My wife is a library administrator here in Indiana. Libraries are amazing. Aside from all of the free books, movies, music, audiobooks both physical media and streaming and ebooks, this is what our public library offers. This is a small city and this is not unusual for public libraries:
Free internet with a computer lab. You don’t even need a library card.
Board games and TTRPGs available for loan.
Free 3D printing.
Free laser cutting and engraving.
Games for multiple consoles.
An HTC Vive headset, a PS4 and an XBox for the teen room (although adults can use them too).
A playroom for babies and toddlers with all kinds of toys and things to climb on.
Kits you can take home to learn things like how to play the ukulele or how to crochet.
And, of course, like most libraries, meeting rooms for anyone to use.
A new branch is being built in another part of town and it will have a room with a lockable door and a sign-up sheet. One person will be allowed in at a time. Inside will be a washer, a dryer and a shower, all free to use.
On top of all this, the library is also willing to make deliveries to your home for free once a month if you can’t make it in or just don’t want to.
Librarians are also living Wikipedia/web Searches. They will happily look up any information for you that you could possibly ask. They will do all the research they can to help you. That’s part of their job and part of what they went to school for- did you know librarians are generally expected to have masters degrees in library science?
Public libraries are fucking incredible. They are not just for poor people or homeless people or whatever silly thing people might think about them. Go in and check out the one in your area. You don’t need a card to get in. You may not need a card to use a single service while you’re there. You might only need a card to take things out or use online services.
I just came from my local library. Got language CDs and travel books for a vacation. DVDs about national parks and a kit for monitoring a device’s electricity use. And an electronic draft finder.
And there’s much more like music, movies and ebooks.
Even if you do pay some fines you come out way ahead financially at the library.
A lot of libraries (like the one here) don’t even charge late fees. They will bill you for the media if you don’t return it after several months and a lot of warnings, but no late fees.
Similar policy in my library system. I assume most are not so.
We just switched to no late fees as well, and it’s nice, but I’ve noticed I’m holding items past the due date more. But I’m still getting the books I want, so it seems to be working well enough.