Reasons to get a library card (even if you aren’t bookish)
Experience the FREEdom of a library card and enjoy the latest bestsellers, blockbusters, magazines, music and more!
Novels not your thing? Check out a celeb biography or some true crime. You can also spice up suppertime with new recipe books, or enjoy the latest Hollywood hit for budget-friendly movie nights. And if you’re looking for excuses to get out of the house, stop by a library event. From storytimes and puppet shows to book clubs and speakers, we’ve got events for kids, adults or the whole family.
Save big money on purchases and media subscription fees.
We’ve all done it – impulse buying books and movies that are enjoyed once, then sit on a shelf for years before ending up in a donation or recycling bin. Instead, why not leave your wallet at home and free up shelf space with a library card? In addition to physical books, movies and magazines, you can also enjoy many of these things without ever leaving home through the Digital Library.
How much money can you save by using the library? Use this handy Library Value Calculator to find out.
Register online in less than five minutes.
Once you complete the registration, we’ll email you a temporary library card number (barcode) that you can use immediately for up to 30 days, allowing you to place holds using the online catalogue or the library app. Before your temporary card expires, please visit any public library in Saskatoon with identification and proof of address to receive your permanent library card and enjoy everything the library has to offer!
Library Card Perks
For those who appreciate the tactile experience of physical books, you can browse and place holds on everything from literary classics to the latest releases (new book smell – yes please!). Once your items are ready to be picked up, you’ll receive a notification and can come to your library of choice to pick them up. For eBook lovers, see perk #5 below.
Libraries promote lifelong learning, and we offer lots of ways to learn new skills or enhance existing ones. Increase your legal literacy with free legal help, get your cross-stitch on at Let’s Get Knotty events, and level up your genealogy research in the Local History Room. You can also learn from the comfort of home by visiting the Digital Library to brush up on your Spanish with Mango Languages or take graphic design courses through LinkedIn Learning. Once you start learning everything the library has to offer, the only real limit is your imagination!
Book clubs are a great way to unwind and socialize with good friends, but they can be expensive after accounting for beverages, snacks and the books themselves. Slash your book club budget with Saskatoon Public Library’s Book Club in a Bag. Featuring hundreds of new and classic titles, each kit comes with 10 copies of the book. We also offer ELL Book Clubs in a Bag for groups learning English together.
Research your roots with help from the library’s Local History Room employees. You can drop in anytime during regular operating hours (see website for hours) or book an hour-long appointment and we’ll help you get started. There is also a vast photo and newspaper archive that you can search online, as well as many other resources that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
Enjoy the library on the go! Whether reading or listening is your preference, there are literally thousands of options for all ages in our Digital Library. On the Libby app alone, SPL cardholders can access more than 110,700 eBooks, 5,300 eAudiobooks and 4,700 magazines. And no need to purchase an eReader – everything can be accessed from any mobile device.
Inject some culture into your day-to-day by visiting The Gallery at Frances Morrison Central Library, featuring great exhibitions by local artists. Shows change frequently, so check our website for all the dates and details.
The Round Prairie and Rusty Macdonald Libraries have gaming spaces with modern video game consoles and titles. Spaces can be booked in advance or are available on a drop-in basis when not in use. All games are rated E or E10+, so you can be confident the kids are playing age-appropriate titles in a safe environment.
There’s a whole city out there to explore – check it out! Visit family-friendly attractions throughout Saskatoon for free with a Discovery Pass. Offerings change regularly so please visit the website for a list of current passes and their availability.
Hola! Itching to learn a new language but don’t have the money for classes? Mango Languages offers step-by-step lessons for more than 70 different languages and is totally free for library cardholders. Access Mango Languages for free anytime in the Digital Library.
Say goodbye to your streaming platform subscriptions with a library card. As a library cardholder you get free access to sites such as Kanopy, which features over 28,000 films, and Hoopla, which has more than 18,000. We also offer physical DVDs and BluRays of thousands of titles, new and old – browse them all, by category, in our Browsing Catalogue.
Give your kids a break from their screen(s) and visit the library! Kids can get creative in the Innovation Labs with lots of fun tech to try out, and there are free events happening all the time for kids of all ages.
Tired of being turned away from the latest celeb gossip or world news by annoying paywalls? You can access everything from the Globe and Mail to People magazine, all for free, with Flipster and PressReader in the Digital Library.
What else can the library do for you?
As you can see above, we’re a lot more than just books! But there’s even more to discover that we couldn’t fit on this page – check out the Library Guide for more information on everything else the library can do for you and your family!