September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (JMRL) joins with the American Library Association and public libraries nationwide to make sure that our students have the most important school supply of all: a library card.

JMRL encourages parents to give their children this key to lifelong learning. Resources at the library are available to anyone who has a library card, no matter how young. Students can turn to the library for materials, programs and services that support academic achievement. In an effort to promote lifelong reading, the library system has also abolished overdue fines for children under the age of 16.

If you or your child has already received a library card and the card is currently lost or worn down, the library will be giving away free replacement cards throughout the month of September.

In addition to borrowing books, audiobooks, music and DVDs, library card holders also have free online access to databases containing thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as other trusted and reliable information sources to help with homework or research. These databases can be accessed at www.jmrl.org/databases.

Using your library card, you can also download digital audiobooks, eBooks, and cover-to-cover magazines from the library’s website. Access these resources for free from www.jmrl.org/download.

Before they start school – and after – children with library cards may also attend library programs such as storytime classes that encourage growth of motor, cognitive and pre-literacy skills.

Getting a library card is simple. Visit your local JMRL branch and fill out a short registration form. Be sure to bring an ID with your address or other proof of residence. Sign your child up for a library card today and see how it brings them into a world of opportunity.