Save Money with Your Local Library!
In 2025, I read a total of 142 books. Of these 142 titles, only four of them were not read via the use of services provided by Kokomo-Howard County Public Library. Between the catalogue of titles available as physical media and the collection of digital resources available through apps like Libby and Hoopla, I had a wealth of materials at my disposal. While reflecting on my reading from the past year, I began to wonder how much money I had saved by borrowing these materials from my library versus purchasing them. Cue hours spent compiling a spreadsheet of the books I read with the associated cost of each one. As I was working on this personal project, I realized that while I saved money borrowing the books I did read, I also saved money borrowing books I didn’t end up reading. Additionally, I borrowed various other materials, including movies and video games. The final total took my breath away, but don’t just take my word for it; I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves.
I pulled most of the costs for my borrowed materials from Amazon, using the price listed for whatever method I used to read the book (i.e. physical, ebook, audiobook). Some materials did not have a clear price online; for these materials I referenced the cost indicated in my library’s system. All the calculations I did do not include taxes.
By borrowing the books I read from the library, I saved approximately $2,061.21. In addition to these 138 books, I also borrowed 72 books I did not end up reading. This saved me an additional $1,321.98. On top of this, I borrowed five video games and 16 movies, which would have cost me $573.78. Finally, I was able to borrow a couple of miscellaneous materials from KHCPL’s collection of experience kits. This collection features a variety of resources that allow patrons to try out new hobbies or activities, engage in hands-on learning, or access tools for different daily needs. The laminator experience kit saved me an estimated $15 based on the prices for lamination services offered at the UPS Store, which is where I have gone in the past. The pressure washer experience kit saved me an estimated $35 based on the cost of a day’s rental of a pressure washer through The Home Depot.
With all of these materials taken into consideration, my grand total of savings came out to approximately $4,006.97. I have always been grateful for having access to so many invaluable resources through the library, but calculating how much I would have had to spend to access these resources without it really paints a picture of just how priceless public libraries are to their communities. I’m just one patron; I can only imagine how much we’ve saved as a community. If you’ve been hesitant to get a library card for any reason, I encourage you to get one anyway. Even if you don’t end up utilizing your library card, just signing up for one will support your local library. This support will help keep the doors open for your fellow patrons who may need the library’s resources more than you realize. And as the old adage goes, “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.”
For more information on getting a library card, please visit https://www.khcpl.org/library-card.
-Brittany L