When you think about the most valuable cards in your wallet, you probably envision your credit and ATM cards. Here’s another one that should come to mind: your library card. These days, the nation’s 9,057 library systems let you check out a lot more than books.
Need a power tool, kayak, 3D printer or Ninja Turtle-shaped cake pan? Your library might have one you can borrow. What about crafting or studio space? It might have you covered there, too. Some libraries provide access to courses on computers or graphic design. Many will let you borrow passes to local attractions such as zoos and museums. Others provide seeds and cuttings to check out; you can grow your own, then return seeds or cuttings to share with others.
Bottom line: If you don’t have a library card, you should get one. If you do, it may be time to dust it off.
“A library is no longer the ‘shushing’ place you come to only for the books,” says Oliver Sanidas, executive director at the Arapahoe County library system in metro Denver. “We’re moving from the written word to learning through experience. One can be empowered through hands-on learning, be it checking out a GoPro video camera or … engraving a wine glass with a laser cutter.”