Are you a Massachusetts resident? I mean… do you live anywhere within MA and not just in Boston? Well, have I got news for you… Anyone living in Mass can get a free library eCard to the Boston Public Library.
I can hear you saying it… “Ok, so what?”
Well with an eCard, you qualify for some amazing and obviously free resources through the library. As a homeschool family, this of special importance to us as it adds to our digital credits and we zoom through audiobooks, indulge in educational movies and documentaries, among other things like research projects.
Who can get a free eCard to the Boston Public Library?
Let’s first talk about eligibility. I know there are a lot of parents looking for their kids to have access but maybe the child is in college and MA isn’t their primary resident. Or maybe you are employed in MA but don’t actually live there. It’s all good. There are a lot of ways you can qualify.
- Permanent residents of Massachusetts
- If you attend school in MA or live here most of the year
- Your primary employer is in MA
- If you own real estate in Massachusetts
What can you do with an online library card?
So you can’t check out physical materials with an eCard including museum passes. However, there is a massive amount of online material that can be used and accessed with your BPL eCard. Check this collection of all available online materials, but here are a few highlights:
- Access to hoopla Digital
- Watch movies on Kanopy
- Use overdrive to checkout online resources
- Access the eJournal Portal to do scholarly research online.
Why is this so great?
While kids under 13 can’t get a card, their parents obviously can! And whether you are homeschooling, remote schooling, or just want family access to a tremendous amount of resources, an electronic library card will give your family basically an all-access pass.
Apply for a Boston Public Library eCard
If you live in Boston proper, you don’t really have a need for one as you can only have an eCard or a physical card. But anyone outside of the city can use this form to apply for access to online library collections.
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