The library isn’t just for books. How to maximize your membership

For many adults, interaction with a library ended sometime around when their education did.

These institutions can carry with them both fond memories of picking out colorful picture books as a kid and stressful recollections of late-night studying sessions before a college final.

But those who aren’t regular visitors at any of Minnesota’s 141 public libraries are missing out on a valuable and free public resource for so much more than just physical media.

The Hennepin County Public Library system welcomed four million visitors in 2024 alone, according to Scott Duimstra, library director. Many already know how a library membership can save money by checking out books instead of buying them. But there are even more creative ways, ranging from rent-free meeting spaces to free online courses that would cost hundreds of dollars otherwise.

Here are six ways to maximize the value of your library card:

The second floor of the Ramsey County Library in Roseville houses a large computer hub, the corners of it opening into cozy study rooms fitting up to four people. Any patron is welcome to use an unoccupied room for four hours, which comes with the library’s free Wi-Fi.

The library can fit bigger groups as well, at no cost, but those larger rooms require a reservation. Community Program Rooms can fit anywhere from 10 to 120 people, and they are available at most of the Ramsey County Library’s locations.

Public library meeting spaces offer a middle ground between staying at home for remote work and going to cafes or coworking spaces. According to Owl Lab, coworking spaces can range from day passes at $20 to a private office space at $350 per month.

“[The public library] is a space where you can come as you are, and you don’t have to spend money to be there,” said Lauren Howard, a Ramsey County librarian. “… It’s great to put those differences aside and utilize something we can use together. … There’s something for everyone there.”

You don’t have to even go to the library to save money, though. If you have a library card, which you can request for free online or in person, you could save a lot of money on art, concert and theater admission in the Twin Cities metro through smART passes.

The Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), which connects the eight library systems in the Twin Cities, runs the smART program. The program allows metro-area residents more accessibility to art shows by giving them two free passes. Members of the Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, St. Paul, Scott and Washington County Libraries are eligible for those passes.

Simply go to the program’s website and put in your library card information to receive tickets to events at the partnering institutions. A smART pass to a Park Square Theatre show can save you $25 to $60, for example. Other program partners include Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Children’s Theatre Company and First Avenue.

“In the summer of 2024, 16,528 [Ramsey County Library patrons] used the smART pass. … Two free tickets help families decrease cost, or you can bring a friend,” Duimstra said. “It’s been highly successful feedback we have received. SmART pass is not only a way to save money but a way to think differently of your library card.”

Udemy, an online service accessible for free to Ramsey County Library patrons, offers more than 6,000 online courses in multiple languages.

Using her library card, Howard, the Ramsey County librarian, said she relies on Udemy to complement her ongoing postgraduate education. Taking the classes that way translates to saving hundreds of dollars on college credit hours. Without a library card, for example, a Udemy Python programming masterclass can cost as much as $199.99.

Additionally, most public libraries have access to Libby. Libby is a free app anyone can download to access digital content through their public library, like e-books, audiobooks and magazines, for example. You have to do little else than entering your library card information to begin using the service.

Patrons can check out items for seven, 14 or 21 days or place a hold on already checked-out items, just like how they would at the library. The service is especially useful when traveling because it allows for light packing and is still available while overseas.

The public library might also have access to several research databases, which range from ArchiveGrid to CustomGuide. According to its webpage, ArchiveGrid is a database housing more than seven million “records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories and more.” Alternatively, there are databases like CustomGuide, which collects “interactive, guided tutorials, including computer basics and operating systems and software from Microsoft and Mac.”

Browse the public library’s web page on databases or stop by the information desk to find out which ones might help you.

Libraries have long served as a public service, meaning part of their mission is to be a community connection.

You can make those relationships in many ways, from attending a staff reading of a short story to signing up for a computer tutoring session to joining a knitting club.

Simply go to your public library’s events tab and browse their calendar for what’s upcoming, which you can segment by date, age group, type, library location and language. You can always stop by in person and ask a librarian, too.

Events could range from family-inclusive storytelling to sessions partnering with Goodwill-Easter Seals to help patrons with their résumés and job searches. While sites like Indeed.com or LinkedIn offer job search and résumé help for free, by attending educational group sessions, you’ll also have access to job search professionals that partnering nonprofits bring to help.

Public libraries can serve as a great resource for your children.

The Hennepin County Library’s Let’s Read initiative offers one-on-one tutoring for kindergarten through fifth-grade students who do not read at their grade level. According to Duimstra, the child would start with a reading assessment to gauge how far behind they are in terms of reading level before starting with a tutor who tends to all their needs.

The initiative comes at no cost to the parents and is available at locations including Brookdale, Brooklyn Park, Franklin, Hosmer, North Regional, Oxboro, Pierre Bottineau and Rockford Road. Hiring a private tutor could cost upward of $50 an hour.

The Hennepin County Library also hosts events that cater to children younger than preschool age. They aim to enhance the children’s language acquisition by focusing on the pillars of literacy, which include reading, writing, talking, singing and playing.

At its heart, the public library is a hub of needed resources for its communities. There are certainly more ways you can save money through your public library, and the best way to find out is to talk to staff.

“You might come in for one thing,” Duimstra said, “and not be aware of all the other services we offer, too.”

Hussein Abulamzi is a freelance writer based in St. Paul. His email is husseinabulamzi@gmail.com.