PITTSBURGH — There’s a card in your wallet that is so powerful, it can get you plenty of things for free—everything from free tickets to shows to a ladder for home repairs. All available if you have a library card.
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers a “Library of Things” to help residents save on household expenses and entertainment. These programs allow patrons to check out physical objects and experience passes with the same ease as borrowing a book.
Andrew Medlar, president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, discussed the financial impact of utilizing library resources. “There are so many things that the library provides. How could anyone know all of them except your friendly librarian?” Medlar said. He estimated that a person utilizing a library card could save “hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.”
The Millvale Tool Library maintains a huge collection of items. Bill Mocker, the tool library coordinator, said the facility operates on a familiar model. “We have over a thousand tools, probably more than 1100,” Mocker said. “We lend them out just like books.”
Patrons use the Millvale facility for specific home projects. Luke Ferdinand, a library patron, described his experience using the specialized equipment. “I borrowed a thermal image camera and a jig saw,” Ferdinand said. Borrowing items like a $300 extension ladder or an $80 orbital sander results in hundreds of dollars in direct savings for residents.
In Monroeville, the Library of Things offers household appliances and gaming consoles for free checkout. Available items include sewing machines, stand mixers and the PlayStation five. Utilizing these high-value items can result in savings exceeding $1,090.
Library cards also provide access to regional “RAD Passes” for local experiences. These passes can be used for two free tickets to the Pittsburgh Zoo, a savings of more than $40, and four tickets to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, saving approximately $100.
The system offers digital and technical services as well. Patrons can access free audiobooks, eliminating the need for monthly $15 subscriptions. Specialized rooms are also available for residents to digitize old family photographs and videotapes. Similar free programs and items are available in the library systems of Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland and Washington counties.
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