While we might seem to have all of the technology in the world right at our fingertips, sometimes it's still best to relax at the end of the day with a good book. You might read a romance while you're lounging in the bath after a long day of working or you could read a chapter or two before bed at night. Either way, if you're an avid reader than the cost of books might start to pile up. And then maybe it's time to see what your local library has to offer.

Even those who do enjoy a good novel might think that libraries have become somewhat obsolete in modern times. But while the world is moving to the Internet to find everything from information for their school project on seasonal affective disorder to how to care for a pet, the library system is evolving to meet people's new needs. You will find them offering copies of the latest bestsellers without needing to pay to read them and much more.

One of the things that several libraries are not offering is the chance to download ebooks. If you have a Kindle Fire to entertain you while you're commuting from your home and you can read a book in under a couple of weeks than you no longer need to pay for it. Some of the libraries in larger cities, like New York City and Boston, are already offering thousands of titles for download.

Libraries are not just about books but are also a great source for cheap or free movies, CDs, and magazines. If you need to kill a couple of hours between class and getting home than you could go in and browse through some graphic novels or use the computers. There are also many books in your local library that you will likely not still find in stores. You might be interested in reading a copy of a book that's out of print or could need some information from a research paper that's not available online.

A library is meant as a meeting place of people within the community as much as it is about distribution of information. If you're looking for something fun and usually cheap to do around your home or nearby than you might be able to find music performances, literary talks, and movie nights at your local library. There are also usually some great programs for those with children of any age. Some of these are meant to educate while others are just for fun and to help you keep them entertained on a weekend or in the summer.