Children In Philadelphia School District Get Their Very Own Free Library Cards

[The Straight Story]

Children In Philadelphia School District Get Their Very Own Free Library Cards

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Thousands of Philadelphia school kids will begin getting city library cards, starting Wednesday.

Mayor Michael Nutter and School District Superintendent William Hite gave kindergartners at Blaine Elementary in Strawberry Mansion their very own Free Library cards. Soon, all 136,000 district students will have them.

In a district where many school libraries are closed or have no librarian, The Free Library has provided volunteers to help reopen eight public school libraries this year. Hite noted Blaine’s open library is not the rule.

“It’s very much the exception at the moment,” Hite said. “And one of the reasons this partnership is so important is because it then reopens a lot of the libraries like this one here at Blaine (Elementary).”

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/04/15/children-in-philadelphia-school-district-get-their-very-own-free-library-cards/

[dilby]

1. Do Library Cards usually cost money?

Here in Oregon they don't they are a free public service, you only pay money if you are late.

[The Straight Story]

2. I am honestly not sure about there. Here in Ohio they are free w/parent signature

I see this more as a way to get more kids into libraries and give them access in one fell swoop instead of them trickling in here and there (sort of a proactive push).

Maybe someone with more knowledge than I can shed some light on it all.

[elleng]

5. You're probably right, Straight Story.

'The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the tenth-largest public library system in the United States. Wikipedia'

[Travis_0004]

6. I assumed the same thing

Give them the card, to let them know that there are library's available outside of school, and make it easier to visit them if they already have a card.

I think its a good solution, but hopefully they can reopen all the school library's (but I think they should continue to give out the cards anyway, to give kids more options.

I live in Ohio as well, and our county library is free for state residents, but 45.00 a year for non residents (which I suppose we may have some non residents, since our county borders 2 states.

[dilby]

8. Do the Parents have to sign of on this?

I would hope they are making all the parents sign paperwork accepting responsibility for making sure their children return the borrowed items. There are fees attributed to not returning borrowed items and I don't think they should be able to go after the parents unless the parents signed off on it.

[The Straight Story]

9. A good question which is not addressed in the article, might be worth

a tweet to the station (I have found news stations to be quite nice on twitter and have a good rapport with a few).

[demigoddess]

14. when I was in school

there was a library in the school, checking out only needed your name. At the public library all you had to do was ask for a library card, free with no parental signature or anything. Don't even think we had to put down our address. That is the way it is here where we are retired and I never had to pay for library card. When our local branch library opened on the first day the parking lot was filled with kids. Around here you would have to post a bouncer to keep kids out of the library!

PS. in one town we lived in the library had small branches in several strip malls around town.

[Heddi]

4. I live in Philadelphia and mine didn't cost a dime

I'm an adult, but I can't believe that it would be free for me but not for the kiddo's

[msanthrope]

12. It's free for everyone...It's called the Free Library. nt

[Heddi]

13. I know that. I was responding to the person

Who asked why the big deal was made over children getting free library cards because the wording implied that they may be other than free.

[Brother Buzz]

7. The first card is free but a replacement costs a dollar...

in my Podunk Carnegie Library.

[msanthrope]

11. It's called the Philadelphia Free Library. That's why the cards say "Free." nt

[elleng]

3. Imagine this, in Ben Frankin's town???

In a district where many school libraries are closed or have no librarian, The Free Library has provided volunteers to help reopen eight public school libraries this year. Hite noted Blaine’s open library is not the rule.

“It’s very much the exception at the moment,” Hite said. “And one of the reasons this partnership is so important is because it then reopens a lot of the libraries like this one here at Blaine (Elementary).”

[shenmue]

10. Good

Reading is wonderful. Internet access will help the kids too.