“Let’s have a campaign…Every child should obtain a library card and use it.” - Secretary of Education William Bennet, 1987
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! The celebration first started in 1988, when the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) took Secretary Bennet’s words and ran with it.
Ever since, it has been an important effort to empower communities to not only get a library card and check out books (although that’s pretty cool on its own), but to check out all the things libraries offer! This year’s theme “One Card, Endless Possibilities,” captures the power one little card holds.
A library card at ELPL unlocks so many possibilities! With a library card you can:
- Check out books, movies, and music from our library, including new releases!
- Check out ebooks through Hoopla and Libby, and streaming movies from Kanopy.
- Check out items from our Library of Things, like a ukulele, a zoo pass, power tools, storytime kits, and more!
- Use one of our public computers for up to 3 hours at a time.
- Request books from other libraries through MeLcat.
- Check out physical books from CADL with your ELPL card through the Visiting Patron Program.
To celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month, this year we’re sharing giveaways, discounts at local businesses, and more!
Discounts: During the month of September, if you show your East Lansing Public Library card to participating businesses, you'll be eligible for a discount on goods and services at check-out! Valid for in-person purchases only, unless otherwise specified. Check out the list below for more details.
- Biggby (Lake Lansing & Abbott): $1 off any drink
- Capital City Sweets: 10% off your order
- Fueld: 20% off your order
- H Tea Cafe: 20% off your order
- Mahabir Wellness: 20% off natural skincare treatments and a complimentary mini mental health consultation.
- PKSA (Professional Karate Schools of America) East Lansing: 25% off your first month and waived registration fee for new students, or 50% off PKSA apparel for existing students
Giveaways: During the month of September, renew, sign up for, or show your library card at our front desk and enjoy a free sticker and one other item of choice from our treasure chest! You can also enter to win a raffle prize!
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