Prince Memorial Library will be issuing new library cards to every cardholder beginning the week of Jan. 23. The new cards are part of the Cumberland library’s upcoming transition to Minerva, Maine’s statewide borrowing consortium of over 60 libraries.
As a shared library system, Minerva will allow Prince Memorial Library cardholders to access books from every Maine library in the Minerva consortium.
“We’re excited about the transition to Minerva and are taking it one step at a time,” Library Director Thomas Bennett said in a press release. “This opportunity will expand the library offerings considerably.”
The new library cards will include new library card numbers, and cardholders will be asked to complete a new registration form.
The staff is also urging cardholders to brush up on their understanding of the library’s privacy policy, which follows Maine state law and stipulates that the library will only share personal account information with a cardholder, no matter their age.
“It’s important for parents and children, in particular, to know that having a library card has many obvious rewards, but it also has a measure of responsibility,” Bennett said.
Under state law, all children under the age of 18 are entitled to the same privacy as adults when it comes to their library card information.
This means that library staff will be asked to speak to children about overdue books, with permission from parents or guardians. The library will also have the ability to send a letter home if necessary.
While the privacy policy is not exclusive to Minerva, it’s a good reason to talk about it, Assistant Director Stacy Mazur told The Forecaster.
“It gives kids space to explore topics that they’re interested in that they might not be ready to tell their parents about yet,” Mazur said. “We always encourage parents to be involved in what their children are reading.”
“Card Party” week will be held from Jan. 23 through Jan. 27. Cardholders can enter a raffle for prizes from local businesses when they pick up their new cards.
“We’re hoping to get a lot of people coming in that week,” Mazur said.
Prince Memorial Library hopes to be fully onboarded with Minerva by the fall. The library is located at 266 Main St.
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