I love a good life hack. Use cupcake liners to keep bugs out of drinks at an outdoor party? Okay. Keep a cut avocado fresh for longer? Sure. Serve condiments in a muffin tin? I’m in!

Learning about life hacks can feel like falling down a rabbit hole. In fact, a few weeks ago my 5-year-old son and I fell into the abyss of life hack videos (Thanks, You Tube!). So I got to thinking, “What about the library?”

Hacks are not only helpful in making your life a bit easier, but when they apply to the library they can enrich your life too.

And so, I present to you, my Top 5 Library Hacks:

• Go Digital. Looking to pad your pocketbook while still enjoying all of the latest articles from your favourite magazines and newspapers? You can access full­-colour, digital versions of today's top ones from around the world in over 60 languages from the Brampton Library Website. Click here to read now.
• Hottest Books in a Flash. If your Instagram feed is always teasing you with the hottest reads and new releases (like mine is), then you’re probably first in line to grab your copy. Instead of placing an online hold for the latest titles and having to wait (no one wants to be 45^th out of 46 holds!), visit the Lightning Loan display at the front of your Brampton Library. Many of the newest releases are displayed there for a seven-day loan.
• Online Learning. From Meditation and Mindfulness, to Social Media for Business and Introduction to Non-Profit Management, I’ve taken about six courses on Brampton Library’s Online Learning Portal. Currently, there are eight resources that offer hundreds of courses to pique your curiosity and expand your knowledge base.
• Share Your Picks. Did you know you can have your say as to which books the library adds to its collection? Simply Suggest a Purchase and you could see your request added. 
• Streaming Made Simple. Not only does your library card grant you access to books, you can also enjoy music from tens of thousands of popular artists in hundreds of musical genres through Freegal and access over 30,000 Popular Movies, Documentaries, Indie Flicks, World Cinema, Classic Films, TV Series, and more on your computer or mobile device from Kanopy. The best part? You don’t even have to leave the house!

Sharing is caring! What’s your favourite library hack?

Andrea Querido lives in Brampton with her family – which consists of a loving husband, a curious 5-year-old, and a stubborn French bulldog. When she’s not at the library, she enjoys reading, writing, baking, and spending quality time with loved ones. You can follow along with her library adventures right here every month. You can read more from Andrea on her blog whatandreasaid.com.