Library card

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Library card for the National Central Library in Taiwan ROC National Central Library membership card 20050531 face.jpg
Library card for the National Central Library in Taiwan

A library card can refer to several cards traditionally used for the management of books and patrons in a library. In its most common use, a library card serves similar functions as a corporate membership card. A person who holds a library card has borrowing or other privileges associated with the issuing library. The library card also serves as a method of identification. When a person chooses an item to borrow and presents their library card to the library, they take responsibility for the borrowed item and promise to abide by certain rules, usually including a promise to return the item by the due date or face a library fine. If the cardholder violates these responsibilities, their borrowing privileges may be suspended.

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As of 2011, 62% of all Americans are library card holders. [1]

An example of a borrowing card, formerly in common use to track books Library card.jpg
An example of a borrowing card, formerly in common use to track books

Borrowing cards

"Library card" may also refer to the borrowing cards used to record book borrowing before the advent of computer systems. When a library book was prepared for lending, a borrowing card would be inserted into a small pocket in the front or back cover of the book. When a patron borrowed a book, their name and the book's due date would be recorded on the borrowing card, which would be filed under the patron's name or card number. The borrowing card would be replaced with a stamped due date card to inform the patron of the item's due date. The book was then released to the patron. When the book was returned, the patron's name would be crossed off the borrowing card. The borrowing card would be placed back in the book and the book would be shelved. In some libraries, this system of borrowing may still be in use.

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Interlibrary loan is a service whereby a patron of one library can borrow books, DVDs, music, etc. and/or receive photocopies of documents that are owned by another library. The user makes a request with their home library; which, acting as an intermediary, identifies libraries with the desired item, places the request, receives the item, makes it available to the user, as well as arranges for its return. The lending library usually sets a due date and overdue fees of the material borrowed. Although books and journal articles are the most frequently requested items, some libraries will lend audio recordings, video recordings, maps, sheet music, and microforms of all kinds. In some cases, nominal fees accompany the interlibrary loan services.

Library catalog Register of bibliographic items

A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A catalog for a group of libraries is also called a union catalog. A bibliographic item can be any information entity that is considered library material, or a group of library materials, or linked from the catalog as far as it is relevant to the catalog and to the users (patrons) of the library.

Financial transaction Form of agreement carried out between a buyer and seller

A financial transaction is an agreement, or communication, between a buyer and seller to exchange goods, services, or assets for payment. Any transaction involves a change in the status of the finances of two or more businesses or individuals. A financial transaction always involves one or more financial asset, most commonly money or another valuable item such as gold or silver.

Credit Financial term for the trust between parties in transactions with a deferred payment

Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately, but promises either to repay or return those resources at a later date. In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and extensible to a large group of unrelated people.

A late fee, also known as an overdue fine, late fine, or past due fee, is a charge fined against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonly associated with businesses like creditors, video rental outlets and libraries. Late fees are generally calculated on a per day, per item basis.

London Public Library Canadian public library system in London, Ontario

The London Public Library (LPL) is the public library system of London, Ontario, Canada. All 16 locations city-wide offer services and programs for adults, teens and children residing in London and the surrounding counties of Oxford, Middlesex, and Elgin. The branches includes art exhibits, author readings, a summer reading program, and health-oriented activities. As of November 26, 2020, the London Public Library does not charge fines for overdue materials.

Berkeley Public Library United States historic place

The Berkeley Public Library is the public library system for Berkeley, California. It consists of the Central Library, Claremont Branch, North Branch, West Branch, Tarea Hill Pittman South Branch—and the Tool Lending Library, which is one of the nation's first such libraries.

Tickler file Collection of date-labeled file folders

A tickler file or 43 Folders System is a collection of date-labeled file folders organized in a way that allows time-sensitive documents to be filed according to the future date on which each document needs action. Documents within the folders of a tickler file can be to-do lists, pending bills, unpaid invoices, travel tickets, hotel reservations, meeting information, birthday reminders, coupons, claim tickets, call-back notes, follow-up reminders, maintenance reminders, or any other papers that require future action. Each day, the folder having the current date is retrieved from the tickler file so that any documents within it may be acted on. Essentially, a tickler file provides a way to send a reminder to oneself in the future—"tickling" one's memory.

The Browne Issue System is an old system for loaning library books, developed by Nina Browne in 1895.

Jacksonville Public Library Public library system in Florida

The Jacksonville Public Library is the public library system of Jacksonville, Florida. It primarily serves Jacksonville and Duval County, and is also used by the neighboring Baker, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns Counties. It is one of the largest library systems in Florida, with a collection of over three million items. A division of the city government, the library has the third largest group of city employees after the city's Fire Department and Sheriff's Office. There are twenty branches and a Main Library in the system.

Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL), with more than 200 employees, both professional and paraprofessional, serves the citizens of Loudoun County, Virginia. There are 10 physical branches, plus Outreach Services, which delivers books and other resources to the disabled, elderly and homebound.

Alachua County Library District

The Alachua County Library District is an independent special taxing district and the sole provider of public library service to approximately 250,000 citizens of Alachua County, Florida. This includes all of the incorporated municipalities in the county. It maintains a Headquarters Library and four other branches in Gainesville. There are branch locations in seven of the eight other incorporated municipalities in the county. ACLD also operates a branch at the county jail, and two bookmobiles.

Credit card Card for financial transactions from a line of credit

A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt. The card issuer creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the cardholder, from which the cardholder can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance. There are two credit card groups: consumer credit cards and business credit cards. Most cards are plastic, but some are metal cards, and a few gemstone-encrusted metal cards.

Metropolitan Library System (Oklahoma)

The Metropolitan Library System is a public library system consisting of 19 libraries that serves Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. The system serves anyone who lives, attends school, or owns property in Oklahoma County.

MichiCard was a voluntary program between Michigan libraries that was the first step in developing a statewide library card for the residents of Michigan. The program was proposed and established by the Library of Michigan Board of Trustees' Task Force on Interdependency and Funding. This led the Michigan state legislature to approve funding in 1989 for the MichiCard program. The program was established as a universal program for statewide access to the large network of resources throughout the state in local libraries where residents from another community may not be able access these resources otherwise. The program is coordinated by the Library of Michigan. The program is a form of interlibrary loan which allows the patron to visit another library and check out material directly from another library in another community from which they live.

Princeton University Library Main library system of Princeton University

Princeton University Library is the main library system of Princeton University. With holdings of more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, and 48,000 linear feet of manuscripts, it is among the largest libraries in the world by number of volumes. The main headquarters of the university system is the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library building, named after tire magnate Harvey Firestone. Additionally, Princeton is part of the Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP) along with Columbia Libraries, Harvard Library and New York Public Library.

Indian River County Library System is a public library system in Indian River County, Florida that coordinates activities between its member public libraries, which collectively serve Indian River County. It is administered by a county administrator, and funded by the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners.

The Sumter County Library System (SCLS) consists of five locations throughout Sumter County. Branch locations include:

Lee County Library System (Florida)

The Lee County Library System was founded in 1964 and is composed of 13 branches which serve Lee County, Florida. Olive Stout, who arrived in Fort Myers, Florida in 1886, started the town's first reading room and was pivotal in founding its first library. Around 1955, the city moved the library into a small one room building. The Lee County Library System's mission is to strengthen the community by informing and enriching individuals.

The West Chicago Public Library is the public library serving the city of West Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 118 West Washington street in downtown West Chicago. The library has a collection of 83,711 items that includes books, audio CDs, movies, magazines, video games, and other nonbook materials making up their Library of Things, and recorded a total of 109,029 library visits in 2018. West Chicago Public Library is part of the System Wide Automated Network (SWAN), which connects 97 libraries in many Chicago suburbs. They are a member of OCLC's global cooperative and RAILS delivery service.

References

  1. "Results of 1 January 2011 Harris Poll Quorum" (PDF). Harris Interactive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

See also