1. Achieve professional goals with LinkedIn Learning, a massive online training library offering self-paced and on-demand content in fields ranging from art and design, business and marketing, technology and science, and everything in between. This professionally trusted tool normally costs at least $26 per month, but with a New Orleans Public Library card, you get unlimited access to these high-quality courses for free. When you finish a course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion that you can add to your resume or send to your employer to get ahead at work.

2. Flex your creativity with the help of thousands of video tutorials for all types of crafts on Creativebug. Basic subscriptions to this online crafting classroom cost about $8 a month, but once again, with your trusty Library card, you get unlimited access for free. Whether you want to try new cooking or baking techniques, make your own clothes, or simply find inspiration for your next DIY project, Creativebug is sure to have something for you.

3. Be more environmentally friendly by borrowing materials instead of buying them. In addition to books, the Library lends out CDs and DVDs, professional-grade cake pans, and more. Library locations are also regularly stocked with current issues of a variety of newspapers, magazines, and journals, making it easy to cut down on your consumption of products you might only use once. 

If you’re looking to get rid of old items without throwing them away, the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library accept donations to stock their stores inside Algiers Regional Library and Latter Library’s Carriage House.

4. Change your diet exploring any number of the Library’s vast collection of cookbooks, or find new recipes in popular food publications like Bon Appetit, Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, and more on Flipster, a digital newsstand featuring full issues of dozens of magazines, newspapers, and journals.

5. Study better with Homework Louisiana, which features live online tutoring, skill building tools, a writing center, and career advice. While this comprehensive online study tool is designed for personalized help with kindergarten through basic college-level coursework, it even features an adult education center and job search assistance. All these resources are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

The Library also offers free access to LearningExpress, a similar resource that also offers comprehensive test prep, including for college entrance and AP exams.

6. Master a new language with Pronounciator, a fun and free way to learn any of 163 languages with personalized courses, movies, music, and more. This online service now even includes new COVID-19 language courses in 101 languages.

7. Get in touch with your roots on Ancestry.com or Heritage Quest. Visit any New Orleans Public Library location to get free access to every resource Ancestry.com has to offer, or use your Library card to unlock HeritageQuest at home, a free version of the genealogy resource.

8. Improve your mental and physical health with meditation, total body fitness, and healthy food videos on Hoopla, a free Library streaming service.

9. Spend more time in nature by starting a garden with the help of our Seed Libraries. Located at Cita Dennis Hubbell and Mid-City Library, both offer hundreds of varieties of seeds for free, all of which can be grown in Louisiana. Plus, you can browse our collection of gardening books and magazines for inspiration on how to take your yard to the next level.

10. Save money by utilizing your Library card to its full potential. It might sound like a no-brainer that using your public library can save you money, but have you really thought about just how much you can save? 

• Ditch your streaming services and watch movies and shows on Kanopy or Hoopla and stream or download music for free on Freegal. 
• Cancel that Audible subscription and download audiobooks for free with Overdrive, Libby, or CloudLibrary. 
• Use the Library’s Culture Pass Program to get into museums and attractions around New Orleans with no entry fee.
• Keep an eye on the Library’s event calendar to find free activities in your neighborhood or virtually from the comfort of your home.