How the local library can save you money

Life Kit

NPR

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Kids & Family, Education, Business

4.3 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Libraries provide so much more than books. This episode, get acquainted with the free or discounted resources of your local library, like free museum tickets, SAT tutors, language classes and more. This episode originally published Oct. 16, 2023.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, before we jump into the episode, I want to share some other exciting things that Life
0:04.0	Kit is working on. There is a staggering amount of credit card debt in America, $1.21 trillion in
0:11.3	2025, to be exact. And even if your credit card debt is a much, much smaller number, it can feel
0:17.5	like it might as well be in the trillions. So we made a special newsletter series to help you tackle your credit card debt.
0:24.5	We'll walk you through everything from tracking your spending to picking a debt payment plan you'll actually stick to.
0:30.6	You can sign up at npr.org slash credit card debt, or you can find the link in the description for this episode.
0:38.1	You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.
0:42.3	Hey, everybody. It's Mariel.
0:44.6	All right, so I don't know if y'all are fans of the kids TV show Arthur, but there's a song
0:48.9	from that show that feels like the only way to open this episode.
0:54.1	In the scene, Arthur Reed, who's kind of like a nerdy art vark,
0:58.7	is walking with purpose flanked by two friends.
1:02.0	They have library cards in their hands.
1:05.0	Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.
1:10.2	Come on inside, we've got everything you need.
1:12.5	There's plenty to do, or you can just it and read.
1:15.1	Yeah, it's a jam.
1:17.3	The song goes on to talk about the many things you can do at the public library,
1:21.1	like learn about outer space, learn to make a paper plane, or deep dive into a historical text.
1:29.5	Michael Threats is the new host of Reading Rainbow, the beloved PBS Kids program that aired for more than 20 years. He's also the
1:35.5	author of I'm So Happy You're Here, a celebration of library joy. And he liked this song so much
1:42.2	that he got Arthur's library card tattooed on his arm.
	...

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