Did you know that January is National Hobby Month?

From baking bread in mass quantities to perfecting our puzzle skills, many of us have used these unorthodox past two years to find new things we enjoy doing in our downtime! Are you looking for your next hobby? Let the Free Library help!

• By checking out an instrument from our Musical Instrument Collection, you have many notes at your fingertips—and not just musical notes! The Music Department within Parkway Central Library offers support from librarians, sheet music, instructional guides, and of course, free concerts that can inspire you as you make progress on your own. This very special collection recently celebrated its fifth birthday, and we can't wait to keep bringing the gift of music to our city for many more years!
   
• By now you likely know that we lend more than just books! One of the more unique items that circulate around our system are birding backpacks, available for borrowing from several Free Library locations. The backpacks contain a guide to the birds you might encounter on your excursion, as well as a park map and binoculars!
   
• Are you interested in upping your cooking game? The Free Library's renowned Culinary Literacy Center offers culinary progams for adults, teens, kids, and families! You can also borrow cookbooks from our catalog and get to work whipping up something delicious. And speaking of unique lending items, we also loan cake pans to those who might not have them at home!
   
• Is gardening on your list of activities for this coming spring? We've got the resources you need to cultivate that green thumb, as well as a page dedicated to Green Living on our website if you're interested in learning more about sustainable living practices.
   
• Would you like to learn more about your family tree? The Free Library has an extensive collection of genealogy resources, many of which are available online and free of charge. 

If you need more ideas, visit freelibrary.org today, and browse our digital media offerings, online databases, and our catalog to take advantage of the most valuable card in your wallet—your library card, of course!

What's your favorite hobby? Let us know in the comments!