Non-Resident Library Cards

[bubbas45]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

This is the best deal in the U.S. as far as I'm concerned...

Absolutely. I'm actually glad that BPL kicked me loose. Metropolitan has so many more books I am interested in than does BPL. Way more science fiction, as well as a back catalog of authors in various genres.

My state overdrive collections are heavily weighted to romance, most mysteries are cozies, and they skimp on books I am more likely to read, so I need an outside library to belong to.

Metropolitan is a bargain. I'd pay twice the current fee.

bws

[stewrog]

Thank you so much for providing this info!
Just signed up and am enjoying it.
Lots of ebooks, not as many audiobooks as I had hoped.

FYI to others who may follow:
I got a reply to my request email the next day granting access with barcode card number and password (which can be changed after logging in) and was given general instructions to pay $50 (no longer $30) by midnight of the next day, else access would be deactivated. (The $50 is consistent with their website page on cards now.)
So, after you apply by mail, don’t dilly dally on logging in and paying.
Note: I had to switch from Safari browser to Chrome and turn off my VPN and use a regular (not a “virtual” CapitalOne one time card) to get payment accepted. Maybe I didn’t need to take all those steps, but one or more of them made the difference. Oh well. Was worth the temporary big reduction in security for a good card.

Originally Posted by bubbas45

Fbone, thanks! They responded _very_ quickly.

Also, Stark Library in Ohio did not have a procedure online, but they responded to email as follows:

Hello,
A Stark Library online account is available to non-Ohio residents for a $30 annual fee. To apply, send the following information to ecard@starklibrary.org:

Full name (including middle name)
Physical address
Telephone number
Birth date
Email address

You will receive a barcode via email from the library with instructions on paying the $30 fee. Thank you for your interest in Stark Library.

[jkrzok]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Unless there has been a recent change, BPL requires in-person activation of a library card, photo ID, and proof of address (like a utility bill).

BPL has two levels of library card. There is a "real" card that does require in-person application, proof of residency and id. There is also an ecard option which is open to all state residents good for ebooks and streaming. It's been a few years but I seem to recall that they did ask for a scan of id and residency proof when I applied. Location also had to be proved so I turned off my VPN. Renewal just requires location verification.

New York state residents can also get an ecard at Queens PL. From what I recall all they asked was for location services to be turned on and a pinkie swear that I was eligible for a card.

The NYPL is also open to all state residents but I got a "real" card there many years ago (after a tour of the Schwarzman building). They also have a ecard option that doesn't require an in person appearance.

So as an Erie County (Buffalo) resident I get access to four libraries, all three of the NYC libraries and my local. Oddly this generosity is not reciprocal; NYC residents can't get a Buffalo card.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by jkrzok

BPL has two levels of library card. There is a "real" card that does require in-person application, proof of residency and id. There is also an ecard option which is open to all state residents good for ebooks and streaming. It's been a few years but I seem to recall that they did ask for a scan of id and residency proof when I applied. Location also had to be proved so I turned off my VPN. Renewal just requires location verification.

New York state residents can also get an ecard at Queens PL. From what I recall all they asked was for location services to be turned on and a pinkie swear that I was eligible for a card.

The NYPL is also open to all state residents but I got a "real" card there many years ago (after a tour of the Schwarzman building). They also have a ecard option that doesn't require an in person appearance.

So as an Erie County (Buffalo) resident I get access to four libraries, all three of the NYC libraries and my local. Oddly this generosity is not reciprocal; NYC residents can't get a Buffalo card.

I think the ecard options may be fairly recent--as in since covid. A few years back I had to go in person to both Brooklyn and NYPL branches, with ID, to activate my cards (I'm in Queens), despite telling them I only wanted digital access. But the last time I needed to renew NYPL, there was a digital-only option, and I used that instead.

The lack of reciprocity by other NYS libraries is annoying. I would like to have access to the digital collections on Long Island, at least!

[driscoll4242]

Probably of interest to this thread as well, I scraped all of Overdrive earlier this January and below are all the libraries with over 200,000 items (eBooks and audiobooks), if I did 100,000 as the cutoff it'd be 89 libraries long which would be a bit much for a post., full details are in this spreadsheet and the scraping script and some analysis over on my blog.


Library Name ---- Total ---- EBook Total ---- Audiobook Total

1. Los Angeles Public Library (CA) --> 543,578 --- 430,459 --- 108,737
2. Sno-Isle Libraries (WA) --> 398,988 --- 276,404 --- 118,200
3. National Library Board Singapore (Singapore) --> 325,885 --- 273,265 --- 50,916
4. Livebrary.com (NY) --> 322,971 --- 239,358 --- 83,612
5. King County Library System (WA) --> 298,932 --- 221,054 --- 73,541
6. CLEVNET (OH) --> 295,941 --- 220,797 --- 70,770
7. MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary (MN) --> 293,978 --- 231,353 --- 58,980
8. Auckland Libraries (Auckland) --> 291,148 --- 225,285 --- 63,534
9. Toronto Public Library (ON) --> 277,630 --- 223,346 --- 51,019
10. Pikes Peak Library District (CO) --> 276,774 --- 195,814 --- 76,603
11. Old Colony Library Network (MA) --> 275,863 --- 229,360 --- 42,128
12. Metropolitan Library System (OK) --> 271,353 --- 193,130 --- 73,850
13. New York Public Library (NY) --> 267,430 --- 202,787 --- 64,643
14. Brooklyn Public Library (NY) --> 265,775 --- 196,517 --- 69,258
15. Student Union Recreational Library, SURLY MSA (VIC) --> 260,375 --- 202,339 --- 58,036
16. The Ohio Digital Library (OH) --> 258,273 --- 200,515 --- 53,397
17. Indiana Digital Library (IN) --> 240,734 --- 188,134 --- 48,214
18. Indianapolis Public Library (IN) --> 238,768 --- 168,647 --- 65,782
19. Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV) --> 238,207 --- 161,433 --- 72,401
20. Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (OH) --> 235,415 --- 172,405 --- 58,622
21. Sacramento Public Library (CA) --> 234,931 --- 177,740 --- 52,812
22. Multnomah County Library (OR) --> 232,029 --- 166,021 --- 61,951
23. Harris County Public Library (TX) --> 229,075 --- 165,051 --- 59,637
24. Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (FL) --> 220,904 --- 176,485 --- 40,069
25. Seattle Public Library (WA) --> 213,354 --- 155,136 --- 58,217
26. Connors State College (OK) --> 210,876 --- 7 --- 210,869
27. Nashville Public Library (TN) --> 209,034 --- 154,442 --- 50,253
28. Austin Public Library (TX) --> 201,508 --- 135,931 --- 61,184
    

[Debi]

WOW!!!!! I remember having a Singapore library card. How long ago was that? I think I had a Sony 700 back then.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Debi

WOW!!!!! I remember having a Singapore library card. How long ago was that? I think I had a Sony 700 back then.

Me too....

[PlatinumWarlock]

Originally Posted by driscoll4242

Probably of interest to this thread as well, I scraped all of Overdrive earlier this January and below are all the libraries with over 200,000 items (eBooks and audiobooks), if I did 100,000 as the cutoff it'd be 89 libraries long which would be a bit much for a post., full details are in this spreadsheet and the scraping script and some analysis over on my blog.

Great resource - thank you! I live in Washington State, and as such have access to the Sno-Isle Library, which is #2 on the list - but it would never have occurred to me to investigate that.

[driscoll4242]

I updated the wiki for the non-resident cards for some of the main details, though I think I need to go through and overhaul that page a bit as I have really the entire Overdrive details and could expand out the state by state sections quite a bit. But project for the future unless someone else wants to.

[Avice]

Digital Library of Korean Literature (DLKL): Sign up for a free Individual Membership https://library.ltikorea.or.kr/user/type and you can use that login for FREE access to DLKL's OverDrive library of ebooks & digital audiobooks of Korean literature translated into various languages. https://lti.overdrive.com/

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Avice

Digital Library of Korean Literature

Today I finished The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman in North Korea by Sung-Yoon Lee. This Overdrive collection does not seem to have that, but the collection is obviously in my range of interests. So thank you!

Digital Library of Korean Literature looks to be sponsored by a legitimate non-profit organization. Does anyone know who curently funds them?

[Avice]

As part of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, the Digital Library of Korean Literature is a government-affiliated organization under South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. https://m.koreaherald.com/amp/view.p...20210514000649

[SteveEisenberg]

Thank you Avice!

This raises the question of whether other countries host free Overdrive collections. I just found one from the Japan Foundation:

https://tr.jpf.go.jp/jf-overdrive-digital-library/

We are a non-profit organization, funded by an endowment from the Japanese government, annual government subsidies, as well as private sector donations.

And I just looked a bit for religion-specific Overdrive collections and found this:

Contact library@baus.org to sign up for an eLibrary card and access to many Buddhist ebooks and audiobooks!

I’ve mentioned before the Montreal-based Jewish Public Library, which charges CN$18 a year:

https://jewishpubliclibrary.org/usin...p-and-friends/

[Avice]

Japan House LA states affiliation with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and allegedly offers a free Libby/Overdrive library of books about Japanese culture, but I haven't tested it because I don't want to use my mobile text number to get a library card number.
https://www.japanhousela.com/venue/library/
https://japanhousela.overdrive.com/

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Thank you Avice!

This raises the question of whether other countries host free Overdrive collections. I just found one from the Japan Foundation:

https://tr.jpf.go.jp/jf-overdrive-digital-library/

Since it wasn't immediately obvious to me how to get to the sign up page, here's the direct links:

• For USA residents
• For Canadian residents

And this appears to be the actual library, if you want to see what books they have before registering. It has 2,451 titles total.

If you don't want to use your real phone number, there are free apps that give you an additional phone number. Those only work over WiFi and your phone's data connection, but you can make and receive calls using them. I use 2nd Line and it shows the occasional ad + requires me to make a call or send a text once a month to keep my number. It's also available for iOS. If you start getting a ton of spam calls on the number, you can always drop it. I rarely use mine beyond making calls to keep it active, and I haven't had any problems with that.

You can also use Google Voice to get a second number, but it requires a Google account and I know not everyone wants to have one of those.