Library Cards

#card-benefits

Card benefits

The benefits of having a Princeton Public Library card are many. As a library member, you can:

• Borrow items from our print and media collections
• Check out content from our eLibrary, including e-books, downloadable audiobooks, digital magazines, streaming music, movies and television
• Access our research databases from home
• Receive one-on-one, online homework help and test prep materials through Brainfuse
• Develop marketable skills or start a new hobby with LinkedIn Learning
• Learn a new language with Rosetta Stone, Mango Languages and Muzzy
• Make reservations through our Museum Pass Program, which offers complimentary admission at several cultural institutions and museums
• Borrow a Mac laptop to use within the library
• Receive up to two hours of free parking per day in the Spring Street Garage with each visit to the library.

#card-eligible

Who’s eligible?

Free library cards are available to all residents of the Municipality of Princeton. Resident library cards are valid for three years and may be renewed with valid ID and proof of Princeton residence.

Free library cards are also available to:

• Non-resident Princeton property owners
• Proprietors of a business located in the municipality of Princeton and executive directors, presidents or CEO’s of a business or non-profit located in the municipality of Princeton.
• Teachers, staff and students of Princeton Public Schools
• Staff and students of Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary and the Institute of Advanced Study
• Teachers in a private school located in the Municipality of Princeton
• Princeton Public Library employees and Board Members
• Librarians employed in a library located in New Jersey
• Princeton Municipal Staff; Fire and First Aid & Rescue Volunteers/Employees

Exempt and Non-Resident library cards are valid for one year and may be renewed with proof of criteria being met.

Reduced Fee Non-Resident Library Cards  are available to:

• Senior citizens age 62 or older ($75/year)
• Employees at a business in the Municipality of Princeton ($75/year)
• Students attending a private school located in the Municipality of Princeton ($75/year)

Cards are renewed annually.

Other non-residents may purchase cards for fees equivalent to the tax payments of local residents. The fees for one card are $35 for one month; $75 for 3 months; $100 for 6 months; and $175 for one year.

Additional Library Cards can be purchased for additional household members of Non-Resident Full Fee and Non-Resident Senior account holders. Each additional card is $15. The additional card will expire when the base card expires.

Non-resident cards may be renewed at the end of the subscription period upon payment of an additional fee.

You can get a card immediately at the library’s first floor Checkout Desk with identification and proof of residence, or other qualifying patron status, or you can sign up online and your application will be processed within three business days.

Lost library card replacement fee: $2

– Fees and eligibilities approved by Board of Trustees and taken effect on May 3, 2017.

#card-bring

What do I need to bring?

All library card applications (new cards, renewals, and lost-card replacements) require valid personal identification and proof of your patron status, detailed in the list below. If you have any questions, contact us at (609) 924-9529, ext. 1210, or email circadm@princetonlibrary.org. A staff member will be happy to assist you.

Personal Identification

• Driver’s license
• State-issued non-driver’s identification
• Passport (U.S. or other country)
• U.S. permanent resident card
• Mercer County ID
• Student ID card from one of the following: Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Institute for Advanced Study, a public or private school located in the Municipality of Princeton.

Proof of Residency in the Municipality of Princeton

• Driver’s license
• Proof of campus or school housing
• NJ motor vehicle registration
• A check from a local bank with imprinted home address
• Current rental lease
• Receipt or deed with the applicant’s name
• A current utility bill in the applicant’s name
• A current tuition bill
• Dated letter from a social services agency.

Documents Required for Non-residents to Receive a Complimentary or Reduced Fee Library Card

• Proof of property ownership in the Municipality of Princeton (current tax documentation)
• Proof of ownership of a business or non-profit organization in the Municipality of Princeton (current tax documentation)
• Proof of member of teaching staff in a school in the Municipality of Princeton (current pay stub, valid school ID)
• Proof of employment at a business in the Municipality of Princeton (current pay stub)

Minors

For applicants under the age of 18, the following may also be accepted as Personal Identification or Proof of Residency

• A parent or guardian’s valid Princeton Public Library card
• A current report card or ID from a school located in the Municipality of Princeton
• A piece of mail addressed to the minor
• A parent or guardian’s ID
• A valid health insurance card

Not Accepted as Proof

• Post office box address
• General delivery address
• Business card.

#card-sustain

Library Cards and the Environment

Our library card and its key tag are printed on Teslin and laminated with polyester. Teslin substrate is a recyclable plastic material. Teslin grades are manufactured under strict corporate guidelines for environmental compliance and waste minimization.