A King County library card may be the best Christmas gift for a tight budget

Looking for great family gifts at unbeatable prices? Take the whole family to get library cards.

Looking for great family gifts at unbeatable prices? Take the whole family to get library cards.

Even on the tightest budget, you don’t need to limit your giving to one book, one magazine, one music CD, or one DVD for each family member in your household. A King County Library System library card gives each cardholder access to all the materials, resources and services in all 45 libraries in the King County Library System. That’s four million books, magazines, music CDs, DVDs, research data, free computer classes and computer workstations, and 45 neighborhood libraries to visit for free fun and family adventures.

KCLS gives parents endless choices of picture and board books and story times for babies and toddlers. Kids of all ages can enjoy age-appropriate music and films, library programs, “Books to Grow On” learning kits, and parenting resources.

KCLS children’s and teen services librarians can find books, magazines and wholesome Web-based activities that will motivate even reluctant readers to sharpen their learning skills.

Even the best students need a bit of extra coaching some times, and KCLS offers live help with homework in the libraries and online. These services are available to students even without a library card, but the card is free, so why not see that each of your children has one?

Many holiday shoppers are tempted to get a little treat for themselves—a reward for being so generous to others. Library cards are a guiltless indulgence. If you don’t already have your own KCLS card, get one!

Library cards aren’t just for kids! If you’re baffled by the news, learn more at the library. Can’t understand why Afghanistan is important? Need more information on health care issues and options? Want to get a better understanding of how national, state and local governments function and what they do? Find out at the library. Just ask a librarian to help you find what you want to know.

This holiday season, give your family the gift of lifelong learning–a free KCLS library card! Explore the possibilities at kcls.org.