Libraries have existed as havens for books for so long that it’s easy to forget the sheer number of other services they provide to the public.

In addition to books, audiobooks and magazines, Deschutes Public Library offers many free experiences if you have a library card. In addition to a large collection of research websites, the library also has dedicated book clubs and passes to local attractions, among other things.

Each service might be useful to people, depending on where they are in their lives and what they’re looking for, said Todd Dunkelberg, library director.

“It kind of comes down to a fundamental piece for libraries, and that is making information available to people, and actually making free information available to people, is incredibly important,” said Dunkelberg. “For a lot of these resources, you can’t get this information unless you can afford to purchase it.”

Deschutes Public Library provides access to many research websites, including academic articles, demographics data, help with investing, a historical knowledge base and LinkedIn Learning, among others.

The Library of Things is a tangible collection of items you can check out to try before buying them, including an air fryer, musical instruments, a kilowatt meter, bike repair kits and more. Patrons can also check out board games before they buy them.

“You can check out games, especially for people that want to try out a new board game, it’s a good way to check one out and see if it’s one you like,” Dunkelberg said.

After opening in a few library branches in 2018, the Library of Things expanded to every branch in 2020, while board games also became available in 2020.

The Discovery Pass is available through Deschutes Public Library, Jefferson County Library District and Crook County Library. Passes to local attractions like the High Desert Museum are available to be put on hold, though only for a limited number of times per year. In the summer, hiking passes are available. Passes to Green Lakes Trail are popular, said Dunkelberg.

Students have plenty of research material at their disposal for pleasure reading and homework help, including a database of biographies and a program called Little Pim, designed to help children through age 6 learn a new language. Educators have access to Curriculum Crates, which are kits containing 20 to 25 books on a given subject, such as the American Revolution, intended for students of a certain grade level.

Patrons who are interested in creativity have access to the craft website CreativeBug, while those who like films have free access to the streaming service Kanopy, which mainly focuses on educational content.

“In a lot of cases, magazines that if you had a subscription yourself might cost you a couple hundred dollars a year, you have free access to through the library,” said Dunkelberg.

Some resources are provided through Oregon State Library, funded through grants, while others are paid for by the Deschutes Public Library.

“We figure the scale of what we’re looking at makes it affordable to us, and it lets us turn around and let other people access as well,” said Dunkelberg.

People come to the library often to check out Consumer Reports when looking to make new purchases, he said.

“We’re trying to make it equitable for our entire community to make sure that somebody that can’t afford to pay $250 for a magazine subscription can still get important information that might be incredibly valuable to their lives without a cost,” said Dunkelberg.