Boston Public Library Launches Online Library Card Registration in Celebration of Library Card Sign-Up Month Temporary "eCards" Now Available to MA State Residents

The Boston Public Library (BPL) is offering Massachusetts State residents online library card registration as part of its September 2006 "National Library Card Sign-Up Month" celebration. For a limited time, anyone with a valid Massachusetts address can sign up for an "eCard" barcode number on the library's website, www.bpl.org. BPL eCard barcode numbers can be used to log onto the library's site and get immediate access to great resources like audiobook and video downloads using OverDrive, library book reserves, and hundreds of electronic databases. Patrons can also bring their eCards, along with a valid photo ID, into any BPL branch or Metro Boston Library Network library branch (includes Malden and Chelsea's library systems) for an easy upgrade to a regular Boston Public Library card (a permanent, unlimited plastic library card they can carry in their wallet). BPL eCards will be valid for 6 months from the date of registration.

With the introduction of eCards, the Boston Public Library joins a select group of library systems offering online library card registration. Other systems offering online library card registration include New York; Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; and Mesa, AZ.

For more information on eCards (in our BPL eCard FAQ) or to sign up for an eCard, patrons should visit the Boston Public Library online at www.bpl.org.