In the midst of tough economic times, people in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs are substituting trips to the local library for expensive book store purchases. In the past year alone, use of online resources is up 33 percent at the Des Plaines Public Library, and checkouts increased 24 percent at the Niles Public Library.

We happen to be fortunate - the Chicago Public Library (CPL) system is the largest in the Midwest, so the selection offered is comparable to any Borders or Barnes and Noble. And just like with retail bookstores, you can make your selections online to save time, according to Abby Budzynski, the assistant director for adult services at the Bloomingdale Public Library, in the northwest suburbs.

If you haven’t paid a visit to the library other than to study for finals or check out the occasional book, you’re missing out on a lot of benefits, including free movies, music, concert passes, and museum tickets. Sound interesting? Read on to find out how to fully take advantage of the CPL system.

First Step: Get a Library Card

A Chicago Public Library card is your golden ticket to accessing free books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and even museum and concert passes. As a Chicago resident, you can walk into any library branch with an ID or two alternative forms of identification to obtain a free card. Live outside city boundaries? Not a problem. If your library is on this reciprocal borrowing list - and most suburban libraries are - then just bring your current library card with an ID into any Chicago Public Library, and you also get a free card.

Books
For most of us, books come to mind first and foremost when we think of the word ‘library.’ But in Chicago, that’s an underestimation - the 79 branches of the CPL system house over 10 million books, so the odds are that you’ll be able to find whatever text you’re looking for. Even if the library closest to you doesn’t have the book you want, you can use the library catalog to place a hold and have a copy of the book transferred from one of the other 78 CPL locations. And, of course, if none of the libraries have your book, you can put in a request to have the CPL system purchase it.

Publications
As with books, the CPL system offers an up-to-date collection of magazine and newspaper subscriptions to patrons. Though the newest issues must be read in the library, back issues are available for checkout. And again, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, the library can order it for you. “You can always suggest to your local library what you want them to purchase,” said Budzynski. “The libraries should cater to what the community wants.”

DVDs
CPL keeps an updated collection of movies similar to that of Blockbuster or Netflix, with one exception - checking them out is free.

Music
A wide range of CDs are available for checkout at every CPL branch, with an added bonus - you can copy the music onto your computer, free of charge. “We don’t promote people taking them home and burning them,” said Budzynski, ” but we know that’s what happens.”

Downloadable Media
CPL’s new Digital Media section allows you to download eBooks, Audiobooks, music and videos straight to you computer at any time. All you have to do is enter your library card number, and your selections will load to your computer instantly. When your loan period is up, the files will expire and therefore be ‘returned’ to the library, so you will never have any late fees. Check out the downloadable media selections here.

Concert Passes
CPL’s Words and Music program allows patrons to pick up free lawn passes to certain concerts during the Ravinia Festival’s summer concert season. Anyone 18 or older can obtain up to two passes per concert from any CPL location. Lawn passes become available at the beginning of the Ravinia Festival season, so make sure to check early in the summer if you want a wide selection to choose from. You can keep track of the concert schedule at www.ravinia.org.

Museum Passes
The beauty of being a Chicagoan is that if you do a little digging, you can get access to all of the city’s world-class museums for free. With the Kraft Great Kids Museum Passport Program, you can check out a one-week museum pass for four (two adults and two children) at the main desk of any Chicago Public Library branch. Passes are available for a total of 13 Chicago museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago History Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Each library has a limited amount of passes for each museum, so you might want to call ahead of time to check on availability. For a complete list of participating institutions and more information, visit http://www.chipublib.org/eventsprog/programs/kids/grkids_museumpass.php.

Everything Else
You can reserve a computer at any Chicago library, or bring your laptop and use the free Wi-Fi. The library itself can also be a comfortable place to relax and read, especially on freezing or sweltering Chicago days. “In the summer time, we have people who joke around that they’ll come and use our air conditioning and sit here and read instead of using it at home, so they can cut down on that cost,” said Budzynski.

Savings in Action

So, just how much cash can you save by using the CPL system instead of hitting the stores? Let’s try a hypothetical.

Purchasing everything yourself*:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer ($10.99)
Sex and the City - The Movie ($28.98)
Circus - Britney Spears ($22.98)
Glamour Two-Year Subscription ($15)
Museum of Contemporary Art admission ($10)
Ravinia Lawn Seat ($10)
Total = $97.95
*According to List Prices

Using the CPL system:
Get a CPL card ($0)
Reserve a copy of Twilight ($0)
Reserve Sex and the City - The Movie ($0)
Reserve Britney’s new album ($0)
Read Glamour at the library each month or check out back issues ($0)
Get a museum pass ($0)
Get a free lawn pass to certain Ravinia concerts ($0)
Total = FREE (assuming, of course, you don’t have any late fees!)

Check out this locator to find the Chicago Public Library closest to you.

(Taryn Tawoda)