What's in Your Wallet? Hopefully, a Library Card.

Summer is the time of the year in which there seems to be more time to read. Reading on the beach. Reading in the backyard. Reading in the park. Reading by the pool. You name it. People are reading. And I love it!

But you know what else I love? A library. Why? Because libraries these days have so many things to offer, and all you need is a library card.

Honestly, it's like having a Gold Card or VIP access. You get instant access to so many things.

So if you don't have a library card or if you do and you don't use it as often as you should, here are the top five reasons why everyone should have a library card in their wallet. 

1. Access to a Plethora of Books

A lot of libraries these days have networks. There's a library network just for my county. And I know for a fact that there's a library network for the whole state of Nebraska. These networks give you access to any and all books. If your library doesn't have it, then the next library over might. And if the next library over doesn't have the book, you can request for your library to buy it. 

Also, you can check out several books at a time. Is the one book you're reading not as good as you thought? Give it back, and start a new one. No buyer's remorse!


2. Movie Rentals

A lot of libraries now offer movie rentals. Some offer them for free and others charge a small fee, but if you want to watch a movie and it's not on Netflix, the library is your next best bet!

I've watched multiple television shows (Downton Abbey) and older movies that I can't find even on Amazon thanks to the library. 


3. Digital Books

A lot of libraries now offer kindle or e-reader rentals as well as digital libraries. The library at my college allows you to download and borrow books through your own digital devices as well as borrow one of their e-readers. This is great for someone that wants to borrow a lot of books but not have to worry about keeping track of them. For some, there is an entire library on the one e-reader that you borrow. 


4. Audio Books

Many libraries also offer audio books of a plethora of books. This is great for anyone that enjoys listening to books rather than reading them. Audio books are also great for travel. Got a five hour car ride? Why not listen to an audio book? An hour long commute everyday? Redeem the time by listening to an audio book on the way to and from work. 

In my personal opinion, audio books are undervalued. They're great! And sometimes it's nice just to have someone else read to you.


5. Summer Reading Programs

The majority of libraries offer a summer reading program for children and teens. As youth read books, they can earn prizes or rewards for their reading. Some programs operate based off of number of books read and other programs cater more towards number of pages read. Either way, it's a great way to encourage youth to read during the summer months, especially when they're out of school. 

There you have it. Go out and get yourself a library card. And if you have one, it can always use a little more lovin'. And while you have one, why not get a few more?