I pay for a library card every year through my taxes and for about a decade I used it exactly zero times. I just forgot libraries existed. Then a coworker mentioned she had read twelve books that month — for free — through an app connected to her library card. I felt like an idiot for not knowing this sooner.

Your library card is a free subscription to Netflix, Audible, and Kindle Unlimited combined. Not metaphorically. Literally. Here is what you can get without spending a dollar beyond what you already pay in taxes.

Libby: free ebooks and audiobooks

Libby (by OverDrive) connects to your local library system and lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks directly to your phone. The interface is clean — it looks and feels like a paid app. You search for a book, borrow it with one tap, and read in the app or send it to your Kindle.

Wait times exist for popular titles — just like physical books at the library. I waited three weeks for a bestseller and forgot about it until Libby sent me a notification. It felt like a present. You can place holds on multiple books and they roll in one after another.

Hoopla: no wait times, instant access

Hoopla is the other big one. Unlike Libby, Hoopla has no wait times. Everything available is available immediately. The tradeoff is a monthly borrow limit — usually five to ten items per month depending on your library. Hoopla also has movies, TV shows, music albums, and comics, not just books.

I have watched entire seasons of British crime dramas on Hoopla that are not on any streaming service I pay for. The selection is not infinite — it is curated by librarians, not algorithms — but what is there is often stuff you would not find scrolling Netflix.

Kanopy: free streaming with a library card

Kanopy is a streaming service for independent films, documentaries, and classic cinema. The Criterion Collection is on there. A24 films. PBS documentaries. You get a certain number of “play credits” per month — usually five to ten — and each credit gives you three days to watch the film.

It is not a Netflix replacement. It is a film lover’s supplement. If you like movies that are not about superheroes, Kanopy is worth the thirty seconds it takes to sign up.

How to get started in ten minutes

1. Find your library card or apply for one online — most libraries let you sign up digitally now.
2. Download Libby and Hoopla. Enter your card number.
3. If your library offers Kanopy, sign up for that too.
4. Start borrowing. That is it.

Between these three apps, I have canceled Audible and reduced my streaming subscriptions. The library is not free — you already paid for it. You might as well use it.