Regarding the NYPL...just e-mail them and ask. I'm a US resident, but not from New York. Before I joined NYPL, I e-mailed them with a few questions. They were very helpful and got back to me quickly.
Then I mailed them a check for $100 and a copy of my driver's license. I got my NYPL card back in the mail in about a week and a half.
dordale