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The best purchase I ever made was free.
Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.
Things I got from my library:
An education
My closest friend
Sex education
Foreign language instruction
Books
E-books
Audiobooks
Books for my kids
Storytime and other entertainment for my kids
Books to discuss with my book group
Flu shots
Travel resources
Magazines
A quiet place to read
A place for my son to meet with his math tutor
A place to hold a community meeting
A place to buy used books for almost nothing
A place to donate old books
A way to download and read or listen to books on my phone or Kindle without ever leaving my house (aka the Libby app)
All for free
50 Happens 
Sex education?
Your library sounds like much more fun than mine…
🤣
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You never read “the joy of sex” at your library? 😂
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Not at the library, no.
The men at my father’s office gave him a copy as a joke when he was in the hospital and he hid it in the cellar.
Not well as it turns out…
🤣
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The people I babysat for had it out on their coffee table! Had to finish reading it at the good old library. 📚
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my exact same thoughts
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The Joy of Sex (book) came out in the 70s. I read part of it in the house where I babysat. I finished it in the good old library. 😉
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Flu shots, too? Back in Miami there were yoga and meditation classes at my library, which I miss!
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Oh and videos! Remember borrowing movies from the library?
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YES! That’s how my kids watched most of Bill Nye The Science Guy. 😀
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You had me at“sex education”
I think I need to go over renew my library card now
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😂
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I truly love the library
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They’re great! 📚
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MaryG, this made me grin — the best purchase being free is such a perfect answer. As a family that travels a lot, our library card is quietly one of our most-used tools: the kids load up e-books and audiobooks before every long flight, and toddler storytime was basically free entertainment when we needed it most. Sex ed AND a closest friend on the list too — libraries really do carry everything.
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Attended a talk about “libraries around the world” and how they have become “community hubs”. You can see it here as new libraries are being built next door to swimming pools and coffee shops making them a one stop meeting place for families and friends.
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That’s fantastic! NEW libraries! We don’t have enough public swimming pools here in the US. Library cards and swimming lessons for all!
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It looks like we need to learn from you guys. Our libraries are on the decline here in the Uk. This is just one report, be it from 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9lexplel5o
My local library featured greatly in my youth growing up. It literally represented “ a font of all knowledge” – somewhere to read in peace, borrow books to read at home, research anything and everything for dreaded A Level essays etc.
I remember introducing my children to the library when they were young too. It was a weekly event spending time there even after school when they grew into infants and then juniors.
Alas the internet reigns now and the library wanes
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It’s true. “Go Look it up at the library” is no longer a thing kids hear from parents. I could ride my bike to our library as a kid.
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