Being the literary nerd I am, I remember spending hours at the library throughout my elementary, middle and now high school summers. It just sounded too good to be true. You could take any book you wanted and however many you wanted all with the wave of a little plastic card. While credit cards may seem like the same thing to a little kid, library books are truly free to anyone with one of these magical cards. Nowadays, I see less and less kids my age around the library, and the ones who are here seem miserable due to mandatory summer tutoring or ACT/SAT prep. There is so much more to do here, so here are 5 reasons why your public library should be the first stop on your summer of fun.

1. Road Trip Tunes

No summer vacation is complete without a road trip. Whether it's a mandatory college tour with your parents or a week-long beach getaway with your best friends, great music is a must. You can check out CDs of all genres at the library. I love trying out different albums that I wouldn't buy just to try out, and I keep surprising myself by enjoying a different artist, like Norah Jones, or a new genre, like jazz. I can even pick up some artists my parents would probably enjoy; they need something to keep them awake while I'm napping in the back seat.

2. Free Laptop Time

Anyone can come use the library's rows of huge computer monitors, but you may not know you can also check out a laptop to use if you tend to spread out over three tables when working, like me. If you don't have a laptop at home, you can get out of the house and get a jump on those college apps, apply for a few summer jobs or, more likely, binge your new Netflix obsession. You can also use their complimentary scanner to turn in your school forms before they're overdue, again.

3. Movie Night Essentials

Who else misses Blockbuster? Well, prepare to have an intense flashback of the endless little shelves of DVDs, or VHS tapes, if you remember those. Invite over some old friends, butter some popcorn and burn through a stack of movies for the perfect summer movie night.

4. Audio Books for the Busy

Audio books are a super effective way to check everything off your constantly growing to-do list and still catch up on America's favorite best-seller or a timeless classic. Audio books are handy while working out, cooking, on long drives and any other task on the efficient multitasker's agenda.

5. Books. Just Books.

I know. Checking out books at a library. Ludicrous. But summer is the perfect time to slow down and savor every word of a novel. I love rereading my favorites or checking out a couple books that I've been dying to read, but are too long to get into during the school year. If you're not into reading, that's fine; the library is not yet lost on you. You still have to read, or at least skim through, those required summer-reading assignments. Thanks to the convenience of a library, you don't have to waste your money on those books you'll only read once.

Summer is supposed to be an escape from the stresses and everyday annoyances of school. It's a time to rest and recharge. There's no better way to spend summer than doing what makes you happiest. That may be kicking back with a few good friends and a summer flick. It may be laying out on the beach with the book you've been wanting to read forever. You may love getting all of your cumbersome tasks out of the way all at once while you bop along to a new album or throw on an audio book. However you choose to spend it, make sure the library is your first stop to stock up for your summer of fun.