To The Editor:

As your community’s library director, I feel duty-bound to let you know how much money you can save by using the many services provided by the C.H. Booth Library. If you haven’t used your library card lately, you’re missing out on a bunch of free stuff!

No matter what happens in the world, your local library at 25 Main Street is an oasis of both calm spaces and community gatherings. It is a place where you can teach yourself, conduct research, or simply find a quiet place with a cup of coffee during your busy day. Contemporary libraries are a lot more than just book repositories — your library is the community’s hub offering a wide range of services of which you may not even be aware.

I’d like to focus today on streaming entertainment. Your library card gives you access to Kanopy, a streaming platform for libraries and universities. While there’s a focus on international and “artsy” film and television, Kanopy offers a huge collection of films, TV shows, and documentaries, including blockbusters and all-time classics.

You also have access to Libby and hoopla, which offer access to even more movies and shows — plus eBooks, audiobooks, comics, and streaming music.

The library offers free access to Mango Languages and Ancestry.com, and there are new books on the shelves literally every day.

Best of all, using library services is practically free — less than $1 per week per person in taxes; the rest is fundraised.

Douglas Lord, Library Director

Cyrenius H. Booth Library