A Multnomah County library card gets you so much more than free books. Here’s what else you can get at no extra charge:
Learn Another Language 🇨🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺
Learn Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Swahili, or other languages on the app Mango. There’s English for non-English speakers. It works on Android and iOS. (Tip to start: Create your account using the website, because that’s easier!)
Free Videos, Comics, and Music 🎵
Use the Hoopla app or website. Starting on the first of each month, you can check out eight items per month (as of July 1). You can keep movies and TV shows for three days, music albums for a week, and comics for three weeks. (Bonus: There are no late fees.) A second option: the Kanopy app also offers access to TV and movies, with 12 credits a month.
Copy Center 🖨️
All library locations also offer copying, faxing, and scanning. (Extra amazing: Send documents to be printed from anywhere with a mobile app, though you do have to go into the library to pick them up.)
Makerspace for Teens 🥽
There’s a 3-D printer, a laser cutter, and a sticker maker, among other inviting options, at the
makerspace for teens. (Temporarily at the Midland Library, it’s scheduled to return to the Rockwood Library in the fall of 2025). The library offers tweens, teens, and families access to technology, a community space to come together, and tech drop-ins and classes.
Free Entry at Cultural Institutions 🎭
Check out this previous newsletter segment on how to get into museums, gardens, and theaters for free.
Free Audio Books, Magazines, and E-Books 📖
My personal favorite library resource: getting books, audio books, and online versions of current magazines from the comfort of home. You can do just that with an app called Libby. E-books work on Kindle.
Read the News for Free 📰
Check out this previous newsletter segment on how to read the New York Times online for free — as well as get access to other news media.
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Your turn:What free resources do you use at the library? Please email me how you use these resources and others.
