Get holiday ready with Glasgow Libraries
Passport? Check. Snorkel? Check. Sun cream? Check. Library card...?
OK, we admit it. The inclusion of a library card does, at first glance, appear to be pretty spectacularly out of place on the holiday checklist. But with thousands of us getting ready to jet off for the Easter break it turns out that your little library card might actually be one of the most useful items to stick in the suitcase, and it could save you a whole heap of pre-holiday stress (and cash) too.
Don’t believe us? Read on…
Avoid last-minute panic
Your out of office is on, you’ve got your passport and you’re feeling pretty smug about cramming two weeks’ worth of clothes into your hand luggage. Suddenly though, panic ensues. No-one’s printed the tickets. Well, fear not, Glasgow’s libraries have entered the 21st century and now all 33 of them offer free Wi-Fi and PC access, and they’ll also print your documents right there and then. At only 10p, a quick print out from your local library is an awful lot cheaper than the £45 certain airlines charge you if you show up without a ticket.
Download an e-mag for the journey
Forget coughing up three, four, five pounds for a glossy magazine that gets dog-eared in your bag. You can now download your favourite magazine to your tablet or phone, for free, at home or in the departure lounge using your library card. Naturally, we recommend this online magazine be downloaded only for use after you’ve read your copy of The Skinny cover to cover, which is of course already neatly packed in your carry-on bag.
Tune everyone else out
Maybe this year you’ve opted for a package deal to the sun, you’re heading to Coachella with mates, or perhaps you’ve bundled the kids into the car and you’re driving to France. Whatever floats your boat – we’re not jealous. At all. Honest.
Ok, perhaps we are but putting our jealousy to one side for a moment, we do know that even the best holidays can be ruined by other people. There, we’ve said it. The harsh reality is that if you’re hungover, you’ve run out of polite chit-chat with your travelling companions or you just quite frankly want to avoid everyone around you you’ve probably, rather wisely, already stuck your headphones in.
Well, it turns out that libraries can help here too. With your library card you can stream more than 11 million songs, including the whole Sony back catalogue, straight to your phone or download and keep the best ones forever. No fee. No hidden cost. Just free songs by your favourite artists to free you up to ignore everyone around you. Or, of course, you could just download Justin Bieber and play him on a loop to the kids in the back during your epic road trip. Your choice.
Book in with tradition
We thought we better chuck this one in for those of you who are un-nerved by all these technological advances that seem to be happening in libraries. Glasgow’s libraries do still have books. More than three million to be precise. Pack a couple in your suitcase.
Order a beer in Spanish, Greek, Belarusian, whatever...
No-one expects you to be fluent by the time you jet off, but the odd phrase or two probably wouldn’t go amiss with the locals. Order a beer or a pizza or find the nearest loo in 100 different languages by downloading transparent languages to your phone. And of course, you’ve guessed it, it’s free, gratis, livre, gratuito with your library card.
So, whilst it would be unrealistic to suggest that Glasgow’s libraries can make every aspect of holidaying plain sailing, it turns out they can sort you out with a playlist, save you £45 on printing a boarding pass (or £44.90 for the mathematical geniuses amongst you), provide you with a good book and help you fit in with the locals. So, what are you waiting for? Una tarjeta de la biblioteca por favor!