The Wonders of the Library

Source: http://www.tchps.org/homes/dt_50.htm

I am a reader. Like, I lovelovelove reading and books and places that have books (like schools, bookstores, and, of course, libraries). I was a pretty lame kid and my favorite place to hang out (and the place my parents would ground me from as a teen instead of the mall) was the library. As an adult and parent now, I naturally gravitate towards libraries when searching for a place to drag my kids.



Benefits of the library (when you're a parent):

• It's free. Never turn down anything that's free, unless, like, it's a disease. 
• It's usually pretty quiet. Now, kids aren't always quiet, but I know with my daughter, she's far more inclined to be quiet if everyone else around her is  - the library usually has this effect on her. 
• Libraries usually cater to children in some way. Whether it's a reading program, a playgroup, or just a nice, clean space for kids to play, libraries are usually well equipped for hour long (or longer) visits that won't feel like a chore. 
• Free magazines, books, and wi-fi! I love this. Not that we don't have all those things at our house, but it's different, and in my case, if the baby is sleeping in the Moby and the girl is happily looking at books or playing, I have some time to rest my brain and enjoy some reading that's not infused with an elephant and pig. 
• In keeping with the free, libraries, at least in our area, frequently offer passes to children's and art museums and zoos. For our family, it's kind of a big, expensive trip to get to the museums in our state, so taking out the expense of the pass is a help. 
• You meet other potentially like minded parents and their kids. It's like the hot spot club or bar you might have trolled in your pre spouse and kids days, looking for a hot date (can you tell I never actually did any of that...I met my husband in high school). 

Another tip? If you live in a fairly rural area like we do, check out lots of libraries, not just the one in your town. I've found that you can easily get another library card if your fairly local, either for free or for a small fee. We have library cards at three libraries, including our town's, and all three offer different activities throughout the year. I'll probably expand our library card holdings over the summer to include my parents local library and possibly the library in one of the much larger towns in the area that offers a larger variety of activities.