By Jill Fuller
Gas, food, rent — prices are high and every penny counts right now. If you’re trying to save, make sure you’ve got a library card in your wallet. It’ll help you more than you might realize. I’ve crunched the numbers to show you what I mean.
Books: Even if you only check out one book a month from the library, you’ll still save about $250 in a year, if not more. That’s because books, especially new hardcovers, can be anywhere from $10 to $30 each. We’re getting new books at the libraries every single day, so you’ll always find something to read. Do you have an Audible subscription for audiobooks? Forget worrying about monthly credits, listen to free digital audiobooks on the Libby or Hoopla apps and save yourself almost $100 a year.
TV and Movies: From streaming services to movie theaters, your favorite shows and movies come at a price. Even small Redbox rental fees add up over time, while a theater ticket can cost about $10 each, and that’s without the popcorn. Many people are cutting back on streaming services right now. If this is you, then you don’t have to miss out on the hottest shows and movies. Get them from the library. We have huge collections of new and favorite TV shows and movies on DVD, as well as digital movies on the Hoopla app, free with your library card.
Genealogy: It’s one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States, with good reason. New technology and digitized records make it easier than ever to find your family’s history. It’s even easier at the library, where you can use AncestryLibrary for free, instead of shelling out $299 for an annual subscription.
Classes: The kids are going back to school soon, but learning never ends, no matter what your age. Online classes let you learn a new skill or develop your resume, from Microsoft Excel to grant writing to photography, on your own time. Skillshare, Masterclass, and Coursera charge for each online class you take, but with your library card you can choose from over 350 online classes, all available for free. Take as many as you want, learn as much as you need.
Technology: Run out of ink in your printer? No problem. We’ve got you covered. And you don’t have to buy a coffee to use the library’s WiFi, computers, printers or study rooms. Not only that, but many of our libraries loan out laptops, tablets and other digital devices while you’re in the building; you can even check out portable WiFi hotspots to take home if your WiFi is acting up. That’s a huge saving right there.
Want to find out how much you personally save by using your library? Each time you check something out, the bottom of your checkout slip will show you how much you’ve saved throughout the year. You will be amazed at how that money adds up (one patron has already saved $13,000 in 2022). As a library user commented: “Libraries are so special that it seems too good to be true…to walk into a building filled with incredible resources and walk out with as much as I can carry without paying a cent.”
Jill Fuller is a marketing and communications librarian within the Bridges Library System, of which public libraries in Jefferson and Waukesha counties are members. The Irvin L. Young Library in Whitewater also is a member.
Jill Fuller
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