A free library card can save about $204 a year if you borrow 12 adult books instead of buying them at $17 each. At one $25-$30 hardcover a month, the library helps you avoid about $300-$360 in purchases. That $204 estimate multiplies the 12-book average reported by Gallup in its Gallup reading survey by the $17 adult-book value listed in the Franklin Township Public Library value calculator. Your savings depend on how much you read and whether you would have bought those books.
Table of Contents
- What does free actually include?
- How much do Americans read?
- What is each borrowed book worth?
- What would you save at your pace?
What does free actually include?
The City of Santa Monica says its cards are free with photo ID and proof of address and unlock books, digital resources and programs, as described in the City of Santa Monica announcement. The New York Public Library says state residents, workers, students and property taxpayers can get a free card.
According to the County of San Luis Obispo in its County of San Luis Obispo library savings page, cardholders borrow print books, e-books, audiobooks and magazines free through Libby, cloudLibrary and Hoopla. Libby is an app for borrowing library e-books. The county also reports no request or overdue fees.
- print books, e-books, audiobooks and magazines
- access through Libby, cloudLibrary and Hoopla
- no request or overdue fees
How much do Americans read?
Gallup found Americans said they read an average of 12.6 books in the prior year. That was the lowest since 1990 and two to three fewer than in 2001-2016.
Pew Research Center found a mean of 12 books per year but a median of only 4. That means half of adults read four or fewer. Use your own pace, not the average, to set your savings expectation.
What is each borrowed book worth?
Franklin Township Public Library's calculator, derived from Massachusetts Library Association figures, values each borrowed adult book at $17. It lists young-adult books at $12 and downloaded e-books at $15.
The County of San Luis Obispo cites the ILoveLibraries calculator for a larger household example. A family borrowing three bags of adult books, stacks of picture books and two museum passes instead of buying saves about $2,300. The example includes museum passes as well as books.
What would you save at your pace?
At $17 per adult book, four books a year avoids about $68 in purchases. Twelve books avoids about $204. One $25-$30 hardcover a month avoids roughly $300-$360.
You save only when borrowing replaces a purchase you would have made. In Santa Monica, the city asks for photo ID and proof of address to sign up. Borrow your next planned book purchase instead of buying it.
