How much can your library card save you?

How valuable is your library card? Library card holder Angela Glennon was surprised to find out just how much money she saves on one of her weekly trips to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

When Glennon’s children were babies and toddlers, she considered the Library to be their escape, a free place to go where they could have adventures in books, attend fun children’s programs and meet other young families.

As her three children grew into voracious readers, the library became even more essential to Glennon and her family. They all look forward to their weekly trips so they can stock up on new books. They appreciate the knowledgeable staff members who help them find books on whatever the children are obsessed with that week— it’s ranged from snakes to The Magic Tree House, from horror stories to American history and from butterflies to picture books with photo-realistic illustrations. Glennon says, “No request is too crazy for those dedicated librarians!”

With the American Library Association’s Library Value Calculator, Glennon found out she saved her family $660 in just one visit. That visit included attending adult and children’s programs, checking out more than 30 books and using a library computer, as well as asking the staff reference questions. Upon seeing her total value, she remarked, “That's a lot of money and value per visit! I'm sure the total amount varies each time and whether we attend a program that week, but, as a family that has maxed out our library card in the past, I'm sure there have been trips where we've saved even more money. Obviously, we could never afford to purchase all those books, so we're always happy to use the library!”

Even though Glennon’s focus is on her family, she’s also attended many Library-sponsored adult programs. Through them she’s met interesting, wonderful people, acknowledging she’s learned so much more in a group than she could on her own.

Just like Glennon, you can find out how much you can save with a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card by clicking here.

Know someone who doesn’t have a Library card but should? Send them here today so they can start saving money and enjoy all the benefits: sign up for a library card.

This blog was written by Darcey Mesaris.