Ask HN: Do you have a library card?
There was a great conversation over the last few days about IP, the digital commons and self-hosting: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44682175
So I was curious. How many of you have library cards? Do you use your library? Why or why not?
I'll kick off. Yes, I have a library card. Although, I'll be honest since the pandemic I pretty much stopped going. In contrast, my wife has been using her library card more since the pandemic, particularly to listen to audiobooks.
In the before times, I did quite a bit of research through the library or would check out books based on my interest areas. I never had a problem waiting for books, though sometimes I had to do an interlibrary loan.
Anyways, now I'm excited to get back to my local library.
Yes, I have a library card and yes, I use the library.
The library (especially when you take advantage of the inter-library loan system) provides access to an amazing array of knowledge and resources that the internet simply does not.
That's actually a really good point, particularly in this era of LLMs. I'm curious about an example that might only be available in a physical book. I can imagine out of print or hard to find books would be up there, but anything that may be more commonly available?
Library card: No. I've intended to...but not enough to actually do it.
Use the library: I spent some time at the library for internet when I was unemployed last year, and I've got several books that I purchased in the attached bookstore around that time. My spouse has been taking our child for various programs over the summer.
Why: I end up acquiring about 10 books a year, and end up reading 6-8. I'd suppose that I've got a couple hundred, and maybe that again on my e-reader (and similar for movies and TV shows; I have a lot on-disc or ripped to the NAS). So I'm good as far as reading material, in a broad sense. Many of my personal interests are computer-related, and the information tends to be available online for those topics.
>British Library to reinstate Oscar Wilde’s reader card 130 years after it was revoked
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jun/13/british-libr...
Yes and yes. In person for books, CDs and DVDs. Online for Libby (audiobooks), Hoopla (movies, great courses), and O'Reilly (books).
"Why" should be self explanatory but I canceled my HBO subscription last year when they jacked the price (and House of Dragon was so awful and it had turned into reality tv central). I actually signed up for HBO to watch the last season of GoT (since the library didn't have it yet). So it started bad and ended bad.
Also a Safari Books subscription is free through some libraries.
Personally, I haven't completely cut the chord on subscriptions like HBO or Netflix, etc. but you may have given me some inspiration to give it a go. Overall, I'm trying to reduce my screen/media time.
I always did until recently when I tried to use mine on Kanopy to stream a movie it no longer worked. When I called the library they said I had to come in in person to renew it. No way.
>How many of you have library cards?
No. 0 cards.
>Do you use your library?
Generally avoid; excluding their EV charging in their parking lot which i use often. I dont go inside when charging.
>Why or why not?
As a middle aged man, im not welcome there. Multiple times ive been treated like im going to kidnap a kid. 1 time they demanded I show them an ID card just for entering the library; police cant even demand an ID unless im arrested. I understand the importance of their training to prevent kidnapping but it spills onto innocents.
I have historically done IT work for many libraries in the area. At the time of being IDed that one time, I wasnt there in any professional manner, but I at that time had access to all their firewalls, including their FMC. I was pretty trusted...
I consider as well, I'm not a fan of the sexually explicit LGBT books that they proudly display. Any age kid could pick up those books and see genitalia. I am trans... but that is too far.
There's nothing that they ever do that's for me. I talked to them during a festival, they had a booth. I asked them for a chess club and they said no. This was peak covid chess popularity.
Literally going on their website now and looking. There's "volunteer tech tutor" but like im currently watching devstral code a netflow tool right now. Im guessing it's not for me.
There's a "practice your conversational english" but like that's my native language.
Then there's "canadian citizenship preparation" but im a citizen by birth.
Over a month from now is the monthly book club. Several months from now is 'basic sewing skills'
Just literally nothing for me to go to the library.