WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, a time when James V. Brown Library joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
There is nothing more empowering than signing up for your own library card. Through access to technology, media resources and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom and provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams and passions.
Held annually every September since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month coincides with the beginning of the school year and serves as a reminder and encouragement for parents to sign their children up for their very own library card.
This year, ALA’s honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month is the 16-year-old founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, Marley Dias. Dias will use this platform to remind the public that a library card provides access to technology, multimedia content, and programming that strengthens communities.
Brown Library continues to adapt and expand services to meet the evolving needs of our community. As of January 1, the Library became fine-free for all ages.
“This is a great way to remove barriers for library patrons,” said Barbara S. McGary, Executive Director of the Library. “This is the right investment at the right time and it really helps us be a part of the solution to eliminate the disparity of poverty in our community.”
Starting September 1, the Brown Library is removing all fees for DVD checkouts. In the same manner as going fine-free, the Library is improving opportunities for access and removing barriers for this material format. This will mean that all library materials, including board games for all ages, can be checked out at no cost.
“We found that individuals who could not afford to pay fines lost their opportunity for access to borrow free informational, educational and life-long learning materials from the library,” said McGary. “In some cases when adults lost access, they stopped bringing their children in the library. Members of our community who need us the most lost access and became non-members of the library.”
To sign up for a library card or to learn more about the library’s resources and programs, please visit jvbrown.edu.
The James V. Brown Library is open for browsing and holds pick up from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. The library also is open for public computer usage and for services such as printing, faxing, copying, and scanning. Walk-in passport services are available.
The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.
