If you are frugal then chances are pretty good that you make use of your local public library for books, videos, music and more. But, you may not know that there are plenty of other lending libraries around that you can also use. From toys to tape series, explore the following lending libraries that you might not know about.
Church
Many churches have their own libraries. They will lends out all sorts of materials to members and sometimes non members of the church. Naturally, many of these, if not all, are religious-based, but I’ve seen everything from fiction to financial advice. From books to entire Bible study kits, you may find some new things to borrow. Plus, church libraries tend to be pretty forgiving when it comes to how long you can borrow.
Toys
There are more and more toy lending libraries cropping up. Some require an annual fee or deposit, while others do not. If you are limited on space or don’t have a lot of room in the budget for toys, then this might be a fun option. There is no clutter, and your kids can have fun playing with a wide variety of different toys. Plus, you don’t have to worry about spending money on a toy that will turn out to be a dud.
Museums
Do you have a museum membership? Many museums also have a lending library that can be used by their paying members to check out items. These lending libraries aren’t usually well known, but you can ask an employee if your museum has one available. Along with museums, memberships to historic places, botanical gardens and other non profit organizations may also have lending libraries available.
Look around in your community the next chance you get. You may find that there are plenty of other lending resources beside your local public libraries.