Cover Up

Just like putting on a pair of glasses, carrying a book under your arm can make almost anybody look instantly more intellectual than is probably warranted.

You might lose a few points if it's some Barbara Cartland trash-lit, with a Fabio-type giving off a smouldering look from the cover. And Vogue doesn't quite count as a book either, regardless of how chunky the September issue is likely to be.

But buy a book and, once read, you're left with a useless piece of dead tree. Do you really want to read the Da Vinci Code more than once? Instead, it might be high time to befriend the good old public library again. And if you do, you might just be pleasantly surprised by the innovations since you last visited those dusty aisles.

Besides just the book borrowing, the free library card will now also get you discounts at theatres, museums and cinemas, as well as in book and record shops. Gosh, you look smarter already

Barcelona library card – apply for free here
Discounts of up to 20% on tickets, books and music

by SNo