This was my first summer living away from home, which means that I have been learning a lot about what it takes to be more financially dependent. Most summers, I like going to the store to purchase books; however, my new responsibilities of paying rent and buying my own groceries has made me rethink a lot of my spending habits (so, no more cookies either). The University of Rochester has nine different libraries on the River Campus containing over 3 million books combined! While I am fortunate enough to live less than a mile from Rush Rhees, I decided to sign up for a Monroe County library card so that I could explore the city and see what the local libraries had in store. A Monroe County library card gives you access to more than 25 libraries in the Rochester area, so it gives you a reason to go somewhere if you ever need a break from life on campus.
The main benefit of the library is clear: you can borrow books for free. Libraries often carry some of the newest releases, so this means that you could easily save $20 by checking out that hardcover novel from the library instead of purchasing it. Along with the benefits of saving money, checking out books from your library can also be more sustainable. There are a lot of resources that go into a book, such as materials to make paper. Reusing a book that already exists at your library means that you are not purchasing for a brand-new copy that you may only read once or twice; thus, you are indirectly preventing the extraction of more materials needed to print a brand-new book.
If you are ever looking for a book to read, I would suggest going to the local library. It saves two kinds of green: your money and the environment!
Written by Michaela Burrell, Class of 2020
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/breatheindigital/8695462255