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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

     

    Statewide Library Card Program Frequently Asked Questions

    Contact the Bureau of Library Development (ra-libdev@pa.gov or 717-787-8007) to request Access PA logo stickers.  Or, libraries may consider purchasing library cards from their card vendor that have the Access PA logo (PDF) printed on it as part of the card’s graphic image.  If a library does this, remember to purchase a supply of cards that do not have the logo on it.  This will allow the library to issue cards (free or for a fee) to people who are not eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.

    ​Yes. Your library may choose to have the Access PA logo (PDF) printed directly on your cards and not use Access PA stickers.  However, if your library decides to purchase cards that have the logo printed on them, be sure to purchase a supply that does not have the logo imprint.  This will allow the library to issue cards (free or for a fee) to people who are not eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.

    ​Access PA Logo (PDF)

    ​No.  Requiring someone to purchase a card means that the individual was not eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.  Thus, any public library card that is purchased should not have an Access PA logo on it. 

    ​To be eligible to participate, Pennsylvania residents must live in a municipality that that supports a state-aided public library. To determine if someone is eligible, check the list of unclaimed municipalities tab on the library service areas spreadsheet. (Excel).  If their municipality is listed, they are not eligible to participate in the program. The list is updated annually.

    To determine someone's municipality of residence, use the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's municipal statistics "Find Municipality by Address" database:

    Statewide Library Card Guidelines

    ​As defined by the Pennsylvania Public Library Code, a municipality is a county or locality such as a borough, township, or city. 

    Statewide Library Card Guidelines

    A home library is defined as the local library, library system, or county library that is legally responsible for providing library service to its residents. There are three types:

    1. Local Library. A person's home library is that local library designated by the municipality within which the person resides that is legally responsible for extending its library services without charge.
    2. Library System. In a library system, the board of directors of the system shall determine the home library for each municipality it is legally responsible for extending its library services without charge.
    3. County Library. In the case of a county library which is not part of a public library system, it shall be considered as the home library for those residents it serves directly.

    Often when libraries share an integrated library system, they will use the term 'home library' to designate an individual's preferred library within the libraries that share the integrated library system.  This is not the way in which the term 'home library' is used in this program.  A home library in the Statewide Library Card Program is defined as the library that is legally responsible for providing library service to its residents.

    ​Yes.  The Pennsylvania Public Library Code requires all public libraries that receive Public Library Subsidy funds from the commonwealth to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program (Title 24 PA. C.S.A. § 9334 (c)(1)).

    No.  State-aided public libraries and District Library Centers are not required to sell library cards to people who are not eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program. Libraries and District Library Centers make their own policies about selling or issuing free library cards to people who live in municipalities that do not support public library services.

    Note that when a library does issue or sell a library card to people who live in municipalities that do not support public library services, the card should not have an Access PA logo on it.  Paying a fee for a library card does not make an individual eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.

    ​No.  Paying a fee for a library card does not make someone eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.  People may only participate in the program if they live in a municipality that supports a state-aided public library. Purchased library cards should not have Access PA logos on them. 

    ​Yes. State-aided public libraries and District Library Centers may choose to issue a free library card to someone who lives in a municipality that does not support public library services for its residents.  (Or, the library may choose to charge a fee for a library card; or it may choose to not issue one at all.) 

    Note that if a card is issued, it should not have the Access PA logo on it.  As required by the Pennsylvania Public Library Code, people may only participate in the Statewide Library Card Program if they live in a municipality that supports a state-aided public library.

    ​No.  District Library Centers are not required to provide cards (for a fee or for free) to people who live in their state-designated district service area.

    Note that when a District Library Center does issue or sell a library card to people who live in municipalities that do not support public library services, the card should not have an Access PA logo on it.  Paying a fee for a library card does not make an individual eligible to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.

    No.  Having a State Library of Pennsylvania card does not allow someone to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.  The State Library of Pennsylvania does not participate in the Statewide Library Card Program because it is not a local public library.  However, Pennsylvanians who are over the age of sixteen, may obtain a free State Library of Pennsylvania library card to visit and borrow its books and documents.

    ​No.  The POWER Library Ecard only provides access to state-funded online resources to all Pennsylvania residents.  It does not allow residents to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.  Any Pennsylvania resident may obtain a free POWER Library Ecard

    No. Having an elementary, middle school, high school, college, or university library card does not allow someone to participate in the Statewide Library Card Program.  Only public libraries are part of the Statewide Library Card Program.