After pulling a series of all-nighters you pulled in college among stacks of books, you never want to hear the word “library” again, right? Well, here’s a reason why you should embrace the place that helped you get that A in economics: it offers so many free programs, you might just be able to chip a little bit of your budget away.

Turns out checking out books for your research paper isn’t all the New York Public Library is good for .  Besides the fact that you can get bestselling books you would otherwise have to pay cover price for, as well as magazines like Glamour and GQ, the NYPL offers free classes, lectures and quite a bit more.

Want to learn Spanish before your trip to Spain this winter? Try Mango, a database that offers lesson plans for nine languages including Italian, French, Polish, and Portuguese. The best part is that it’s an online system and the only thing necessary to register is your library card number.

The library is naturally a haven for knowledge-seekers, so it offers a slew of how-to classes on anything from computer skills to online shopping. Classes are open to everyone and typically only requires a name at registration — some of which can  be done online, others require in person visits. If you’ll be using reserve books or other electronic resources, you’ll need your library card. And when registering, be sure there are no prerequisites. You may have had to take a previous class before registering for a particular one, or may just need basic computer skills (which you should have if you’re on our site reading this story.)

While you may be an expert at the oh-so-tricky finesse of mouse control, you may know someone who still needs some work — perhaps mom, dad or grandma? If so, the Mid-Manhattan Library on Fifth Avenue has a class to teach them just that-from scrolling to highlighting and clicking. If you’re one of the few that’s still not into Twitter, then the staff will teach you all about it in their “Introduction to Social Networking” class, which also features other popular sites like Myspace and Facebook. And if you can’t quite remember how you animated your slides in your senior presentation, then “PowerPoint Basics” is probably a good one to help you brush up on your skills.

If you’re already a computer whiz and are more interested in learning how to rake in some dough, then the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) is probably more your speed. You can sit in on investment classes that’ll guide you through the risks and rewards and how to make wise decisions on stock investments. Or SIBL’s “Green Jobs” will educate you on careers that promote renewable energy resources. Many branches also offer resume writing classes, as well as job search advice.

For those of you looking for some entertainment, head to the Library for the Performing Arts for a Dixieland Jazz Concert. Presented by the Gotham Jazzmen, the branch is filled with music every Tuesday in December at 12:00 p.m.

For book junkies, if you like to hash about a story as you read it, look up an upcoming discussion group to take part in. If you have a knack for knitting, many local branches have knitting and crocheting clubs to bring knit-lovers together. Want to learn how? They’ll teach you! And some even provide needles and yarn for beginners.

Branches have even extended their catalogues to include movies and music. If you’re in the mood for an old movie — and even some new ones — most have them in stock. Ditch the $12 ticket and pick one up at your local branch instead. Can anyone say free movie night? And if you’re looking to get fit and don’t want to drop the cash for the latest Kim Kardashian workout DVD, you can check out fitness tapes, including yoga, just as you would a book.

The library isn’t just for students and book worms anymore.  More and more branches are offering these free business and computer classes, entertainment, and movies and music.  Just visit nypl.org and click on “Plan Your Visit” to see when classes are being held in your area.  So dust off that library card and go spend a day at your new favorite (and free) hang out.

Photo credit:  EmZed via StockXchng

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