These are tough times and that's when people turn back to reliable sources of free stuff. Think your public library is a bricks-and-mortar anachronism? How about e-books, e-videos, and e-audio books for free? Download to your computer, transfer to your smartphone and, viola, you're loaded for entertainment without spending a dime.

Specifics vary from library to library, but many local libraries and integrated library systems subscribe to the same service, called Overdrive Digital Library Reserve. Try these steps to see what's available to you:

In your local library's catalog, search for keywords of interest and do an advanced search by material type for "e-book" (or e-audio, e-video, etc.). If there's an offering matching your criteria, you'll be prompted to follow a link to your library's digital catalog.

At some point, you'll have to enter your library card number to check out the title. "Checking out" here means downloading a file that you can then open on your computer or transfer to your smartphone (but you'll see that as you select items they are placed in a cart and then you're prompted to check out when you're ready, much like an e-storefront that requires monetary payment).

You may find that your library's homepage has a direct link to the digital catalog, allowing you to browse just the electronic content when you want to.