How to Register for an Albany Public Library Card
- You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age, and provide an original local, state or federally issued photo identification AND street address verification. Acceptable forms of address verification are any business mail, bill or pay stub with your name and street address and a legible postmark/date from within the last four weeks. Please note that P.O. boxes are not acceptable as a street address. Applications for library cards must be made in person at an Albany Public Library location or with library staff at an outreach event.
- Residents of the city of Albany may register for an Albany Public Library card. Persons living outside the city of Albany but within Albany or Rensselaer counties may register for an Upper Hudson Library System card. Persons living outside Albany or Rensselaer counties may register for a non-resident library card for a fee of $50.00 per year. This non-refundable fee must be paid in full at registration. College students residing in Albany and Renssalaer counties are exempt from this fee, but will need to re-register for their card annually.
- Temporary residents must provide a signed letter on agency letterhead from their sponsoring agency verifying that they are currently residing at that address.
- Any youth under the age of sixteen (16) must have a parent/legal guardian present to obtain card. The parent/legal guardian must provide his or her own photo ID and address verification as detailed in #1 above. If the parent/ legal guardian has a library card, then that card must be in good standing.
- Youths 16-17 years of age may obtain a library card without a parent present IF they provide their own photo identification and valid street address verification (see #1 above). Business mail is still required but may be in the parent’s name. Youths 16-17 years of age must provide a parent/ legal guardian’s signature on the borrower application.
- Replacement library cards are $1.00, payable upon issue of the replacement card; photo identification is required for card replacement.
- Library cards are not transferable and they may not be used by anyone other than the cardholder.
- It is the cardholder’s responsibility to immediately report a lost or stolen library card. The cardholder is responsible for all materials checked out to that card until the card is reported lost or stolen.
For more information contact the Readers Services Department at the Main Library at 427-4313 or call any one of our branch libraries.
Last updated: March 2, 2011