12 Free Things You Can Do With A New York Public Library Card
Being bored in New York is damn near impossible.
In a city where there are always exciting and entertaining things to do and new places to eat, you should always make time to expand your knowledge and learn new things, and the best place to do that is at your local library!
If you haven’t been to your library since you were in grade school, it’s okay; we won’t judge you. But that also means that you might not be privy to all the things that the library offers New Yorkers who have a library card. Not only can you gain free access to numerous museums around the city, but you can also learn a language, rent vinyl records, and even get your hands on free seeds for your garden!
What’s the difference between New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library cards?
Before applying for your library card, it is important to know that not all library cards grant you the same access. In New York City, there are three different library systems; New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library. The history is a bit complex, but the short version is that the three exist because they were founded before 1898 when the five boroughs consolidated into Greater New York City. There have been talks to combine all branches but we’ll leave the history lesson to the New York Times.
Your New York Public Library Card will grant you access to all libraries in the five boroughs while Brooklyn & Queens cards will only give you privledges in their respective boroughs. Here are 12 free things you can do with a New York Public Library Card!
1. Culture Pass
Visit over 80 cultural institutions for free with Culture Pass. You can gain access to the Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, New York Botanical Gerden, The Guggenheim and so much more!
2. Learn a Language
Learn a new language with Mango Languages, an interactive database that provides step-by-step lesson plans for 71 different languages. This database features ESL lessons for Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese speakers.
3. Read a Newspaper
PressReader provides current newspapers in full-color, full-page format and includes U.S. and international titles. Your library card provides access to current newspapers from around the world in full-color, full-page format. PressReader includes over 2,000 U.S. and international titles.
4. Gain a Career Skill
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that offers thousands of courses taught by experts in various fields like web development, education, media production, and business. It provides users with the opportunity to discover, complete, and track courses related to their interests and fields.
5. Flip Through a Magazine
Flipster is a digital source giving you access to over 100 of the most popular magazines, including Bon Appétit, Sports Illustrated, Time, and People. Simply look up the magazine you want, choose “Read this Issue”.
6. Borrow an E-Book
SimplyE allows you to browse 300,000+ titles, from bestsellers to classics and read them instantly—whenever and wherever you like!
7. Prep for a Test
Prepare for academic, civil service, military, and professional exams with test preparation materials and interactive practice exams With LearningExpress. Improve your scores on exams such as PSAT, SAT, GED replacement, TASC, and more.
8. Rent an instrument
The Brooklyn Public Library launched the first-ever public musical instrument lending library. Patrons can now borrow select instruments for a period of one month. Thanks to a partnership with the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, a range of instruments are available for rent, including percussion instruments like steel drums and string instruments such as the violin and more. Whether you want to learn to play the guitar or need a piano for your next composition, this lending library has got you covered.
See the full list of instruments and learn how to rent yours here.
9. Book free studio time
Whether or not playing instruments is your vibe, your library card can help you book free studio time to record a demo! The recording studio can be reserved in 15-minute increments. The maximum session length for the studio is three hours, and each cardholder can make up to two advance reservations per calendar month.
10. Listen to high-quality vinyl records
Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library has a Vinyl Lending Library open to cardholders, giving them access to 400 albums spanning any genre you can think of. With your card, you can listen to music on the library’s first floor as well as borrow for up to three weeks.
11. Get free seeds to grow plants
NYPL’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library offers a Seed Library: a selection of non-GMO, heirloom, and/or organic seeds for patrons to grow vegetables, flowers, or herbs from the comfort of their residences. SNFL is located at 455 Fifth Avenue—diagonally across from Patience, the stone lion that sits on the south side of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
The Seed Library collection includes seeds such as basil, marigolds, zinnias, and peppers, and many more options.
12. Borrow tablets and hotspots for free
Access to electronics and wifi are free at all library branches but did you know that with your library card you can borrow tablets and wifi hotspots to take home? This program is made possible by the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. If eligible, students, school staff and library patrons, can participate in the program.
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