Back to Education FreebiesThe Library
One of the greatest sources of freebies for students of all ages.
Traditionally, the library is known as a place that lets you check out books. However, the library has evolved into something much more. At the library you can get free books, free magazines, free movie rentals, free music, free internet access, free culture passes to museums, zoos, science centers, aquariums and plantetariums. Some libraries even offer free tool rentals for carpentry, gardening and other projects depending on where you live.
The library is a wonderland of free entertainment. All you need to access these freebies is a library card. School libraries usually only offer library cards to their students. Local public libraries in your city or town will require a proof of residence. Most libraries are open to walk-ins. This means that even if you can't get a card to a particular library, you can still go into the library and at least read in the quiet and peaceful atmosphere that it provides.
Find a Library Near You:
- LibDex.com - "Discover our directory of libraries across the world as well as an extensive collection of books. Read, write & review your favorite readings on Libdex!"
- LibWeb - An index of libraries from all around the world. Provided by WebJuntion.
- NCES.ed.gov/globallocator - A search service provided by the National Center for Education Statistics. Search for Schools, Colleges and Libraries.
- Worldcat.org - The world's largest library catalog. Find items in libraries near you.
Free Book Rentals
(Free Book Lending, Free Book Use)
Savings table for textbooks (Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank Netter):
| | CampusBookRentals.com | BookRenter.com | Chegg.com | Library |
|---|
Textbook: Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank Netter
| $17.03/semester
(for an older edition)
| $30.54/semester
| $33.29/semester
| FREE! with local pick-up
|
|---|
Buy the book at Amazon.com: $97
Buy the book at Barnes and Noble: $68.43
Campus library selection is usually comparable to any bookstore. Some libraries may only keep new textbooks on reserve. This means you have to stay in the library to use it and the time of use is limited.
Savings table for renting novels (Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone on paperback)
| | BooksFree.com | BookSwim.com | Library |
|---|
Unlimited book rentals
| $10.99/month
| $9.95/month | FREE! with local pick-up
|
|---|
Buy the book at Amazon.com: $6.40
Buy the book at Barnes and Noble: $16.83
Public library selection is usually comparable to any bookstore. New
releases are sometimes only available on reserve. Other libraries may offer a shorter check out period for new releases.
Free Magazines and Newspaper
Savings table for magazines and newspaper (Sports Illustrated and USA Today):
| | Sports Illustrated
| USA Today
| Library |
|---|
Magazine and Newspaper
| $39 per year
| $195 per year
| FREE at the library
|
|---|
Library selection is usually comparable to any news stand but not always recent. These items are usually on reserve, for use only in the library.
Free Movie Rentals
(Free Movie Lending, Free Movie Use)
Savings table for renting a single movie:
| | Blockbuster | Netflix | Redbox | Library |
|---|
Single movie rental
| $5 for 5 days
(Less for non-new releases)
| $7.99/month unlimited streaming movies
| $1 per night
| FREE! with local pick-up
|
|---|
Due dates and late fees vary. Library selection is usually more limited than Blockbuster and always more limited than Netflix. They have a better selection than Redbox. Some libraries will have new releases as early as Netflix and Redbox.
Savings table for renting multiple movies:
| | Blockbuster | Qwikster/Netflix | Redbox | Library |
|---|
Multiple Movie Rentals
| $16.99/month
2 DVDs at a time + 5 in-store exchanges
| $7.99/month unlimited movies,
1 DVD at a time
| $1 per night per movie, local pick-up only
| FREE! with local pick-up |
|---|
Due dates and late fees vary. Library selection usually more limited and usually do not have new releases.
Buy a movie from Walmart, Target, Amazon or eBay: $5-$25
Free Music Rental
(Free Music Lending, Free Music Use, Free CD Lending and Use)
Since music is not expensive to download the free library services are compared with purchasing music online.
Savings table for renting/buying music (Andrea Bocelli's Romanza with "Time to say goodbye"):
| | Album at Tower Records
| Album at Amazon.com
| Song at Amazon.com
| Song at iTunes
| Library |
|---|
Album: Romanza or Single: "Time to say goodbye"
| $15.87
| $13.99 | $0.99
| $0.99
| FREE! rental with local pick-up
|
|---|
Library selection usually more limited than any record store or online store for music.
Free Audio Book Rental
Audio books are great for people who commute, take road trips, or simply want something to listen to other than the radio while they're exercising, cooking, gardening or doing other activites.
Savings table for audio book rental:
| | Audible.com
| AudioToGo.com | SimplyAudioBooks.com | Library |
|---|
Audio Book Rental
| $7.49/month
(Downloads only)
| $16.99/month for 1 audio book on CD or tape at a time
| $17.98/month for 1 audio book on CD at a time
(there's a separate plan for downloads)
| FREE! rental with local pick up
|
|---|
In-library selection is more limited than online rental stores, but the library may also have a digital collection available online.
Free Internet
Savings table for internet access:
| | AT&T | Comcast | NetZero | Library |
|---|
High speed internet from AT&T, Comcast or the Library. Dial-up internet from NetZero.
| $24.95 per month for 12 months
| $19.99 per month for 6 months, about $45 after.
| FREE dial-up.
| FREE! high speed internet on library computers. Many libraries also have Wi-fi.
|
|---|
Free DownloadsMany libraries have a digital collection online which increases their number of titles tremendously. They offer ebooks, audio books and other downloads. Access to these collections are free with a library card. They usually require a free software download and when you download a file it has a time limit (just like checking out hard copies).
Free Culture PassesMany local public libraries have a culture pass program where a library card can grant you free admission to local museums, zoos, science centers, aquariums, planetariums and other educational institutions. Regular admission to these institutions could cost anywhere between $7-$25 per person.
Free Entertainment
Assume that for entertainment a person rents a movie once a week, buys a movie once a month, buys a novel on paperback once a month, buys a music album once a month, a yearly magazine subscription and pays for high speed internet access. Assume that the person is able to find the lowest prices mentioned in
the tables above. Assume that person has the equipment necessary to play movies and music and access the internet. If that person decided to go to the library instead, he or she would save $691.08 a year. The savings would be much higher for people who currently buy or rent multiple movies or multiple books. And the savings would be even more for people who get free passes to zoos and museums instead of paying full price.
Those who can't afford TVs, movie players, music players and computers can get free entertainment at the library since the library provides the equipment as well as the entertainment. Sometimes libraries even have theaters and a calendar for when they show movies for free.
Free Education, Free Classes & WorkshopsMany public libraries offer free classes and workshops that are open to the public. One of the more common classes they offer is a computer literacy class that teaches participants how to use a Word Processor, Spread Sheet, Internet Browser, etc. Other classes may be available such as classes for sewing, arts & crafts, carpentry, book reading, etc.
Free Tool Rentals
It may be surprising to find out that there are tool libraries. Just like the traditional libraries that lend books for free, these libraries lend tools. Some are specialized for jobs such as electrical work, gardening or community clean up projects. Some are only open to non-profit organizations, but most are open to the public.
You can find a list of tool lending libraries here, or see the Freebies by State page.
Savings table for tool rentals (circular chopping/Miter table saw):
| | Home Depot tool rental
| Sunbelt rentals
| Library |
|---|
chopping/Miter table saw
| Price not posted online
| $37 per day
| FREE!
|
|---|
Buy the saw at Home Depot: $99.00 (cheapest model online)
Buy the saw at Lowes: $109.00 (cheapest model online)
Library tool selection is limited and may not always have the tool that is needed.