Since times are rather challenging, a lot of people have turned to an old standby that, pretty much, costs them nothing.
Local libraries are seeing resurgence in interest.
Geri Gaskill, the interim head of Horry County's libraries, said more people are getting library cards and taking advantage of the free services.
Gaskill said, people are not just checking out books, they are taking home CD's, DVD's, and using the library's resources for personal computer use, games, information, and in some cases, they're using the computers to help them find a job.
"A lot of companies require an online application and some people have never used a computer so not only do we have the computers for them to do the application, we also have people that can help them, the staff to actually fill it out online." said Gaskill.
Lisa Luttrell Barton, a writer said the library is her lifeline, without it, she would not be able to do quality work.
"That we can come here and get a movie for free that we would have to go somewhere else to pay to rent, I mean when I discovered that I was like wow. It's the great equalizer, it's the thing that let's the have-nots have what the haves have, so I don't have a computer at home, I don't have internet access, but I do here, so I can do anything anybody else can do," Barton said.
Gaskill said people who used to buy books on how to play sports, fix cars, and medical issues are now borrowing them for free from the library in an effort to cut back on spending. She adds the library is keeping up with the demand by increasing bandwidth and having more books and movies in Spanish for the growing Hispanic population in Horry County.
Gaskill also said there are plans to expand the libraries in Surfside Beach and north Myrtle Beach. She said the Loris branch was recently expanded with a new children's section.
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