Library Services: Way More Than Just Books

I went to the library last week for passport photos and left thinking most people have no idea what's on offer. Books, sure. Movies and audiobooks through Libby and Overdrive, probably. Past that baseline, the catalog gets weird in the best way.

Maker Spaces: Create Anything

Several libraries near me run staffed maker spaces.

3D Printing: I've printed parts I would've otherwise paid an online service to make.
Stickers & Vinyl: I've made stickers of my kids' faces for the stuff I keep mixing up. Iron-on transfers for winter gear too. I'm not buying a vinyl cutter for twice-a-year labels.
Woodshop & Recording: The branch I visited this week had a full woodshop, a teen gaming room, and a recording studio on top of the usual makerspace gear.

Professional Services for Pennies

How many times have we all gone to FedEx to print something because home printers hate the format we need?

Libraries charge almost nothing. My closest branch is $0.01 per page and gives each card $3.00 in credit every month. You can print from your phone.

That passport photo trip: white backdrop, a DSLR, and a volunteer who actually knew how to use it. Way better than the Wal-Mart point-and-shoot where you pay $50 and hate the result for five years.

The "Library of Things"

Many library networks lend stuff that isn't paper.

Telescopes: I checked one out for a new moon night with my kids, then again two weeks later for the full moon.
Movie Nights: Next week I'm borrowing a projector for a week of giant-screen movie nights at home.
Connectivity: Every Colorado "library of things" I've found has MiFi hotspots. Lifesaver on road trips.
And More: Microscopes, an American Girl doll, a radon detection kit. The catalog reads like a yard sale run by civil servants.

For the Kids

Physical kids' books with a built-in audio player are perfect for the age where they want stories but can't read solo yet.

Some branches also lend tablets preloaded with themed offline activities, sized for different age bands.

Book a Librarian

You can literally book a librarian. Ask how to use the network, what's at other branches, where to start with a weird request.

If you're lost, start there. Many of them have master's degrees and will happily walk you through options most patrons never know exist.

Check Out Your Local Library

Pull up your library's website before you assume it's just shelves. Mine has paid for 3D prints, passport photos, telescope nights, and a projector I didn't have to buy.

If you're in Colorado, these are the ones I actually use:

Erie Community Library (High Plains Library District)
Lafayette Public Library
Louisville Public Library
Longmont Public Library
LINC Library Innovation Center (Greeley)

Maker Spaces: Create Anything

Several libraries near me run staffed maker spaces.

3D Printing: I've printed parts I would've otherwise paid an online service to make.

Stickers & Vinyl: I've made stickers of my kids' faces for the stuff I keep mixing up. Iron-on transfers for winter gear too. I'm not buying a vinyl cutter for twice-a-year labels.

Woodshop & Recording: The branch I visited this week had a full woodshop, a teen gaming room, and a recording studio on top of the usual makerspace gear.

Professional Services for Pennies

How many times have we all gone to FedEx to print something because home printers hate the format we need?

Libraries charge almost nothing. My closest branch is $0.01 per page and gives each card $3.00 in credit every month. You can print from your phone.

That passport photo trip: white backdrop, a DSLR, and a volunteer who actually knew how to use it. Way better than the Wal-Mart point-and-shoot where you pay $50 and hate the result for five years.

The "Library of Things"

Many library networks lend stuff that isn't paper.

Telescopes: I checked one out for a new moon night with my kids, then again two weeks later for the full moon.

Movie Nights: Next week I'm borrowing a projector for a week of giant-screen movie nights at home.

Connectivity: Every Colorado "library of things" I've found has MiFi hotspots. Lifesaver on road trips.

And More: Microscopes, an American Girl doll, a radon detection kit. The catalog reads like a yard sale run by civil servants.

Check Out Your Local Library

Pull up your library's website before you assume it's just shelves. Mine has paid for 3D prints, passport photos, telescope nights, and a projector I didn't have to buy.

If you're in Colorado, these are the ones I actually use: