• Day 3/90 – Phoenix Public Library

    Day 3 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? The Phoenix Public Library!

    Only in Arizona do they have to tell you to check your gun at the library
    Only in Arizona do they have to tell you to check your gun at the library

    The public library may be the most under-utilized resource in the community. Thousands of books and movies are free for your borrowing pleasure! I’ve started using it on a regular basis in the last few years and I love it.

    Through the Phoenix Public Library website, I have an online account that contains my lists of books I want to read and movies I want to see. When I want to borrow something, I simply reserve it and they ship to my neighborhood branch where they set it aside with my name on it. I can swing by on my way home from work and pick it up – and be in and out in less than 5 minutes.

    When it comes to movies, a lot of people ask me, “Why don’t you just get Netflix?” No offense to Netflix, but why would I pay $8/month for something I can get for free? I’d rather put that money towards my next pair of running shoes.

    I never got into movies as a kid. I was too busy with school and gymnastics – so now I’m playing catch up on my cinematic education thanks to recommendations from listening to Profiles with Malone and Mantz, my favorite podcast about movies.

    Lately, I’ve been checking out 3-5 movies a week. It’s too hot to spend much time outside in the Arizona heat, so the summer is the best time to catch up on movies. Today I checked out American Sniper, The Book Thief, and Jerry Maguire.

    Summer Lunch Program at my branch of the Phoenix Public Library
    Summer Lunch Program at my branch of the Phoenix Public Library

    When it comes to books, I generally only buy them if a friend is the author or if I’m going to a book signing. Otherwise, I start by borrowing the book from the library and then buy it if it’s something I’ll want a copy of on my shelf to re-read. When I did my big minimalism clean-out project when I moved into my condo, I set aside a box of books and labeled it “Read Me.” Any books that are still in the box at the end of the year will be given away. Because of this deadline, I’m working through these books instead of the library’s.

    I want to give a huge hat tip to the Phoenix Public Library, not just for lending me awesome books and movies, but also for offering a summer lunch program to help families who rely on school lunch programs to feed their children.

    Bonus: Did you know that the library has cultural passes? You can check them out to visit local attractions like the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Art Museum for free!

    In case you missed it: Day 2 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Rosie Goes Where I Go!