Local systems raising awareness of library card ownership

For the second consecutive year, nine library systems are collaborating to ensure every child under 18 years old in Cuyahoga County owns a library card.

The initiative, called “A Card for Every Kid Library Challenge,” takes place throughout September during National Library Card Sign-up Month.

According to a Cuyahoga County Public Library news release, the challenge is a supportive effort to raise awareness of the importance of library card ownership, and to better understand the factors that keep some children and teens from owning a library card.

This September, every library in Cuyahoga County will actively work to encourage all students to sign up for free library cards so they can gain access to the abundance of books and learning resources available in the county’s libraries. Children under 18 who already own library cards but owe fines will also be invited to take advantage of a one-time fine forgiveness anytime during National Library Card Sign-up Month, the release stated.

“Every library in Cuyahoga County shares the goal of getting a library card into the hands of every child,” said Euclid Public Library Director Kacie Armstrong, co-chair of the nine-library committee leading the “A Card for Every Kid Library Challenge.” “Through this initiative we want to reduce the roadblocks that keep so many kids in our communities from owning and using library cards. Whether its fines, lack of awareness or some other factor, we want to raise awareness and clear a path for every child to check out materials and access learning resources.”

Each library participating in the “A Card for Every Kid Library Challenge” is also inviting parents to take a brief survey in an effort to gain a better understanding of parental attitudes toward library card ownership for their children.

Last September, more than 9,100 library cardholders participated in the Challenge’s fine forgiveness program, and more than 4,000 new library cards were issued by the participating libraries. Within four months after the new cards were issued, 80 percent of the children who received them visited a local library.

In addition to Euclid, the eight other libraries participating in the “A Card for Every Kid Library Challenge” are Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, East Cleveland Public Library, Lakewood Public Library, Rocky River Public Library, Shaker Heights Public Library;, and Westlake Public Library.

For more information about the “A Card for Every Kid Library Challenge,” call Kacie Armstrong at 216-261-5300, ex. 101, or visit http://heightslibrary.org/signup_month/