What does it take to get a library card?

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, May 2018; written by Pat Tully

The Ketchikan Public Library’s mission is to serve the people of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, and it is funded by both the City and the Borough. Your local taxes help pay for Library services. But sometimes misunderstandings arise when a person comes in to sign up for a Library account.

“Why do I have to show proof of current residency or property ownership to get a Library card? Why do you make it so difficult?” We know that this can be inconvenient—some people do not routinely carry a photo ID with a current address, or other documentation proving that they currently live or have property in the Borough. But since the Library’s primary mission is to serve residents of the City and Borough, we have to ask for documentation confirming that you are a resident.

For people who are new or seasonal residents, the Library offers a temporary card for a small fee and a refundable deposit. With a temporary card, a person can check out a limited number of items.

Children who attend Borough schools receive their own Library account by the end of first grade, and can use that account to check out their books at their school library or at the Public Library. Children who attend private or parochial school or who are home-schooled, can sign up for a card with a parent or guardian, as soon as they are able to write their name.

Why do we need to see proof that you currently live or own property in the Borough? The reason is that the Library is funded by the City and the Borough, since the Library’s mission is to serve the people of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, and is funded by both the City and the Borough.

The Ketchikan Public Library, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Libraries, and the University of Alaska Southeast – Ketchikan Campus Library share a single catalog. Using this catalog and your First City Libraries card you can request books, DVDs or other materials from any of our libraries, and they will be delivered to your home library and held for you.

To register as a permanent borrower at the Ketchikan Public Library, a person will need to present a valid Alaska picture ID and a piece of mail they have received with a local mailing address. A local property tax receipt is proof of residency. Coast Guard Personnel need to present their military ID. Everyone is eligible for a temporary card and that card can be changed to a permanent card whenever the person has the required pieces of ID and mail. This policy is for the Ketchikan Public Library only and does not apply to the other partners in the First City Libraries Consortium. They each have their own registration policies.