A library card is the best free thing most people never use. It's not just paper books. Most big US libraries now give you apps, newspapers, classes and passes to museums and parks. Here's what I found on the libraries' and apps' own sites.
1. Ebooks and audiobooks: Libby
Libby lets you borrow ebooks, digital audiobooks and magazines from your library for free. All you need is a library card. Each library picks its own titles, so what you see depends on your library. Loans return on their own on the due date, so there are no late fees to worry about.
2. Movies, music and comics: hoopla
hoopla has ebooks, comics, movies, TV episodes, music albums and audiobooks. You sign in with your card. Your library sets the limit. At Chicago Public Library it's 5 titles per calendar month, and one TV episode or one album counts as one. There are no holds, so titles play right away, and everything returns on its own.
3. Movies and documentaries: Kanopy
Kanopy is a streaming service your library provides. You pick your library, then enter your card number and PIN. Most videos use “tickets.” Your library gives you a set number each month, they reset on the 1st, and unused ones don't carry over. Kanopy Kids videos never use tickets.
4. News, reviews and classes
This part depends a lot on your library. Here's what Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) offers, as an example:
- New York Times: a free 72-hour pass to the digital edition. You log in with your card and PIN. The library can only give out so many passes at once.
- Wall Street Journal: 3 days of access at a time. You need your card and a free wsj.com account. Then you click the link again to renew.
- Consumer Reports: product reviews on ConsumerReports.org with your card.
- LinkedIn Learning: free online courses with your card and PIN.
My tip: before you pay for a news subscription or an online course, search your library's website for it. Look for a page called “digital library,” “eResources” or “online resources.”
5. Museum and park passes
- New York City, Culture Pass: free passes to cultural spots if you have a New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library or Queens Public Library card and you're 13 or older.
- Los Angeles, Discover & Go: free or low-cost passes to museums and attractions. You must be 18+, live in zip codes 90000 to 93599, and have a physical LAPL card in good standing. E-cards don't count. You can hold 2 reservations at a time and book up to 3 months ahead. Bring photo ID that matches the name on the pass.
- California State Parks Pass (at LAPL): free vehicle day-use entry at over 200 state park units, for one car with 9 or fewer people. It does not cover camping, tours or museum fees.
- Chicago, Kids Museum Passport: adult Chicago residents can borrow it at any CPL location. It gets up to two adults and at least one child under 18 into 15 cultural spots for free. CPL also has Digital Museum Passes you reserve online for one set date.
- Colorado state parks: many Colorado libraries lend a backpack for up to one week. It includes free state park admission for that week.
Read the pass rules. Passes are first come, first served, and most are good for one date only. Some parks still need a timed-entry reservation even with a pass.
6. How to get a card
Most libraries give free cards to people who live in their area. Some also count people who work or go to school there. If you live outside the area, some libraries sell a card. LAPL cards are free to California residents. If your home address is outside California, LAPL charges a $50 non-resident fee, paid in person. LAPL asks for a California ID, or a photo ID plus proof of address. Kids under 18 just need a parent or guardian to sign.
Check your own library's “get a card” page for its rules. Then add the card to Libby, hoopla and Kanopy in one sitting. For more free stuff, see things to do and freebies.