Most people are not aware that their public library is a source of saving money. This morning we made a trip to the library for a couple of DVD’s. The library not only has books to check out, free of charge, they also have DVDs and VHS tapes that are available to check out. The CDs available at our city’s library system are extensive. There is plenty of pop, rock, jazz, soundtracks, country, folk, and just about anything else you would want. You’ll find free copies of all the latest books at the library too. Why buy? Your tax dollars are paying for your local public libraries.
The public library is loaded with reference materials that you’d never suspect they’d have as well. My husband has used the public library to look at Value Line, which is an expensive investor publication that rates stocks, mutual funds, and bonds objectively based on a lot of criteria. This is information that would cost a lot of money if you were to subscribe to it yourself. At this time, a subscription to the same Value Line found in our public library would cost $199.00 annually. This is a professional investor research publication that my husband used to figure out whether the mutual funds in his 401(k) plan were any good or not.
Our favorite spot at the library is the children’s area where there are computers, games, puzzles, and of course tons of books. Today we found a couple of Caillou videos to watch. Caillou is my son’s favorite cartoon and it only comes on once a day on the digital channel for PBS. My twin daughters have participated in the summer reading program each year for the past 5 years. Their reading skills may not be significantly developed through the program but it has kept them sharp through the summer.
Summary:
- Summer Reading Programs (K-12 in most states)
- Extensive Reference Materials
- Business Resources (Business databases, Investing resources, online subscriptions to reference materials)
- Planned Activities for Children
- Interlibrary Loans
- Large Music Selections
- DVD and VHS
- Free Internet Use and Printing (for a small fee)
- Magazine and Newspaper Collections
- Library book sales