What’s In Your Wallet?

September is National Library Card Month, and I’m borrowing a famous advertising line to invite you, the community we serve, to come to the library and sign up for a library card or update your card if it has expired. During the month of September, everyone who gets a new card or renews their old one will be entered in a drawing for bookish prizes.

The first Library Card Sign-Up Month was in 1987 when then Secretary of Education William Bennett proposed “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.” The American Library Association took his words seriously, and the first theme was “The Best Gift You’ll Ever Give Your Child … A Library Card.”

Now, you may ask why you should have a library card. The most obvious answer is our large collection of books, magazines, music, and movies that you may borrow free of charge. But we are way more than that.  Did you know that we have Explorer Adventure Backpacks that include a day pass to state parks? We also offer technology and research resources, and in addition to our physical collection, we have online materials available to our cardholders.

Libby and Hoopla are our “virtual libraries.” By downloading the apps to your Android or iOS device, you have an extension of the library in your hands that operates 24/7. You may access books, magazines, and music, stream videos, or take a course – all for free with your library card.

In addition to traditional library materials, Libby offers a few extra services such as Classica, a platform for classical music, operas, and ballets, Kanopy for international and classic cinema, and Indieflix for award-winning independent films from around the world. As a library cardholder, you get lots of streaming without subscription fees.

Also, The Great Courses Library Collection provides you with over 250 courses covering a wide range of subjects – from science to personal development; and on Learn It Live you can find online classes on 200+ topics in health, wellness, and personal development. To top it off, Kovels Antiques and Collectibles, Library Edition inspires and educates collectors through their weekly updated information database. All of these resources are found within the Libby app.

Other educational tools such as Infobase LearningCloud, Inspire, and A to Z World Culture, are also available at the library or from the comfort of your home. Looking for a new hobby? Creativebug offers over 1,000 arts and crafts video classes for you to choose from. Need information about cars? Chilton Automotive has information on auto repair and more. All of our online resources are free when you create an account using your library card.

How do you get a card? It’s simple. Bring a photo ID that contains your current address and a piece of official mail to serve as proof of residency. If you reside or own property in Union Township, your card is free of charge, as a portion of your tax dollars is used to help fund our collections, services, and programs. Students in a school or college located within the taxing district may also obtain a Courtesy Card free of charge.

For folks who live outside our taxing district, there are other options to obtain a library card. For example, we have reciprocal borrowing arrangements with other libraries around us; you may ask at the Circulation Desk if your library is a participant of the Indiana Statewide Reciprocal Borrowing Covenant. If the answer is ‘yes’, you may receive a CDPL library card free of charge.

What if you don’t qualify for a library card that is free of charge? You may register for a “Non-Resident (or Fee) Borrowers” card. If you live in an area near CDPL that does not participate in the pool of taxes for library services, or if you are outside our taxing district but love the services we offer, you may purchase a library card with us. The fee is set by state law and corresponds to the library’s operational expenses per capita. In other words, it’s equivalent to what Union Township taxpayers contribute to the services we offer.

Can’t come to the library? We offer homebound services to persons who are unable to leave their residences to choose and borrow library materials in person. Visiting a friend? CDPL allows a Non-resident Card to be purchased in increments of three months up to a year.

A library card adds educational and entertainment benefits to your life. For more information on how to obtain a library card, you may ask our Circulation Desk staff or check our Circulation Policy posted on our website. Our staff is here to assist you in identifying which card will best fit your situation. Sign up for a library card and find something wonderful at your library!