The library offers more than just the ability to check out books, movies, TV shows, and music. You can learn new skills, make friends, and help your kids thrive with a variety of in-person and digital resources you can access at home. All you have to do is register for a library card. Here are six cool ways you can use the services at the Cedar Park Public Library (CPPL) for free.

Borrow Books From Other Local Libraries

Image via Unsplash by Adam Winger using Unsplash License

The Cedar Park Public Library has thousands of titles across all genres and reader age groups. However, you may find that the library has no more copies of that popular book you really want to read. That’s where the interlibrary loan program comes in. 

Using your CPPL account, you can search the collections of many libraries in the Greater Austin area and request that the book be sent to CPPL for you to pick up. There’s a $1 fee when you pick up the book, but otherwise, the service is free. Plus, you can bring it right back to CPPL when it’s due — no need to travel to Pflugerville or McKinney to turn the book in. You may even be able to take out DVDs, CDs, special collections, and other titles, too.

Get Books, Magazines, Movies, TV Shows, and Music Online

Do you prefer to read e-books or listen to audiobooks? Don’t want to pay for Netflix or Hulu to watch a movie or TV show? Then use your CPPL card to access thousands of books, movies, music, and other media from your favorite device. You can even access the latest editions of magazines online, too. Here are some of the digital library services you can use through CPPL:

Libby

This digital content library provides you with access to e-books and audiobooks for free using your CPPL card. Just download the free app on your smartphone or tablet and access the titles from there. You can get five items at a time for up to two weeks.

Hoopla

With Hoopla, you can access e-books, audiobooks, movies and TV shows, as well as music. Download the Hoopla app for your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet, or access the content through your Amazon Fire Stick or Roku. You can also stream from your computer. You can take out five items per month, and you get to keep some items for up to three weeks.

Cloud Library

You can access e-books and audiobooks through Cloud Library via an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet or even your Kindle Fire. Get five items at a time for up to three weeks. You can also read digital magazines through the News Stand feature, and there’s no limit on how many magazines you can access or for how long.

Get Book Recommendations

Don’t know what to read next? You and your whole family can get personalized book recommendations from the librarians at CPPL through their CPPL To Go! program. All you have to do is fill out a quick survey about your age and reading interests, and then pick up your bag of hand-picked books from the library. There’s a survey for adults as well as for youth like kids, tweens, and teens to make sure everyone gets books they’ll enjoy.

Take Your Kids to Storytime

If you have a young child and need another parent-and-child activity to keep you both busy, consider attending one of the storytime events at CPPL. They offer a few different storytime sessions each week, with each session focused on a specific age group: infants (0 to 15 months), toddlers (15 to 26 months), and pre-K (3 to 5 years old). They offer in-person storytime events where your child can better engage in the story and meet other little ones, or you can have storytime at home through their virtual sessions. Be sure to register to save yourself a seat.

Join a Club

At CPPL, there are clubs and activities offered for every age group, so everyone in your family can take advantage of the library’s fantastic community programming. Check out the monthly adult book club that discusses new releases, or try the knitting club, where beginners and pros can come together for crafting time.

Kids can join a wide variety of regular events and clubs. At the Tween Book Club, kids ages 8 to 12 years old discuss age-appropriate books and graphic novels. If your child is interested in science, technology, engineering, arts, or math, they can attend a STEAM Explorers event where kids in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in a STEAM-friendly educational activity on one of those subjects. You can also sign your child up for the Kids Chess events where they can learn how to play chess, strategize against their opponents, and improve critical thinking and sportsmanship skills in the process.

Keep an eye on the CPPL events calendar for special events like Fable Fest, the Mini-Con, and other book clubs that pop up throughout the year.

Improve Your Skills Online and in Person

CPPL is dedicated to helping people of all ages build their skills, embrace new hobbies, and improve their careers. There are many professional development, legal, and business resources for adults, including events, digital content access, and more. TexShare is an online learning and skill-building database that provides videos, text, periodicals, and more types of research on hundreds of subjects. You might also use the Home Improvement Reference Center to take on small projects at home, the Job and Career Accelerator to jump-start a job search, or the Genealogy Database to make your family tree.

Kids and teens can take advantage of online tutoring through Brainfuse HelpNow, which offers live, one-on-one tutoring in a variety of subjects, test prep, writing feedback, and more. If your child is writing a research paper or just has a special interest in a specific subject, they can use the age-appropriate research portals through TexShare. 

In addition to digital research and learning resources, the library frequently hosts educational events, including a regular session on Texas gardening for adults and grab-and-go DIY crafts for kids.

So there you have it, six awesome ways to take advantage of the events, services, and resources available through the Cedar Park Public Library. Did we miss any of your family’s favorite reasons to use the library? If so, contact Crème de la Crème of Cedar Park on Lakeline Boulevard, and we’ll be sure to add it to our list.