I love the library!

To me the library is just about the greatest place on earth. It's like going to a Barnes and Noble where everything is free (but unfortunately there's no Starbucks). I love it even more now that I'm a parent. Here's some reasons you should love the library too, courtesy of Thrifty Green Thursday at Green Baby Guide:

• Books! You can take out any book in the place for free (and sometimes magazines too)! Of course you have to return everything, but you don't really need those books cluttering up your tiny apartment anyway. And, if you are checking out kids books, its a great comfort to know that, yes, you will have to read this book 1,000 times in the next three weeks, but after that it can be out of your life forever. And don't worry that your kids will be hard on the library books -- you should teach them to treat books gently, but most libraries and librarians don't get flustered when a toddler tears a book (just let them know, and it's better to let the library do the repair than to do it yourself).
  
• DVDs! Forget about Blockbuster or Netflix -- get your movies for free and return them on your next library trip.
• Free activities for your kids! Most libraries have story times and many have programming for older kids and adults as well.
  
• Free passes! Many libraries offer free passes to museums and other activities in your area. You generally have to reserve these in advance and the best passes tend to go early.
• Be kind to the environment! By not purchasing your own books and DVDs, you use fewer natural resources and share those resources with others.
  
• If you live in a city, you may have a library within walking distance. It might not be a big library (we get our library fix at the tiny O'Neill Branch), but it is great to get to know your local librarians, go to local activities, and you can often get materials from other libraries sent to you.