Beyond the Stacks: Local Libraries Empower Learners of All Ages
Discover how a free library card from Albuquerque Public Library can unlock online tutoring, language learning, research tools, and more for learners of all ages.
By Kristin Satterlee
Whether you’re 3 or 103, there are worlds of learning at the library. Or, we should say, through the library: We’re here to tell you about its kaleidoscope of online tools you can use from home.
Do you need to polish your resume? Find out about badgers? Access a live tutor? Say “excuse me” in Urdu?
Once you have a library card—which is completely free—you can! There are nearly uncountable resources through the library at no cost, including otherwise pricey magazines and databases.
Libraries All Around
There are 18 library branches across Albuquerque (plus one in Tijeras).
While most library branches are closed on Sundays and Mondays, a few—including the Main Library downtown and the International District Library on Central—are open all week.
How Do I Get a Card?
You must go to the library in person to get your card, even if you’ll be using the resources from home. The card is free. To have full access, you need a picture ID and proof of address.
Can’t provide an ID and/or proof of address? You can still get a library card. You won’t be able to check out as many books, but access to library computers and online resources is the same.
Can’t leave your home? Call (505) 768-5141 from 10am to 4pm Monday–Friday and ask for homebound services.
Learning Resources for Kids
These are some of our favorites. Access instructions from the bright green navigation bar on the library’s front page at abqlibrary.org.
In the Kids’ Corner (dropdown from Books and More), you’ll find a section called Homework Help. Here you can access categories like Health, Math & Science, and Online Tutoring. Some of the resources in these dropdown menus include:
Brainfuse Help Now, which includes a language lab, flashcards, online study groups, and LIVE tutoring every evening from 2pm to 11pm
Pronunciator, which can help you learn learn 315 different languages
Britannica Library, which includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases and more—as well as Britannica Escolar and Britannica Enciclopedia Moderna, Spanish-language resources for kids and adults
KidsHealth includes sections for Kids, Teens, Parents, and Educators, in both English and Spanish. Kid-friendly resources include the “Icky Q&A,” answering urgent questions like “What’s a Booger?”
Lifetime Learning
There are even more resources for adults!
PressReader (under “Downloads”) has thousands of newspapers, including papers from across the United States (like Boston, Miami, Houston) and around the world (India, Guatemala, Nigeria, and Ireland, as a random few).
The Downloads section includes two different music streaming services.
Under “Research/eResources and Databases” you’ll find a gigantic list of resources, from Consumer Reports to GetTechHelp (free tech classes aimed at older adults), plus home improvement, genealogy, career, and other resources—including ProCitizen to help with the naturalization test for US citizenship.
Fun Extras
And there’s so much more! Physical items you can borrow include energy meters, ukuleles, and museum and pool passes.