Guitars, 3D Printing, and Other Amazing Things You Can Get for Free From the Library

Posted on October 3, 2017 by resourcefulman

You probably know that your local library has not only books, but also DVDs, CDs, magazines, streaming films, and e-books . But he also has some more amazing physical items to suggest.

The best way to find out what’s on offer is to call them – many library websites don’t list all of their services in advance. To give you some ideas, here are examples from libraries across the country.

Ties: A tie shop in the Queens Library provides job seekers with ties along with tie instructions and interview tips.
Art: Libraries in Iowa City and Ann Arbor provide murals for weeks or months.
Instruments: The Ohio Leasing County Library leases guitars, ukuleles, banjos, and mandolins . Ann Arbor offers all kinds of electronic instruments .
Musical Scores: NYPL for the Performing Arts provides scores for opera, musical comedy, classical and popular music, and study guides.
Museum passes : Chicago libraries offer free museum tickets for families with children. Discounts apply in Monroe County, New York. The Library Association of New York allows local systems to purchase museum tickets to offer to visitors.
Seeds: The Toronto Seed Library “lends out” seeds: when the borrower’s plant matures, the library asks the borrower to return a new generation of seeds.
3D Printing: The Toronto Public Library offers 3D printing for 10 cents per gram, as well as free printing and design lessons.
Dolls: The Brooklyn College Doll Museum has moved out of the public library branch, but its 100 dolls are still available to everyone .
Telescopes: a partnership of at least 20 Maine libraries rent Telescopes for rent and conduct training.
Maps and Ephemera: While most collections are impossible to verify, libraries often have maps, brochures, and other ephemera that you can view at your local branch office.