If you haven’t opened an account with your local library yet, now’s the time to do so. Registering is free, and it only takes about 5 minutes. You’ll be able to rent plenty of books in Spanish, and quite a few in English. You’ll also have access to DVDs, newspapers and magazines. All for free, and accessible just for having registered and having a library card.

Another benefit is that public libraries in Madrid are becoming more and more high-tech. All 18 Community of Madrid libraries now offer free Wi-Fi. So you can either head over to your local library with your laptop, or sign up and use the PCs they have there.

In line with this new modernization policy, the libraries are also offering electronic publications, including e-books. However, since the service is quite new, it is still a bit limited.

All in all, I recommend you head over to your local library because you’ll be surprised to see how much it’s changing with the times.