September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, a nation-wide campaign to emphasize the importance of library cards to a child’s education and a community’s excellence. This month, all Granby residents are encouraged to visit the library to sign up for a free library card or visit the library website (granby-ct.gov/library) to register for a temporary card and get immediate access to the digital collections. A library card from the Granby Public Library grants patrons the ability to borrow items from any public library in the state of Connecticut, access to local and state databases including Consumer Reports, Ancestry.com, Value Line, and Transparent Language just to name a few, and access to thousands of free eBooks, eAudio Books, and digital magazines through Overdrive.
Librarians like to say that getting a library card can transform your life, and while that may be an extreme way to phrase it, it can be true. Libraries offer resources and services that help people pursue their passions and give students the tools to succeed in school and beyond. Libraries offer free, unrestricted access to everyone, opening doors to information, materials, and services for people of all ages, income levels, locations, ethnicities and physical abilities. In Granby, patrons use the library to connect with their community, to access technology, to support new careers, to research decisions, to understand current issues and, especially lately, to find literary sources of joy and comfort when times are tough.
Getting your child a library card this September is not only getting your child the best back-to-school supply in their backpack, but it’s also providing them with the tool to access materials and resources that will support their life-long interests and growth.
Getting a card for yourself grants you access to a community resource that can save you thousands of dollars in magazine subscriptions, DVD rentals and book purchases, as well as an opportunity to get to know your neighbors as you browse the shelves, participate in library programs and take advantage of the community space. In addition, getting a library card helps show our local and regional politicians that you value your library – the number of library card holders in a community is one way that the powers-that-be make decisions about funding and resources.
Support your library while your library supports you and sign up for a free library card this September during National Library Card Month.
The author is Director of Library Services, Granby Public Library