Do you remember your first library card? Maybe your mom or dad let you carry it around in a tiny, glittery purse or inside a Velcro Spiderman wallet. You felt so proud, so grown-up, when you handed it to the clerk at the desk and checked out your small stack of books. They were books with pictures like you had never seen before, pictures that used every crayon in the coloring box and brought rabbits and princesses to life on the page.
Signing up for a library card is an important step in a child’s life. It is the moment when the tiny doors inside their minds open and they realize that they have the power and independence to learn on their own, develop their tastes, and explore language. They might not comprehend the significance at the time, but they know that something special is happening.
Beginning in 1987, the American Library Association designated September as Library Card Sign-up Month, in an effort to encourage Americans to give their children what they refer to as “the most important school supply of all:” a library card. The hope is that by signing up for a library card in September, the so-called “summer learning loss” will decrease; students would have retained the knowledge they accumulated during the school year and gained some new insights during the summer break.
The Levittown Public Library encourages all of our Levittown School District #5 residents to sign up for library cards. Our website includes detailed instructions on how to get, replace, and renew a library card. Included in this is information regarding acceptable forms of identification, which is an important part of the process. You should also be aware that there is no age requirement for a library card. You can never be too young or too old to become a library patron. Whether you are signing your three year-old up for her first card, or rediscovering the LPL after a thirty-year absence, we welcome your patronage and are excited to have you join our community of readers, innovators, crafters and dreamers.
Help to make this September our biggest month for library card sign-ups. Spread the word to other residents and encourage them to get the coolest accessory their wallets could ever hold: a library card.
Happy Reading,
Jess
