My local library has a couple 3d printers, random physical things you can check out (including power tools and a couple Nintendo Switches), they do little maker / art events, in addition to obviously you can go by and chill or do work without having to buy a coffee. Honestly libraries are so wonderful that it’s not surprising that some Powers That Be are starting to catch on and try to make life difficult for them. It’s like a little glimpse of a better world you can go and experience any time you want.
My library has a whole mini maker space in it. FDM 3D printers, tons of textile stuff, a knock-off cricut, and a load of simple tools. No bigger equipment for wood or metal working but they have a relationship with a local “tool library” that will check out equipment like that for home use.
Public libraries are the best. Also, if your local library is very small, see if they’re part of a larger network that affords you extra resources or a bigger catalog. See if the nearest large metro city has eCards to check out digital materials; I have one that costs me a paltry $22/yr and gives me access to tens of thousands of ebooks/audiobooks and Hoopla, Kanopy, and free online classes (e.g. How to Cook Healthy, How to Become a Master Gardener, etc.).
The value of public libraries cannot be understated.
I used the online databases to get the paid for consumer reports reviews of washers and dryers. I didn’t care for their recommendations, just the data.
Our local library also has free passes to local city and state places like aquariums, parks, etc. that usually change an admission. They are hard to get, but free isn’t always easy!
Some of the more metro ones often have tool libraries, art you can rent, and other neat misc resources too.
Edit: also free trips to local museums or zoos/aquariums
When we moved to a new town, we went to the library every day to work online until our internet got hooked up. The main branch in town has a switch that you can play upstairs, and a bunch of 3d printers. They even have the latest video games that you can rent; I wanted to give it a try but I’ve got too many in the backlog already lol.
That reminds me that my local library has WiFi hot spots you can check out for a week at a time. Sounds really helpful for someone who needs the internet for work, and can’t easily get to the library every day.
That would have been so helpful. Instead we burned through both of our mobile data so she could do meetings in the early morning, and would head the the library after to get everything else done (including anything we needed to look up because our data was over haha).
It may not just be your local library, either. In some states, the larger city libraries get enough State funding that e-book borrowing privileges are available to anyone in the state. You might even be able to apply online, and start borrowing e-books without ever having to go to a branch in that city.
I know that in NY State, access to the NY, Brooklyn, and Queens libraries are available to anyone in the State.
Not the libraries where I live. Due to no government for two years the funding/money was strangled and so they haven’t been able to buy anything for two years. Popular authors like terry pratchet only have like 4 books in the library and the ebooks are copies of what the Libra has. To make things worse it’s not just the library in the city closet to me but will be libraries across the country because they all share the same system so get their funding from the same place.
Many libraries also offer watch credits for Kanopy, whose catalog of videos includes many of the Great Courses.
Free passes to local museums too
This is great! I’ve read so many ebooks and listened to audio books from my library.
Our local library even offers free access to things like LinkedIn Learning which are essentially video courses on thousands of topics. This is basically a savings of $40 a month.
