I love to read.

My kids love to read.

My kids are homeschooled.

I hate to spend money.

This adds up to one thing: I check out a lot of library books.

I’ve tried all sorts of techniques to stay organized with them, from having a designated Library Book Basket to writing down the due dates on the calendar. Somehow, though, these things never seem to stick. And so I end up with library fines.

My local library doesn’t cut you off until you’ve racked up $20 in overdue fines, so I generally wait until I reach that milestone to pay. The last time it happened, the librarian told me about what has become one of my very favorite internet services: Library Elf. You need your library card number and PIN number to set it up, and then it sends you emails to let you know when your books are due. I haven’t had a late fee since I signed up a few months ago!

So! Library Elf works for me. Check this list of libraries to see whether if could work for you, too!