I’m aware that this community is not usually happy with the content that’s available above-board for-free under-restriction. For instance, free with subscription, or free with ads.
But I have found myself obsessed with library cards recently.
Libraries grant access to pretty expansive collections even online: movies, tv, music, and ebooks are just the beginning. Genealogical resources, vehicle repair manuals, business contact databases, academic journals, and periodicals. One of my libraries granted me access to Udemy Business through Gale. I honestly can’t detail every database/collection/resource i’ve found available through the 4 libraries who have granted me useful access.
But I seem to have hit a wall. The New York Public Library says “visitors” may get a “temporary” card, but the number they gave me expired after 2 weeks and didnt get me access to any of their online offerings anyway.
Paris says they’ll happily issue me a card. All I need to do is fill out the form (in french?!) and show up in person with photo ID. /s
Surely, I’m not the only one who has decided to try to collect library cards like pokemon cards. I imagine there are philanthropic libraries or national libraries or something that I just don’t know how to look up. I’m looking for any library that will issue me a card regardless of residency, but for reference I am in the US if that’s the only residency requirement. Anyone got tips?
ok well here’s a tip: Libby by Overdrive has different availability of resources depending on your institution, but the app allows you to load all the cards they know about. And they have some kind of affiliation with Kanopy (for movies and tv), who seems to have a universal collection, but limits access to some of their holdings using a ticketing system like carnival rides. More library cards means more tickets-per-month. And Hoopla is sort of a hybrid: it has ebooks, audiobooks, tv, movies AND MUSIC, but your library pays for so many items-per-day across all of its patrons, so if one of your libraries has hit its daily limit, just… switch cards.
We actually paid for a library card at the neighboring city because the have a much better collection, better online access (hoopla and Libby and Kanooy with less restrictions, our local town library is fully used up by morning most nights).
They also have a much better reciprocal museum pass selection, so we get big discounts on increasingly expensive museum tickets nearby.