What’s more punk than the Berkeley Public Library?

Are you looking to escape the packed libraries or get away from the stress that comes from being in a campus library, smelling the midterm-induced anxiety and faltering hygiene from your fellow students? Despite the city of Berkeley’s reputation for counterculture, the reality is that most students are far from aligned with that lifestyle. Instead of paying $8 for an iced coffee and a place to study, try going to the Berkeley Public Library. Libraries are an anticonsumerist third space for students and the community alike. If you’re seeking community, connection, free resources and open-access knowledge, you have to be going to the BPL.

There are multiple public libraries in Berkeley, but if you live in Southside, the Claremont Branch is a 20-minute walk from campus down College Avenue. If you live downtown, the closest is Central Library on Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. Head over to one of the BPL branches and get yourself a free library card by talking to a librarian, presenting your photo ID, filling out a form confirming your residency and choosing a card from the many cute designs offered.

Resist consumerism — don’t buy it, borrow it for free

As we students move from place to place each year, many of us don’t own tools. However, with a BPL card and as a Berkeley resident, you can borrow all sorts of tools at the Tool Lending Library located on Russell Street, a 13-minute bus ride from the west end of campus. Maybe you’re looking for a drill, a hammer or some pliers. Need to fix your bike? Check out the bike repair kit.

Maybe you want to host a dinner party and you just don’t have all the cooking tools you need. Don’t fret, because the Tool Lending Library’s extensive tool collection has the most niche cooking supplies, such as a cold press juicer, a Ninja CREAMi soft serve ice cream maker or a food dehydrator. The world is your oyster — or, the BPL is your oyster. I have several containers of whole coffee beans that I can’t use as I don’t have a way to grind them, so checking out the coffee grinder would be the perfect solution for me. More information about the exact tools available can be found on the BPL website, along with instructions on reserving and picking up the tools at your convenience.

I love printing out photos to put on my wall, so rather than paying money to print in color, I’ve been going to the Claremont Branch. Printing is free at BPL, and the only limit is 40 black-and-white pages or eight color pages a day, but you can go back the next day or use a friend’s library card.

There are also consistently free fentanyl test strips and Narcan available in front of the libraries.

Reject paywalls and exclusivity and embrace open-access knowledge

Of course, the most extensive feature of libraries is their books. At the BPL, there is not only physical media such as magazines and books, but also a huge database of electronic media such as movies, music and eBooks. You can use the library for gathering research materials, discovering new books to read for pleasure or gaining inspiration outside of the digital algorithms. There are no late fees for anything you borrow, which is an amazing resource for students since you might need a book for a while or might not have the time to return your books right away.

Need a place to study? Study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but you likely don’t even need to use one because the library is usually pretty quiet as it is.

Engage with the community outside of UC Berkeley

BPL also hosts many useful community events, such as recurring drop-in technology help, a CD-burning workshop, a free flu vaccine pop-up clinic or a community craft circle for parallel play.

You can follow BPL’s Instagram to stay updated on all the events happening or visit the website. By going to these events, you can get a chance to meet people in Berkeley other than students and connect with people outside of your own bubble. There are film screenings, charging stations and nice air conditioning in each library.

If you’re looking for a place to buy books rather than just borrow, the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library bookstore is a great — and cheap — option. The store is located only a block away from campus, below the Telegraph Channing Garage.

The Berkeley Public Library is totally punk rock. Go get that library card!