There’s one underlying expectation in the book community: in order to be a ‘proper’ bookstagrammer/book blogger/booktuber/etc., you must have a plethora of brand-new, beautiful hardcovers.If you’re like me, then you can’t keep up with this either. There are actually very few people who can actually afford to keep up this expectation. One resource that is often forgotten is the library. Today, I’m going to talk about four main reasons why you should go to your local library more often!
Note: I understand there are many cities, states, and/or countries that don’t have good library programs. There certainly is privilege that comes with the access to decent libraries.
1. IT SAVES YOU MONEY
Although buying books is fun, it can get quite expensive. Depending on where you shop and the books, purchasing a few hardcovers can cause you to spend over $60-$100. This is where the library comes in! Most library cards are free to sign up for; and even if your library doesn’t have the book you want, you can generally ask them to order it for you.
2. YOU CAN CHECK OUT THINGS BESIDES BOOKS
Most libraries have a variety of things besides books. They have movies, TV seasons, CDs, audiobooks, etc. My local library as a child even had puppets you could rent out.
3. THEY OFFER E-BOOK LOANS AS WELL
Even if your library doesn’t have the latest book release, most likely OverDrive will! OverDrive is an e-book, audiobook, movies, etc. rental online. It’s free to sign up; all you need is your library card!
4. THEY SOMETIMES OFFER OTHER PROGRAMS
Most of the time, libraries don’t just hold books. They also hold special programs, classes, and events. My local library even has a farmer’s market on the weekends! Some libraries might even have Teen/Young Adult book clubs you can be a part of.
Liv is a 16 year old book blogger who resides in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, petting cats, and listening to musicals.
Do you have a local library? Do you own a library card and do you use it often? I can’t wait to hear your responses in the comments!
arctic books 
Close to half the books I have read this year are from the library. I’m very outspoken about libraries. I did a discussion post on this as well a while back. I love Overdrive, I also use Hoopla Digital as well. And Overdrive came out with something new called Libby!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so good you support your local library! I’ll have to check out Libby and see what it is 🙂
LikeLike
Hi! I’m from Portugal and here, sadly, our libraries don’t yet have ebooks to loan (that I know of, at least), but most books I read during my life so far were library books because free! My local library doesn’t have as many or new as I would like, but my university library was like a book world on itself 😍 I also have a bookstagram and I often use books from libraries because of what you said, it’s hard to keep up with this book buying we see so often in the book community.
I love when I see people spreading their love for libraries!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you use your library so often! What is your instagram? I’d love to follow and see your pictures!
LikeLike
Ohhh, thank you! (And I’m so sorry for the time it took me to reply…) It’s @dreamscapeofbooks 😊
LikeLike
Love my local library. I go to their coloring program on fridays. And I love getting audiobooks from them. Lovely post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Libraries are seriously the best! More and more, libraries are becoming places for more than just books and it’s wonderful 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is! Especially for adults who are out of school/can’t afford to go back to college. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The library saves my life when it comes to all the research I have to do. no way I could afford to buy all the books I use. I love my library!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this! I use my library ALL THE TIME and I only buy books that aren’t there. Even then, I buy them from Book Outlet, where they’re ~4 bucks apiece. Any other books I’ll put on my Book Outlet/family gift wishlist haha! I don’t buy a lot of books new, that’s for sure. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
New books can cost so much! I’m starting to rely on my library/e-books/used book stores more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right?!? They’re so helpful.
LikeLike
I love using my local library! It has a great selection and will even purchase suggested titles. I definitely still buy books but going to the library feels like shopping for free and you can get so many wonderful things to read! I recently started using it for ebooks too and just found out they have DVDs. It’s pretty awesome 🙂 I’ve always been a big library fan since I was a kid. I’d do homework there, then check out books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! I love this post! There are so many reasons why we should all use our local library more! They’re great!! Marie (Lots of Livres) xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a library card and of course use it. I do prefer to buy my books, but graphic novels, of series I don’t want to buy are what I get from the library! My mom is a librarian so I’ve been going to the library since I was a baby! Even though I prefer buying books, I still make sure to support my local libraries! Awesome post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I go to the library so much, and use the Overdrive app a lot. I actually moved to a different county a few years ago and noticed how different the library systems are. I think Overdrive is also different by the library too, but I think you can still find a lot of good stuff. I am lucky that my library is a system that is through the entire county so If the library in the next town has it, I can do interlibrary loan. It’s awesome! But I know I’m super privileged and not a lot of libraries are like this.
Deanna Reads Books
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohh it sounds like you have a wonderful library! I use my uncle’s Overdrive a lot, so even if my country doesn’t have libraries I can still read some ebooks once in a while. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that you mention they offer things other than books! I used to check out CDs for $1.00 then transfer them to my computer to put on my itunes playlist. Saved so much money and I didn’t have to risk downloading something sketchy. I liked it! Now I use my library mainly for ebook loans 🙂
LikeLike
I agree! The library is a great way to read a lot of books without it working out your wallet!
LikeLike
Yes!!! I have two library cards. One is for a specific city branch and the other is for the county. I’m also planning on getting another for a different county next week.
I could not live without the library. It’s how I listen to audiobooks. I could never spend that much money on a book, so I’m eternally grateful that my libraries have Overdrive so I can listen to audiobooks without the huge price tag. I probably would’ve never tried audiobooks if it wasn’t for my library.
LikeLiked by 1 person
that’s how I listen to audiobooks too! I’m glad you use your library so often!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome post, I visit my local library every week, and try to support them as much as I can!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If only I had a local library… Saving money wouldn’t be so hard ahaha Plus, I’d have a quiet place to go every time I wanted to 🙂
LikeLike
[…] ♠ Liv @ Arctic Books – Why You Should Use Your Local Library More Often […]
LikeLike
I absolutely ADORE libraries, but I definitely don’t use them enough. When I was working in my local one for work experience, I was pretty stunned by the sheer volume of people who came in every day to study and work – I’ve been using the study sections there a lot more lately, and it’s one of the most helpful ways to get stuff done. The amount of clubs and resources they offer is insane, especially for younger kids, so if you have small children to entertain I recommend following their Twitter or Facebook page (if they have one, of course. I love libraries with social media)
Thanks for the post, Liv!
LikeLike