USA TODAY - Libraries help book unexpected savings

Oct 1, 2026

Upload by nayy☆

The article reports on how local libraries can reduce household costs by offering free access to items beyond books, including collections described as the “Library of Things.” It explains that patrons use library cards to check out unique and sometimes expensive tools, toys, artwork, and specialized kits. Examples across multiple states illustrate a wide range of borrowable items, while interview quotes emphasize the financial value for families and individuals. Separately, the issue also covers unrelated national news topics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Libraries help book unexpected savings

Checking out more than books

Library of Things collections

Examples from across the country

We go behind the magic at Walt Disney World Some 80,000 cast members undergo extensive training at Disney University. In Money The grades are in for college football so far We pick superlatives and surprises from an eventful first month of the season. In Sports USA TODAY THE NATION'S NEWS | $3 | THURSDAY , OCTOBER 1, 2026 EMMA ROSE MILLIGAN/FOR USA TODAY Stallone takes ‘Steps’back torevisit past He describes looking for affection during a difficult upbringing, and his fight to make “Rocky”a reality in his memoir,“The Steps.” In Life Bitty Koehler of Eugene, Oregon, plays with Magna-Tiles that her mom, Madison, checked out from the local library. PROVIDED BY MADISON KOEHLER Libraries help book unexpected savings Tools, toys, artwork can be checked out for free Betty Lin-Fisher USA TODAY Looking for another way to save money? Don’t overlook your local library, which may offer more than books. Those with library cards often can check out things to expand their hobbies, too. Libraries across the country have a variety of unique and expensive items that are available to check out for free, and patrons are using the items to save money while more budgets arestrained. These often are included in collections called the “Library of Things.” “These types of items are very expensive for families or individuals to buy,” said Maria McCauley, president of the American Library Association.“So having these available for free through your local library is quite wonderful.” Here’s a sampling of some other things you can check out at libraries across the country: h The Robinson Township Library in Pennsylvania has an American Girl collection. h The Berkeley Public Library in California has an extensive tool-lending library. h Ghost-hunting kits are available at the Richland Library in South Carolina. h Want to rotate some framed artwork? You can borrow some from the Westerville Public Library in Ohio. Asya Welz of Dayton, Ohio, frequents several libraries near her to checkout books, audiobooks and nontraditional items, especially for her 6-year-old daughter who is homeschooled. Recently, Welz checked out a pressure washer to clean her driveway. “That saved us time because I didn’t have to research it and I didn’t have togo through pros and cons like ‘do we need it bad enough to go buy it?’” Welz also checked out a steam cleaner, which she used to deep clean the family’s appliances after the house had a flood last year. “I saved a ton of money because I don’t foresee myself using a steam cleaner on a regular basis, butI wanted that good deep clean when we moved back in,” Welz said. Her library has a running tally on her printed receipts, and Welz said she See LIBRARIES, Page 6A QIJFAF-04005w(e)a ©COPYRIGHT 2026 USA TODAY, Adivision of USA TODAY Co., Inc. HOME DELIVERY 1-800-872-0001, USATODAYSERVICE.COM “This isn’t the right place.” Kyle Groetzinger National Parks Conservation Association Trace Brooking, 17, a non-voting student member of the Kentucky Board of Education, is fighting to stop a proposed data center in Cave City, Kentucky. PHOTOS BY MARK ZALESKI/USA TODAY NETWORK AI boom meets Mammoth Cave National Park Data center bid near site spurs battle Kelly Puente Nashville Tennessean | USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KY F or thousands of years, people have ventured into the caves beneath the rolling hills of central Kentucky. h In the 1840s, Stephen Bishop, an enslaved Black guide, explored the vast system by lantern and drew one of the earliest maps. h More than 426 miles have since been surveyed, making Mammoth Cave National Park the world’s longest-known cave system. It’s a landscape so unique that it has been designated both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Region. h Now, looming above this ancient world is a behemoth of the future. Near Cave City, the tiny Ken- than half of all households in Ke

FAQs

What kinds of items can people check out from libraries besides books?

The article states that libraries offer free access to tools, toys, artwork, and other unique or expensive items, often through collections called the “Library of Things.”

How do library cards help users save money?

People with library cards can check out items to expand hobbies without paying for purchases, helping them save money as budgets tighten.

Can you give examples of nontraditional items available at libraries?

The article mentions an American Girl collection, tool-lending libraries, ghost-hunting kits, and borrowing framed artwork from different libraries in multiple states.

Oct 1, 2026

Upload by nayy☆