I just drove past my local library. The parking lot was a sea of cars, as it is an early voting site here in town. A polling place, just one of the numerous things you can do at the library. Our libraries offer so many services and are the source of so much information that it begs the question, “What can’t you do at the library?”

Case in point. I had been driving around with a bag full of used batteries in my car with the intention of recycling them at some point. I stopped one day at the library to pick up some books on reserve, and as I walked in the side door, there in front of me was a recycling bin for used batteries!

But perhaps my most favorite thing about my local library  is their biannual used book sale.  And I don’t mean they sell a bunch of old library books that no one has checked out in a year, but really great books that people have donated. Amazingly, I bought all of these books for about $25. I found several books on my Amazon wish-list and at least two Pulitzer Prize winners. I got reference and history books, travel guide books, novels and short stories. I even bought a few to give as gifts. Most books were in very good or brand new condition.

So, that’s my experience, what about you dear readers? What thrills you about your local library? What cool things have you found there?