It’s no secret that college kids are strapped for cash. From necessities like food and… It’s no secret that college kids are strapped for cash. From necessities like food and laundry to obligations like books and school supplies to the fun stuff for Friday nights, everything costs money. You enter college and you have to face it: Life is expensive when you’re a student.

But luckily for Pitt students, there’s a remedy for some of these life expenses. It’s known as the library, or more specifically, the Carnegie Library. While you won’t be able to alleviate all of your financial burdens here – it’s doubtful that building managers will be pleased to see you washing your whites in the bathroom sinks – just about anything school related and hordes of things that aren’t can be found at the Carnegie. All you have to do is take a little time to explore.

The Carnegie libraries of Pittsburgh boast 17 locations in and around the city, so you’re never farther than a short walk or bus ride to a bountiful selection of reading materials, videos, music, maps and more.

The main branch in Oakland is the hub of the operation. Here you can find three floors of fiction, nonfiction, foreign language, teen and children’s literature as well as a substantial selection of periodicals and films. Should you need a book for a class paper or one simply for pleasure, you’re sure to find it in the vast expanse of reading materials held within the awe-inducing stone edifice that is the Carnegie complex. And if by chance you don’t find it here, you can order it through the inter-library loan system.

The library, however, is more than just shelves full of Faulkner and Dickens. On any given day, there is?a myriad of events taking place to suit palates of all types. You can write and record your own song with the MusicMakers series, speak a little French or help others learn English with Le Club Francophone and Let’s Speak English meetings. Interested in alternative medicine? Attend the Alternative Healing Series. Consider yourself a film buff but can’t cough up the eight bucks it takes to pay for a movie ticket? Check out the Double Dose Film Series, which features a classic and current movie of different genres each month. You can even play Wii in the All Out Gaming series.

There is literally no end to the goings-on at the Carnegie Library, so to stay on top of events taking place, check out the library’s Web site at www.clpgh.org/locations/main for the Oakland location or www.clpgh.org to access the entire system. At these sites you can also check hours of operation – heads up to night owls, the library closes most days at 8 p.m., other days at 5 p.m. – or even search the catalog should you want to make sure they have the book you want before you trek to check it out.

By the time finals come around, Hillman will be packed with overstressed co-eds cramming for their tests, so if you’re seeking some refuge from the maelstrom of madness, the Oakland branch is a good option. Crazy Mocha nestles a little coffee bar on the ground floor, so you can still get your coffee fix, and the library offers wireless so you can bring your laptop and surf the Internet?for free. If you don’t feel like bringing your laptop, though, each branch has computers with Internet?access.

On the other hand, if you’re tired of staring at Oakland all day, head on out to the Squirrel Hill branch. The renovated library is smaller than the one in Oakland, but it provides a bright, modern feel and lots of open space for studying. Two walls with floor-to-ceiling windows and wide, cushioned seats allow you to overlook the bustling Forbes and Murray intersection while procrastinating by catching up with the latest Rolling Stone.

Granted, you’re not privy to all this marvelousness of the library unless you procure that magic little library card. For those students who live on campus, go to the ground floor desk at Hillman Library where they can print out a sheet confirming your address in the city. For those students who live off campus, simply take in a utility bill or a piece of official mail with your Pittsburgh address on it and they will issue you a card. Once you receive that, you’re golden. The card allows you access to every branch in the system as well as access to WiFi?at the branches that offer it.

College can mean a lot of things, most of them cool, some of them scary, one of them broke. Sure, the library might not be as glamorous as a night at the club, but the Carnegie libraries?hold their own charm that goes way beyond books on a shelf.