at a time and can borrow them as much as you want. This is how I managed to play the entire PS4 library pretty much.
Some US friends are sharing with me their library cards and it is great. I use them few times a year but you get access to many content. It is just a a shame I can't access CD Or DVD online.
I use my library card to access newspapers.
I thought ebooks are cool for a while but the smell, the memories, the sound of paper books. It’s my childhood. Life is the whole experience and nowadays I don’t even watch movies until I have a proper setup first, which sometimes also means stimulants. It’s why cinemas are still a thing.
We can strip it down to just clean, raw information but the noise enriches the taste.
Vote Libraries for Government!!
Get a library card to impress the ladies or dudes 🤓
(only kinda joking)
They also rent board games. It great for mystery games like Unlock that you can only play once or twice.
Hoopla works with Android TV to provide Movies and TV shows for free! (*works on many devices)
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
