Cutting Costs

The Library: an unexpected resource

If you’re like me, you love spending money on books. Yes, those devil pamphlets that contain unruly information that poison the youths minds. 

But wait - you may be asking yourself - Jill, you spend money on books?!

Yes, well, I mean I used to.

How much? Gobs of money! So much money it would make your eyes bleed. I spent money on all kinds of books. Books I would plow through in a few days, books I’d partially read until something more entertaining came along or books I’d place on my bookshelf never to be touched again. I know, I know.

And it didn’t stop there, I loved (and still do) luxuriating in bookstores of all kinds. I think bookstores put some sort of neurotoxin in their ventilation systems that make you high just looking at book covers. Even at the beginning of my savings challenge, I was making my budget work so that I could afford a new book or two or three a month. 

The Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal…see what I mean?? #bookstoresforever

That is until I discovered the most underutilized resource our community has to offer - the library.

Libraries Are Hip (?)

I don’t know about you, but when I think of libraries I either think of massive dingy rooms where sunlight gets eaten by moth infested books (complete with a librarian from the 1950s “shushing” you into oblivion) OR I think of private libraries a-la Beauty and the Beast, filled with richly carved mahogany shelves and brass ladders to reach the most dazzling novels known to man. Quite the extremes, hey?

What’s in my brain as library options.

With these visuals seared in my mind, you can imagine my shock when I started venturing to the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) on a regular basis and discovered that real life libraries are kinda, well, hip! 

The chill cousin.

My local KPL just so happens to be the central branch. And though it doesn’t have brass ladders or mahogany bookcases, it also isn’t dark or dingy. It’s a bright and open space full of people, books, resources and smiles. The central branch feels like that kind, chill older cousin you see at Christmas, the one who just went on a trip to the Andes and wants to tell you all about it. 

The Good Kind Of Loans

More than good vibes, I discovered that the library is absolutely stacked with the coolest things you can legally take home with you. If you were anywhere else, you would be charged with robbery for such actions, but at the library it’s known as “taking out” or “loaning”. To do this all you need is a little piece of plastic to prove you live in the vicinity and are (like Pinocchio’s dream) a real human. 

Now, the stuff you can take out from the library (the KPL at least) is going to blow your top. You can take out books (obvs) of all kinds, you can also take out audio books, CDs (what a throwback), DVDs (just like Steve’s TV or Blockbuster), musical instruments, video games, board games, lawn games, trekking poles, snowshoes, toys, Chromebooks, hockey skates…I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there. 

Like WHAT?! There is a cool, hip, museum-like building with a cafe that basically loans out “fun” for weeks at a time??

Did I mention there are no late fees AND you can have up to 100 items on loan at once? STFU. It’s wild. I should also mention that the library has an awesome internal transfer system where it will ship your desired item to the location closest to you. And if they don’t have the book you want at any of their branches, they will source it and add it to their catalog.

Honestly, these are the types of loans people should be taking out in droves. Forget low interest lines of credit or racking up credit card debt to buy a bocce ball set - go take it out from the library!

Beyond things you can take out, the library offers a silly amount of programming for little humans (babies/kids), mid-sized humans (teens/adults), and ripe humans (older adults). There are labs, presentations, artist installations, discussion groups with authors, book clubs, movies, tech help workshops, drop-in activities, and so much more. They actually have recording studios for aspiring singers, songwriters, podcasters, or professional yodelers. 

Every time I go to the library, I discover more offerings, resources or upcoming events. It blows my mind.

Community Hub

With all of these resources and programs to keep us humans stay busy, you wouldn’t think the library has much more to offer. Ahhhh but that’s where you’d be wrong. Beyond the bits and bobs is a true and needed resource - community. 

As social media and the proliferation of internet based individual-isolation culture has taken over our lives, there has been a loss of community IRL (in real life - for the boomers). I know as an adult it is so freaking hard to find somewhere that brings people together in a free, non-programmed way. It’s hard to find a place where you can go, just exist, and interact with other humans if you so choose.

Just ask yourself, when was the last time you entered a space or environment where you were surrounded by people from all walks of life in a non-consumer context? I would reckon that it’s been a little while.

And that’s the amazing thing about the library. This book-filled space is a community of like minded individuals who see the value in accessing and investing in shared, free resources for everyone. The potential of meeting someone new, sharing a smile with a stranger, or striking up a friendly conversation is extremely high. It’s difficult NOT to develop a sense of community in such a space.

Savings Baby, Savings

Ya, ya, resources and community are great, but what about all the cheddar being saved? What about all the sweaty, meaty cash I didn’t have to spend as a result of using the library?

Without a doubt, since leaning fully into the library’s generous resources, I have saved a ton. All books I read now are from the library. With personal finance books alone, I would say I’ve saved somewhere around $250 in the last four months. More if you factor in fiction books and DVDs I’ve “rented”. I’ve also attended a book reading event with friends, which was free and a lot of fun. 

Ultimately, with the lack of late fees and the breadth of resources available, I think I’ll be saving a poop-ton by leveraging the library. It’s bonkers to me that more people aren’t using such a fabulous resource. It’s completely free. FREE!

Whatever your onramp - books, games, programming, community, or a butt load of other completely free resources - I highly encourage you to check out a library near you. Go ahead, save some money, explore some shelves, and share some smiles with folks. Your wallet and heart will thank you for it. 

Remember, you’ve totally got this!

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Over the past many weeks of creating content and templates, I realize that to help sustain this passion project I would be grateful for your support!

For those with a dollar to spare, I’ve set up a Buy Me A Coffee account for folks to contribute to here and there. For those frugally focused, I would be incredibly grateful if you were to share my work with your networks and folks you think would enjoy my journey (via email, social media, or homing pigeon).

A special thank you to those who contributed to my Buy Me A Coffee or shared a post! Your support means the world to me - truly.

Whether you're able to contribute or not, I’m so glad you’ve joined me on this journey!

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