April 7-13 is National Library Week, and the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) has plenty to celebrate. In addition to loaning out books and hosting community programming, LFPL has a number of lesser-known services that are just as useful. Here are four you can check out:
Geneology
If you’re undertaking the project of tracing your family’s history, LFPL can help. Cardholders can enjoy access to a wide range of local and regional history resources, including Courier Journal archives going all the way back to 1830, maps of more than 130 Kentucky towns, and census + cemetery records.
Research
Your LFPL library card gives you access to nearly 100 research databases of all kinds. Looking to fix your car? Try the Auto Repair Source database. Opening a small business? Get tips from the Small Business Reference Center.
Book Discussion kits
Attention Louisville book clubs, LFPL has you covered. Book Discussion Kits are available for reservation and can be checked out from any branch for up to six weeks. The kits contain 10 copies of a book (or 30 copies for children/teen kits), plus author info, reviews, and suggested discussion topics.
Languages
The LFPL catalog contains material in Spanish, Arabic, Swahili, French, Nepali, and more. If you want to learn a new language, take advantage of Transparent Language, which has over 110 different courses.
Hands on
If you like to learn with your hands, both the Northeast Regional and South Central regional libraries have maker spaces available to all cardholders. These labs contain everything from 3D printers to sewing machines to computers equipped with the Adobe suite. If you didn’t get enough cosmology from Monday’s eclipse, consider checking out a telescope from the Main, Northeast, Southwest, or South Central libraries.
If you still don’t have a library card, what are you waiting for?