Libby and the Library

 I have been an on again off again user of the library over my life.  A few years back I rediscovered the joy of the library here in Dallas.  Oddly enough, the thing that drew me back in was movies, rather than books.  Our family has somewhat regular movie nights and while we enjoy Netflix and Hulu, there are so many other movies that aren't on these platforms.  

My wife Sarah and I both enjoy sharing movies from our childhood, or other points in our lives with the kids as well.  Some of these were a challenge to find...until I discovered the library had many of them!  I could easily search the whole library from their app and request movies.  As the movies arrived at the Audelia branch (about a mile from our home) I would get an email notifying me they were there.  All free!  Or at least "prepaid" through taxes?

My frequent trips to the library (again, to pick up movies) help me discover many other great resources.  Their audiobook selection is great and typically a favorite to check prior to a road trip.  I also started checking the library app for any books I heard about or favorite authors, rather than buying each book.  This helped in the last few years as I became more deliberate about my annual reading goals.

I also discovered their audiobook apps.  These have been amazing and have saved me far more than the movie rentals.  While there have been several, one in particular stands out, Libby.  Libby has both ebooks and audiobooks.  Often I can find recent titles there, which prevents me from buying them or using our limited audible credits.  A few examples include: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, More Myself by Alicia Keys and Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump.  Last year I listened to nearly 40 audiobook, most of which were through Libby.

I know everyone has their preferences...actual book vs. ebook, audio vs. reading - as for me, I use all the methods.  While I like sitting and holding an actual book in my hands, and often do, I know I will read far more if I use each method some.  I always have at least 1 book going on kindle, which means I always have a book with me and tend to read during unexpected times of waiting.  Listening allows me to "read" while doing household chores, commuting and walking the dog.  

Reading (and listening) to books makes life richer.  It builds my understanding of the world and others.  It opens my mind to new ideas.  At times it's simply entertainment as well.