The DeKalb Public Library expansion opened this week, making the facilities available to all. But there are a few things you should know if you’re curious about checking materials out of the library in the town where you live or visit.
But who is eligible for a library card in Illinois? And can you have multiple cards from different communities?
It’s been busy for staff at DeKalb Public Library preparing for the expansion’s grand opening. Since they’re expecting an influx of residents to check out the new facilities, they’re also expecting a surge in library card applicants … which could be overwhelming, especially when it comes to checking card eligibility.
It could get tricky to decipher that if you’re a DeKalb native but live in an unincorporated area of town or if you’re a Northern Illinois University student living in DeKalb.
Dee Coover, director of the DeKalb Public Library, says the answer to who can get a card is usually straight-forward in her experience and something most people probably don’t think twice about. But Coover says there are a few intricacies the public should be aware of.
“If you’re paying taxes to a public library – and you can see that on your tax bill – that fact that you are paying library taxes will be honored by every other library in the state,” Coover said.
And that is true whether you own or rent a house or apartment. Coover says you also are eligible for a free library card if you have a card at another library in the same reciprocal system as DeKalb’s library … or if you can prove you live in DeKalb. That includes NIU dorm residents.
And if you want access to multiple libraries at the same time and fit the criteria for both cards, Coover says it’s possible … and all access would be lumped into one card.
If a card applicant doesn’t fit into any of those categories but would still like to check out materials at DeKalb library, they also have the option of paying the equivalent of the city’s annual tax to have that kind of access. For DeKalb, Coover says that would cost about $38 per year, but that cost varies for every Illinois city.
“It’s not [just] the cranky old lady librarian who wants to know your address,” Coover said. “Yes, she does want to know your address because she needs to prove that she is managing the peoples’ resources well, that she’s not giving library cards to people who don’t pay for those services. And really, it’s an equity issue.”
Coover says card eligibility can be a touchy subject, whether it’s for patrons trying to obtain a card or even for her personally.
For instance, illegal immigrants or those who are homeless usually are not eligible for a card to check materials out of the library. Coover says it’s heartbreaking for her and other staff to see people in that situation.
However, things like cards for internet access only within the library building could help for those who can’t take resources home.
But Coover says all are welcome to use materials inside any library building you visit -- you don’t need a library card for that.