If you don't have a library card yet, you're missing out
Your wallet may be full of bank cards, but the card that offers the greatest value is your library card. It gives you access to all of our materials and services, and for free. Do you know all the things you can get by using your library card?
Each Beaufort County Library branch carries books on all subjects for all ages, as well as fiction best-sellers, classics, large print materials, children's picture books, graphic novels ... the list goes on and on.
Think that libraries are only about books? We also have the newest DVD releases of hit movies, television series and documentaries. If you don't see the item you're looking for on the shelf, you can put it on hold using your library card, and it will be waiting for you to pick up as soon as it's available. And you're not limited to the materials you see on our shelves: Beaufort County Library is part of the SCLENDS consortium, so we have access to millions of materials from other counties in South Carolina. Simply place a hold on the item you want, and it will be sent to your local branch in a few days. Your library card also allows you to use our interlibrary loan service, which will deliver materials from libraries all over the country to your branch library. The possibilities of what you can check out are endless.
If you prefer to read on a tablet or electronic reader, your library card will allow you to check out and hold the hundreds of e-books we have available through our 3M e-book service. Simply download the app to your device and enter your library card number and the password for your account. You can then check out or place holds on your favorite titles and take several books with you wherever you go ... all for free!
Beaufort County Library's electronic resources are full of information on any possible topic, from leisure reading suggestions to academic journals, from small business information to auto repair instructions. It's an entire reference collection that you can access from home on your computer. Thanks to your library card, you have access to dozens of subscriber-only websites that include the most authoritative information out there. Just give the reference desk your library card and we'll set you up to access these websites 24/7.
When you need to use a computer or the Internet, your library card is there to help. All Beaufort County Library branches have computers that are available for public use. All you need to do is present your library card. If your account is in good standing, you're free to use our computers to write emails, create resumes, research your family history, check your investments, finish homework or just browse Facebook -- almost any website is available to you because you have a library card.
Your credit card may be able to buy you books, movies or a computer, but your library card gives you access to millions of items and Internet resources, all for free. September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month -- if you don' t have a card, or haven't been to the library in a while, come visit us and see everything you can do.
Ann Cox is a reference librarian at the Beaufort library.
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This story was originally published August 30, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "If you don't have a library card yet, you're missing out."