It’s National Library Week, “a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.” I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a few suggestions for making use of your local library, beyond the obvious one of borrowing books. (I’ve focused on ideas related to kids and parenting; there are also plenty of uses for those starting a business, say, or researching local history.)
- Bring your kids to storytimes, crafts, or other activities. Many libraries offer these for little or no cost.
- Make your own storytime. Most libraries don’t mind quiet reading aloud in the children’s section. Invite a friend or two, with kids, and take turns reading to the group.
- Borrow DVDs and/or videos for your kids. This is a good solution for parents who can’t stand watching the same ones over and over, or who don’t like buying them sight unseen.
- Download audio books and/or e-books from the library’s Web site. These can include educational offerings like files for learning foreign languages, as well as escapist fiction.
- Participate in adult groups and events yourself. As with the kids’ activities, adult book groups, knitting groups, lectures and such are usually free and without commitment, so they’re more likely to fit into a parent’s schedule and budget.
- Offer to conduct a talk or arrange an activity in which you have expertise. This can be a welcome change of pace for stay-at-home moms with prior careers who want to fire a few non-parental neurons now and again.