What is a library card? A library card is a card provided by a library so that library patrons can borrow a variety of materials including books and magazines. A library card is often required if a person wants to take advantage of other library services as well. Public libraries issue library cards free of charge to people who live in the library’s city but require patrons to pay for replacement cards.
The early libraries were non-circulating libraries. That meant that patrons needed to use the book or books in the library, and could not check out any books to take home for usage by themselves or their families.
In the 19th century, a free public library movement began. Before 1850, libraries consisted of subscription collections for members only to use. The first known publicly funded library was established in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where in 1833 the town meeting voted to use a part of the state literary fund for the support of schools instead to purchase books for a free town library.
However, the free public library movement really began in 1849, when the New Hampshire legislature authorized towns to levy taxes for the establishment and support of public libraries.
When did library cards become necessary? With the public library movement in the 19th century, it became necessary to register users who were permitted to borrow books and connect those users with the borrowed items. Originally this was done with cumbersome ledger systems, with each page representing a borrower and the books borrowed (and returned) listed.
San Diego, California
The above library card was issued to my mother with an expiration date of May 1955. My mom was avid reader all her life. I do not remember going to a brick and mortar public library in my grade school days. Where we lived a bookmobile came onto our street approximately a long block away from our home. I do recall going into the bookmobile and being allowed to check out books 📚 to bring home to read. In the beginning, my mom would accompany my brother and me to the bookmobile.
As you can see the contrast from the San Diego Library Card from the 1950’s and the present day Library Card, there are several differences and yet they both serve the same exact purpose. That of allowing someone to check out various materials such as 📚 to take home to peruse at their leisure.
I have had several library cards over the years and have taken great pleasure in checking out books, movies. I also enjoyed the ability to use the libraries resources and computers for family research, search for jobs or for whatever purpose I needed at various times.
How about you? Do you or have you owned a library card? A library card opens the world to a vast resource of knowledge.
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 
What a lovely throwback! My brother and I could barely read when my mother got us library cards – thus began our love of reading. My mother worked as a librarian for several years and I spent many afternoons doing my school work in the library and then afterwards reading books that we were not allowed to take out. This probably explains why I like books more than a kindle today 😉.
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