Library Lagniappe
Everyone knows what a public library is. Every town has one. There are over 17,000 of them in the U.S. and over 410,000 of them in the world.
They've been a free resource of educational materials for our lifetimes and many generations before that, dating back to the 1700s in the U.S. and before the first century in the larger world.
In New Orleans, we have 15 public library locations and getting a library card from any of them is free. Let's say that louder, for the people in the back: "Library cards are free for all Orleans Parish residents (as well as those who currently have a valid library card from Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes)."
A library card is a passport. It equals access to hundreds of thousands of books on every topic imaginable and allows access to a massive array of non-book resources that you might not have even guessed at.
Digital Downloads
Old school readers love the feel of a book, but if you can't get to a library in person, if you're worried that you won't remember to return a book once you've borrowed it, if what you're looking for isn't in stock, or if you just don't want physical things cluttering your space, then there are a bunch of ways to search the archives online.
Through the Libby app, you can access thousands of e-books and e-audiobooks. Through Flipster, you can read the current issues of your favorite magazines. In the BiblioBoard Library there's tons of indie fiction by Louisiana authors (local writers can even submit their works for inclusion). If you're interested in nonfiction, specifically biographies, you can find almost half a million of them in EBSCO's Biography Reference Source. The Britannica Library, famous for printing those comprehensive encyclopedias that take up whole shelves, has three large databases, which include magazines, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, a dictionary, and a thesaurus.
TeenBookCloud is a digital book library focusing on grades 6-12, while TumbleBook Library covers grades K-6. The Louisiana Digital Library has over 100,000 resources that focus on our state. Newspapers links to free newspaper sites around the U.S. The entire Louisiana Public Library Ebook Collection is available online, and if you're overwhelmed by the options, NoveList Plus even gives you suggestions and helps you discover new books and authors based on what you already like to read.
Movies & Music
It's not just reading materials that are available in the online databases. Kanopy has 30,000+ indie, foreign language, classic, and documentary films, as well as KanopyKids for all-ages watching. On Qello, you can stream concerts and music documentaries. Freegal allows you to stream six hours of music a day. Classica specializes in classical music, operas, and ballets. Hoopla is a more comprehensive app for movies, TV, music, comic books, e-books, and audiobooks, and Crescent City Sounds has a whole catalog just of local New Orleans music.
Educational Services
If you've been feeling like you want to learn more and just didn't have the motivation or access, there are tons of opportunities on every level, in every age group, and in every area of education. You can access thousands of online courses on varied topics at Udemy through the library. With HomeworkLouisiana, you can get a live online tutor, build skills, get homework help, and access the writing, career, and adult education centers. The Learning Express Library has hugely helpful standardized tests, courses, and career prep for students and adults. Mango Languages offers over 70 world languages and 20+ English courses. Northstar Online Learning will help you with your technology skills. And LinkedIn Learning has all sorts of courses in job training.
There are even classes for the more right-brained thinkers though ArtistWorks, which provides art lessons from masters in the field; Creativebug, which has over 1,000 craft how-to videos; and Hobbies & Crafts Source, which has written manuals as well as video versions. EBSCO's Home Improvement Source is filled with step-by-step instructions for new homeowners on repair, maintenance, and remodeling projects, including plumbing, outdoor, woodworking, electrical, and decorating tutorials.
Youth Programming
The New Orleans Public Library has so many resources for children of all ages. Their early literacy program focuses on talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing together. As they describe it, "Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they learn to read and write. It's the foundation that newborns to 5-year-olds need to become readers." Their goal is to help kids find joy in reading and become lifelong learners. School-age children have access, at multiple locations, to a huge array of books, as well as dedicated play spaces, storytimes, LEGO clubs, costume parties with dress up kits, and puppet shows. ABC Mouse is also an interactive online educational platform for young students.
Teen Resources
Teens can get involved in so many ways. They can volunteer, enter writing and art contests, enjoy graphic novels, play Dungeons & Dragons, and be a part of the STEM and STEAM programs. The Best Buy Teen Tech Center at the Main Library on Loyola Avenue has 3D printers, sewing machines, Cricut machines, a music recording studio, a podcasting console, and so many other resources, all available to locals ages 13-18 with a free membership.
Culture Pass
You can use your library card like a golden ticket to make reservations at some of the most interesting spots around the city. Choose from two classic art museums (the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum), two historical museums (the National WWII Museum and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience), lighthouses, homes, and gardens that house smaller exhibits (the Gallier House, Hermann-Grima House, Historic BK House & Gardens, and the New Canal Lighthouse Museum), or go to the Audubon Nature Institute's Audubon Zoo or Aquarium. There are even, occasionally, tickets available to see a performance by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Lagniappe
The possibilities at the New Orleans Public Library are truly endless. There's a professional cake pan lending service at the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, for when you need that custom SpongeBob SquarePants birthday-themed party. Community arts workshops pop up at multiple locations. Gale Legal Forms: Louisiana provides forms covering hundreds of legal subjects and issues. The library provides job search assistance and a Virtual Civil Legal Clinic for free information and help with housing rights, tax issues, bankruptcies, divorces, and public benefits like Medicaid and SNAP food stamps. Notary services are available by appointment. Several locations allow you to recycle your glass through Glass Half Full. You can pick up free vegetable and flower seeds in their "seed library." And if you're from Louisiana and want to know more about your heritage, they've got Ancestry.com access and knowledgeable people to help you search.
