Museums
In Montreal and Quebec, libraries offer free access to many museums thanks to the Borrow a Museum program. Most passes are available at the library counter. In Montreal, you can also borrow a pass online from the Nelligan catalog.
Plein air
The National Library and Archives of Quebec (BAnQ), located in Montreal, also allows you to borrow passes to access 11 Sépaq national parks for free. The Grande Bibliothèque offers passes to discover national parks from the Îles-de-Boucherville to Mont-Orford National Park. The National Archives in Quebec provide access to four national parks, including Jacques-Cartier National Park and Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park.
BAnQ subscribers can reserve a pass online by registering in the BAnQ catalog. Once available, the BAnQ will send a communication to collect it.
Some Montreal libraries also offer the possibility of renting outdoor equipment. Thanks to your card, you can have access to binoculars, kites, hiking baby carriers, pedometers, balance bikes, sleds, snowshoes, walking poles and extra crampons. To find out which libraries offer this service, simply consult the Nelligan catalog.
Skateboards and scooters can also be borrowed from the Ahuntsic library in Montreal.
Gardening
Several libraries offer free seeds to citizens to create their own little garden. Called “grain library”, this initiative has grown throughout the province.
The Montrealers’ library card also allows you to borrow a tool kit for creating a vegetable garden.
-Video games
Obviously, libraries offer access to thousands of books, films and music, but did you know that in most of them it is possible to rent video games? At the Grande Bibliothèque, for example, more than 3,000 video games are at your disposal.
New parents
If you are the parent of a baby under the age of one, you can pick up a Welcome Baby box in one of Montreal’s 45 libraries. The free box includes a dozen practical, entertaining and educational objects.
To be eligible, you must live in Montreal and have a child born after January 1, 2024.
Streaming films and series
Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Crave… Subscriptions to different streaming platforms end up weighing heavily on the budget every month. However, it is possible to view a large part of the catalog of these platforms absolutely free thanks to your library card.
The free BanQ subscription, for which all Quebec residents are eligible, includes access to around fifteen à la carte entertainment platforms, including AVOD, Kanopy, Tënk and ONF.ca.
