Instant Access To The BPL With An eCard

So, you've moved to Jefferson County and haven't got the chance to make it out to one of our 40 libraries to get your library card. Understandable—life gets busy! Or say it's late at night when your teenager suddenly remembers there is a school report due tomorrow that requires an encyclopedia that's not Wikipedia.

Getting to a library location might not be feasible, but with a Jefferson County Library eCard, you can have instant access to our catalog of digital books, magazines, and other online resources.

A Jefferson County Library eCard gives you access to our catalog of digital books and magazines on the Libby app and all of the library's digital reference material, including encyclopedias needed for a last-minute assignment. 

Maybe you just moved here, just turned 18 and your parents never got you your own library card, or you've never had a library card before at all, but everyone is welcome at the library! And you can start using your local library even after library hours. 

So what exactly is—and is not—an eCard?

An eCard is basically a one month pass to the library's digital resources as listed here. It is an access card to the Libby app, which provides eBooks, eAudibooks, and magazines for you to borrow on your mobile devices. It's also a tool to sign into the Jefferson County Library Cooperative website and put holds on any physical items you would like to check out from the library.

An eCard is not a full access library card, though. You can't use it to check out materials or use library computers. To do so, you will have to bring a government issued photo ID and proof of country residency, such as a utility bill, to your local library and obtain a full use library card. 

We all have hectic lives, and sometimes we just don't make all our errands in time. It's nice to know that the library's resources are available 24/7, so even if we didn't make it by to get that book we wanted today, we still have something to read this evening. 

By J. Michael Coe | Library Assistant Ⅲ, North Birmingham Regional Branch and Inglenook Branch Libraries