“What did you do during summer vacation?” Yes, for most, the school year is still “lingering” on, and the end of summer break seems far away. But fast-forward in your mind to that first day back at school. What would be your ideal answer?

You would not want to merely reply, “Well, I didn’t really do too much.” Nor would you want to say, “I slept in a lot.” Or even the worst reply, “Stuff.”

Imagine your ideal summer vacation—one that spans the globe—one in which money is not an issue. You can travel anywhere—do anything. What stops would you include?

How would it feel to casually rattle off just a few things you had done during your summer: “Well, I saw Mona Lisa’s curious smile at the Louvre in France. Then I trekked the sandy dunes around the Pyramids at Giza. After that, I flew to New York City and visited Carl Ackley’s Hall of Mammals at the Museum of Natural History. Oh, I went for a truncated ‘walkabout’ in the Australian Outback. Finally, before returning home, I sat down, on the floor, for a traditional sushi dinner in Tokyo, Japan.”

For some, these things would be on their list of things they would like to do before they die. But these can be part of your summer vacation, and also the rest of the year.

You can even add some more things to the itinerary:

• Have a picnic in Victorian England
• Ride with young Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
• Cook dinner with Julia Child
• Watch a young Louis Armstrong blast his trumpet in the Lincoln Gardens in Chicago
• See the look on Napoleon’s face as he realizes defeat at Waterloo
• Watch a hushed United States Army navigate the icy Delaware during the calm of night

This can be your summer vacation—and it is all free!

However, instead of boarding airplanes and ships, making cross-continent road trips, or inventing a time machine, you must only travel to one place: your neighborhood public library.

Throw aside all your preconceived notions about these generally non-glamorous buildings. Libraries are not merely a pile of musty books guarded by stern-faced librarians with tiny pairs of glasses on chains, constantly telling noisy children to be quiet. Nor are they places to go only after realizing your research paper is due tomorrow morning.

The library can be a year-round, one-stop-shop cure for all the times you feel “unlearned, untraveled” and “uncultured.”

A Trip Across Town

We all cannot travel the world, hacking with machetes along the banks of the Amazon, or attend the opera at the Met in New York. Activities such as these cost far too much money to do on a regular basis. But you are rich in a different resource: information. Anything you would like to learn more about is instantly available to you. If you feel like you have a little bit of a green thumb—if you have a mind for aviation—if you want to learn more about the constellations—no matter the topic, the information is archived and ready for you to consume.

Indeed, all of this knowledge is available on the Internet, but going to the local library brings a host of benefits—and it is likely only a short trip across town.

Look at some of the names and places mentioned earlier. Are you familiar with each one?

Perhaps you have some interests in these names and places, but are daunted by the subjects, unsure of where or how to begin.

Never fear; there is a way to ease into these subjects, and slowly begin to familiarize yourself with the library.

Not Just Musty Books

Most merely think of row after row and shelf upon shelf of books as all the library has to offer. But this could not be farther from the truth.

You can find many different items for any topic. Libraries have books, magazines, DVDs, large music selections, and more. Some even have more “exotic” items you can check out—like the scores from symphonies or a framed painting to take home and hang on your wall.

If you don’t know much about a topic, there is only one place to start—the beginning. Begin with the most simple and move toward the more complex. It’s just like starting in kindergarten and moving to first grade then second, all the way through university.

For example, if you want to know about a historical figure, consider beginning with a shorter biography from the children’s section (one geared for grades 5-8). These are easily digestible and will provide a broad overview of the person’s life. They help you decide to continue researching the subject. From there, you can more easily move into longer documentaries and on to adult biographies.

“Play the System”

Every library has an abundance of resources at your disposal. Most have a computerized search, making it easy to find what you are looking for.

But if you cannot find it, ask! The librarians will be more than happy to help you research a topic more in-depth. They can also help you find books, pictures, archived newspaper articles, facts for research papers, documentaries on the topic, etc. They are a most important resource. Again, if you cannot find it alone, don’t be shy—talk to them!

As you go to the library more often, you will learn there are certain things you can do to “play the system.”

Is there a book you found on the Internet that you would like to read, but the library does not have it and it costs $50 in the bookstore? Well, libraries allow you to request that a book be purchased. If they approve your request, the item will automatically be held so you will be the first to check it out.

You can also put items on hold if they are currently checked out. When the item becomes available, the library will let you know. If your library has a website, you can search for books at home and even reserve items that are currently on the shelf. This way you can stop by the library, show them your card, and they will have already retrieved the item for you.

Also, most libraries in an area are connected, meaning that anything at the affiliated libraries can also be checked out by you. They will even ship items to your library and send you a notice when they arrive.

The more you visit the library, the better you will be at finding information on topics that interest you.

The library is a free resource (unless of course you do not return items on time). You can check out everything from documentaries on World War II to books on how to tailor your clothes.

So when someone says, “What did you do during summer vacation?” or “What did you do last weekend?”, you can simply reply, “Stuff.” Or, you can be ready with some exciting and interesting answers!