My sister recently texted me, “The local library near the park just reserved a room with internet connection for me even though I’m not a resident. LIBRARIES ARE AMAZING!”

She had been arranging a road trip to introduce her first grandson to members of the family, which included stops in multiple cities across the Midwest. Breaking the long car ride up with a stop at a national park seemed like a solid approach for keeping everyone, but most importantly, a 3-year-old in good spirits. But how to accommodate the daughter-in-law’s scheduled online class? Local library to the rescue.

Now, the fact that libraries are amazing is a commonly held belief in my family. We are all lifelong prolific library users. But my sister was genuinely surprised that a small-town library was so accommodating to someone who wasn’t even a local resident.

When you think of a library, the first thing that likely comes to mind is rows upon rows of books, waiting to be explored. And while libraries are indeed sanctuaries for book lovers, offering everything from the latest bestsellers to timeless classics, they have evolved far beyond their traditional role as mere repositories of literature. Today’s libraries are dynamic community hubs, brimming with resources, services, and opportunities that cater to the diverse needs of everyone in the community. If you haven’t visited your local library lately, you’re missing out on a treasure trove of offerings that extend far beyond the printed page.

During Library Card Sign-up Month, we’ve been asking people to try something new at their library and tell us about it. Here are some of the responses we’ve received so far.

“I checked out a pickleball kit with my library card. My daughter and I played pickleball for the first time and loved it! I love my library!”

Beth from North Carolina

“Our Library started an a.maz.ing collection called “But wait there’s more!” that includes power tools, games, musical instruments, household and tech items and more! I checked out a cricut machine and got a tutorial from one of our crafty librarians and used it to create labels for glassware. So proud of myself! Def will not quit my day job to become a crafter but thrilled I could see what all the fuss is about. YAY Libraries!”

Elizabeth from New Jersey

 “…we went traveling utilizing VR glasses. What a trip…visited Florence, London and New York. A library is more than just books to this lifelong learner and my Library Card is my most valuable possession.”

Sandra from Wisconsin

“I took my first knitting class, it was so fun!”

Tina from Massachusetts

“I tried something new- checking out seeds to plant! I got some lavender and some vegetables. If planting/harvesting go well, the library only asks that we dry some seeds and take those to the library. So neat!”

Katelyn from California

Some library lovers told us that they checked out an audiobook for the first time, streamed music, tried chair yoga, and attended Zumba sessions. Others took classes in coding, Portuguese, how to use the library’s 3D printer, and more. We don’t know what your local library offers, but we think it’s worth exploring. Libraries today have programs, services, and some seriously cool stuff – all designed to make your life better in so many ways.

Have you tried something new at your library? Tell us about it during September for the chance to win!

Photo credits:

1. Pickleball Courts 2021 by Marilyn Stone. for Montgomery Parks, MNCPPC. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

2. Cricut machine by factorf2, used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license (CC BY-SA 2.0)

3. Florence, Italy. Photo from Jonathan Körner jonko, CC0, Wikimedia Commons, posted under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

4. Learning to Knit. Photo courtesy of Tina from Massachusetts.

5. Seed library at Baraboo (WI) Library by Jessamyn West. Used under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )

It’s Library Card Sign-Up Month! This year, we’ve teamed up with the TRANSFORMERS to encourage people everywhere to roll out to their library and sign up for a library card. Here are a few ways you can participate.