^[1]Books are my drug of choice. But as there has been quite a bit of belt-tightening in our household this year, I’ve spent more time at the library than at the bookstore and have given up Netflix. The coolest part is that I’ve spent most of my library time online, reserving books and having them delivered to my neighborhood branch. A la Netflix!

Okay okay, it’s not quite the same as there is sometimes a wait if the book is new and popular, and you do have to pick up and drop off the books. But it is free. And if you live close enough to your local branch ^[2], you don’t even have to drive.

For those of you who are already versed in the Library’s online services, you rock. For my fellow library n00bs, join me after the jump to learn more about this Netflix-like service.

First, get yourself a library card. Then sign up online. You can search for books, then put them in the queue to be delivered to your local library branch. Depending on how popular the book is, it could be waiting for you within a day or two. If you have to wait for the book, I find it exciting to watch my wait number get lower and lower until the fateful day when I receive a phone call or email (your choice) to tell me my book has arrived! Currently my list has four books on it though with all the “Best Summer Reading Lists” coming out, I’ll be sure to load it up.

If you know even more cool things you can do with your library card an online access, please tell us all in the comments.

(Image by Wolfgang Sauber used with permission via Creative Commons license.)

Related posts:

1. Sandra Tsing Loh at the Santa Monica Public Library ^[3]
2. TAP Card Readers In Action ^[4]
3. Public fitness ^[5]
4. Skip your credit card payments = get out of debt. ^[6]
5. Cook’s Library’s Last Meal ^[7]