Recently, my love for the public library has grown even stronger. Here in Albuquerque we’re lucky to have an amazing public library system with 18 locations and tons of unique offerings. Last week, I went to a free class on starting plants from seed. Even though I’ve been doing that for the past few years, I learned so many new tips that the hour and a half I spent there was invaluable!
People who don’t go to the library probably think it’s just about books, but libraries offer so much more than that! Libraries continue to be a fixture and gathering place within communities. In fact, an article that came out a couple days ago revealed that Americans go the library more than they go to the movies! In the spirit of sharing, I thought I’d put together a list of awesome offerings at my own local library. If you live somewhere else, yours probably has its own unique programs!
Favorite Offerings at Albuquerque Public Libraries
- eBooks: This is my absolute favorite way to borrow books from the library since I don’t even have to leave the house. They have multiple eBook providers and I can either search through the apps or through the main library page to check availability. I read most of my book club books this way 🙂
- Audiobooks: We drive a fair amount to visit family or for small weekend trips. Audiobooks are key to passing the hours on straight, boring roads. It’s super easy to find one before we leave, download it, and have free entertainment during the trip.
- Magazines: The library has magazines in both digital format and in hard copies. HGTV Magazine? Family Handyman? The New Yorker? Yup! They have them all! The selection is slightly larger in person, but there’s still a lot to choose from online.
- Cookbooks: My husband and I both love cookbooks but there’s really only so many we can store at home. Borrowing them from the library lets us preview lots of different ones to see if they actually have recipes we’d enjoy making. If we love them, we can purchase our own copy to enjoy long-term.
- Travel Books: We like to take a big trip each year and normally buy a guide book or two. However, the library has lots of travel guides and they’re very up to date! We just picked up two that were from 2018 and 2019.
- Cake pans: Didn’t expect this on a library list did you? Yes, our library offers tons of cake pans in fun shapes to borrow. This is much better than buying a novelty cake pan that will only be used once and then storing it for all eternity.
- Classes: I’ve taken a couple really great gardening classes at the library but there are tons of classes on different subjects, including computer and technology. The library offers access to online classes as well.
- The Seed Library: This has got to be one of the most magnificent things ever!!! The South Broadway location buys certified organic (or untreated if organic’s unavailable), non-gmo seeds and divides them into smaller seed packets. Each person with a library card can “check out” up to 30 packets per year!!! These are free seeds perfect for starting a garden, and the 30 packets is way more than most home gardeners need. The library stocks vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and the selection changes monthly.
- Museum Passes: The library has family passes to all of the major museums in town. Unfortunately you can’t reserve the passes ahead of time, but it’s still a great option for a low-cost family outing!
- Everything Else: There are so many other things that I haven’t personally taken advantage of but that may be of interest to others. These include borrowing wi-fi hotspots, a ukulele lending program, social groups, help with genealogy research, children’s programs, and even reading to dogs. There’s definitely an option for everyone!
Extra Tips to Make the Most of Your Public Library
- Utilize apps to access digital content from the library. Libby is my favorite app for e-books since it has a great interface and lets me download the book through Amazon into my Kindle app.
- Add the library extension browser extension to your Chrome or Firefox browser. One of my friends shared this and it’s amazing. It works with sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble and will tell you if the book you’re looking at is available at your library, what formats they have, how many of each format they have, and how many copies are currently available.
- Put holds on books you want to borrow. If it’s not at your branch location, they’ll pull it from another branch and transfer it to yours. They’ll even put it on a special shelf with your name on the book. It’s basically a book concierge!
If you haven’t been to your public library in a while, now’s the time! Get a library card and take advantage of all the free resources available 🙂
