When was the last time you visited your local library? If it has been a while, it might be time to take another look. Libraries play an important role in our communities and we need them. Read on for 15 reasons to love your local library—and many of them have nothing to do with books.

Many people question the relevance of libraries in the digital age. From my perspective, libraries play an important role in our communities and we need them. Recent comments on a news post about plans for a new library in my community confirmed that many people haven’t visited a library—or probably read a book—in years.

This post was originally published in September 2022 and updated in July 2023.

Getting back into reading

When I was younger, I loved to read and always had at least one book on the go. As I got older and life got busier, I had less time to read. But every time I did pick up a book or open one on my iPad, I loved it. It’s relaxing and the only stressful part is when you can’t turn the pages fast enough, or you get pulled away to do something else right when the story is getting good.

A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to start reading more. So I asked friends for suggestions of books to add to my reading list. With the list in hand, I started buying books again.

Then I started decluttering

Regular readers know I’ve spent the last few years trying to gain some control over the clutter in my life. In my desire to declutter, I was faced with a big dilemma. What do do about books?

One of the basic rules of decluttering is to buy less stuff. With this in mind, I needed to look for alternatives to buying physical books.

The logical choice was e-books. I have read a lot of e-books over the years, but I still prefer physical books. Call me old-fashioned but I really love the feeling of holding a book and turning the pages.

But, in my desire to declutter, I started to take another look at e-books.

I learned e-books are less expensive than physical books. Most e-books run about 75-80% of the cost of a paper book. But, unlike physical books, I can’t pass e-books on to a friend after I’m done reading them. Garage sales, swapping with friends and family, and used book stores helped to keep the cost of buying books low. So, while e-books appear to be less expensive, I would probably end up spending a lot more money in the long run.

After abandoning the idea of e-books, I decided it was time to take another look at the library. 

The library is the perfect solution

When our local library reopened after the pandemic, I decided to give it a try.

I used the library website to search the catalog for a few books. After finding what I was looking for, I tried to login. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work because my library card had expired. I sent a message and got a reply the next day inviting me to register for a new digital library card.

With my digital library card at the ready, I reserved my books for pickup at the library branch in our neighbourhood. I got an email a couple of days later saying my books were ready.

Picking up my books was quick and easy. Now I had 3 books to add to my summer reading pile. No money spent and no long-term clutter to deal with. Heaven!

If you haven’t visited your local library in a while, you might be surprised to learn there’s more to the library than books.

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15 things you can do at your library

Modern libraries are community hubs that offer a wide range of services. Services vary by location so check out your library’s website for the full list of what’s available.

Here are 15 awesome things you might be able to do at your local library:

• Access the Internet.
• Print or scan documents (usually for a lower fee than many other printing services).
• Read newspapers and magazines.
• Attend a class or listen to a speaker.
• Join a book club.
• Access online learning programs through LinkedIn Learning.
• Sign your kids up for a variety of children’s programs.
• Find a quiet place to do your homework away from distractions.
• Download an e-book or stream an audio book.
• View an art exhibit.
• Borrow other media like movies, video games, and music.
• Enter video and photography contests.
• Rent a meeting room.
• Get a personalized list of suggestions for your reading list.
• At our Kitchener Public Library, you can even borrow things like bike locks, musical instruments, pedometers and energy meters.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. And the best part is, most of these services are free to anyone who is a library member.

Take an opportunity to rediscover all the reasons to love your local library today. You’ll be glad you did.

When was the last time you visited your local library? Does your library offer different services that I didn’t mention. Drop a comment below to let us know.