September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month and we love to celebrate all month. Don’t have a library card? Come into the library, get one, and use it! The smartest card in your wallet is your library card!

We’d love for those of you who do not have a library card to stop by the library and sign up for one. As many know, the library does require a library card to check out materials. If you don’t have one on you, we accept a photo ID for checkout. If it has been awhile since you’ve visited the library or you’ve lost your library card, visit us during the month of September. We’ll waive the $1 replacement fee to celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month.

With your card you get access to books, audiobooks, digital materials, movies, magazines, music, newspapers, puzzles, games, and more! Your New Ulm Public Library card also gives you access to materials from other Minnesota libraries, which can be delivered for you to pick up locally at the New Ulm Public Library. It’s one of the most cost effective back-to-school supplies available.

There are a number of things you can do to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month:

1. Visit your library online. Check out the library’s website for up-to-date information, the library catalog, and other resources. A couple of resources to check out:

a. For genealogy buffs, Ancestry Library Edition is available from the comfort of your home through the end of 2021. It’s an online family history resource usually only accessible from the library.

b. EBooksMN is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages, and features titles from our state’s independent publishers, as well as highly-regarded national and international publishers.

c. For fans of e-books and audiobooks, with the click of the Libby app, you can browse materials for checkout through Overdrive from the comfort of home or while you’re waiting to pick up a kiddo from school.

d. For our craft enthusiasts, check out Creativebug tutorials for your next project.

2. Visit your library in person. We would love to see you this month as you grab materials. Do you have friends who don’t have library cards? Invite them to sign up for one during September. We continue to provide contactless pickup of library materials in the library’s vestibule for those who would prefer not to come into the library.

3. Through a Minnesota Library Reciprocal Borrowing Compact, with your New Ulm Public Library card you can get a library card from any library in Minnesota and explore a library while traveling.

4. Visit our website at www.newulmlibrary.org and sign up for our email newsletter and Wowbrary (where we showcase new titles that have hit the library shelves) even if you don’t have a library card!

5. Next time you’re in the library, grab a copy of BookPage, sponsored by the Friends of the New Ulm Public Library, to find your next read.

Whatever you do to celebrate the month, make sure to enjoy the last few weeks of reading outside. If you don’t have a library card, we encourage you to stop by this month to sign up for a card, replace yours, or to continue to access the wealth of resources we offer. It’s the most important card in your wallet! We look forward, as always, to seeing you in the library!

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday to Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.