Money Smart Week

 Money Smart Week (April 15-21):  Spend and Save Smarter, Not Harder

By Amy Lee, Branch Manager- Brandon Public Library

Money Smart Week is held every April. However, if it were up to me, I would deem it to be Money Smart Week every week (or month)! I think this is a topic that anyone in the community, of any age, can greatly benefit from. Prices for essentials are sky-high, causing many people to “scrimp and save,” often struggling in the process in today’s economy. The solution? Visit your local library, where we’ve got the best resources to help you become smarter about managing your money and getting the best out of your bank AND budget.

Money Smart Week started out as a special partnership, originating in Chicago between the ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, originally designed to help educate the community, as well as provide free financial assistance (librarieslearn.org, n.d.). The public responded in such a positive way that many other communities adapted their own version of this program. Therefore, it did not take long until Money Smart Week became a national event, benefitting not only financial institutions, but libraries as well. 

If you’re looking for awesome reads within our collection that focus on finances or saving money, we’ve got something for all ages!  For example, patrons can browse our shelves for the following:  332.02402, 336.36, and 658.1526, which are all Dewey decimal numbers for the nonfiction topic of debt, ranging from personal to business-related (The Dewey Blog, 2011). Other great nonfiction books available in the CMRLS collection include:  Smart Money Smart Kids:  Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey, Money Management for Those who Don’t Have Any by James L. Paris, and Grow Your Money!: 101 Easy Tips to Plan, Save, and Invest by Jonathan D. Pond. 

Our collection also features educational books about money for our younger readers, which are highly engaging and interactive. These are just a few of the titles you can find at our libraries:  Not So Common Cent$ by Sarah Wassner Flynn, Money: A Rich History by Jon R. Anderson, and What Do I Want? What Do I Need? by Rachel Eagen. 

Any of the above reads can be found at one of our local branches, our online catalog at www.cmrls.lib.ms.us, or you can even place a hold to pick up at any CMRLS branch!  You can also find a variety of great digital magazines, through our e-resource “Flipster,” which is free to access with your CMRLS Library Card! For example, Flipster features Consumer Report, which gives honest, reliable information on various products, from household appliances to cars, so you can read reviews before you decide to make a purchase. 

For free library programs celebrating Money Smart Week, stop by your local library branch or go to https://cmrls.trumba.com/ to view our online calendar of events. 

Pictured are two Trustmark Bank professionals who came to the 

Brandon Public Library last year to teach our kids how to save money

and open their own banking account.

No matter the age or personal budget, our libraries offer a variety of ways to help our community save money, from providing free information and resources to saving money on endless great reads! It’s another amazing way to make perfect use of your local library!