Your library card gives you access to a world of possibilities at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD). In addition to a wide selection of physical and digital items you can check out, you also have access to a variety of online resources and databases. This month, take a closer look at how you can use your library card to enhance your next travel experience.
You will need a library card that starts with a 4 to access some of the resources on this page outside a Library location.
Planning
Before your trip, use your library card to check out travel books for your destination. If your trip takes you overseas, brush up on your language skills using Mango Languages or language-learning books found in our collection.
LinkedIn Learning is another excellent travel resource. Log in with your library card and use Search (in the upper right corner) for "travel” to find a variety of video lessons related to travel. Learn useful tips to travel for business, find out how to plan a trip flexibly or creatively, and other useful travel skills. You can even find videos about starting your own travel agency.
Entertainment
You may already know that your library card can fill your entertainment needs on any trip. Stop by the Library before your departure to pick up physical books and audiobooks to enjoy along the way. If you are busy preparing for your trip, you can also use our online catalog or the PPLD app to place holds on books and they will be delivered to your selected Library location for easy pickup.
If you can’t pack all the books you want to read, use our eLibrary resources to borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks through Freading, the Libby app, or the Hoopla app. In addition to books, Libby offers eMagazines, and Hoopla offers movies, TV, and music streaming. For more robust 24/7 music streaming with a full library of options, try streaming with Freegal.
Saving Money
Your library card can also help you find the best deals and ratings on travel products through Consumer Reports. Under the Travel section, you will find expert reviews on suitcases, headphones, diaper bags, strollers, and travel products to help you choose the best products for your trip. You can also find articles full of money-saving tips and tricks from saving money at the gas pump to choosing gifts for travelers.
Traveling with Kids
If you are traveling with kids, your library card can not only provide entertainment but also turn your trip into engaging learning opportunities.
For entertainment beyond the ones mentioned above, turn to TumbleBook Library. This kid-centric platform offers access to hundreds of animated, talking picture books and read-aloud chapter books.
Ahead of your trip, you can help kids have fun while learning about your vacation destination.
Log onto CultureGrams Online to explore the cultures and features of any state, country, or province through engaging visuals, bite-sized articles, audio clips, and encyclopedia pages showcasing things like population, climate, history, greetings, and other cultural and geographic features. Each page about a U.S. state and Canadian province also includes regional recipes to make at home.
Visit Gale in Context: Elementary to explore Quick Facts, book and magazine articles, news, biographies of notable people, and photos of the place you will travel. There are also interesting sidebars with additional information.
If you are traveling to another country, you can explore the foods of the area through the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World. Each country’s page includes information about the geographic features of the area, history and food, mealtime customs, celebratory foods, and other details alongside recipes for local favorites.