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By James Gardner

Clark County Public Library

Like many iconic inventions and ideas, the humble library card is more than the sum of its parts. A physical library card is barely any different from the other cards that take up space in your wallet or the multiple cards that make your keyring feel like an elaborate handheld fan you might use while sitting on a southern porch in summer. However, like other plastic cards, it’s not what the card is that makes it valuable but what it unlocks, and there’s a lot at the library worth unlocking.

Consider what some call the primary purpose of the library card: checking out books. Books that can be flipped through because they have pages can sit in your lap when you’re in your favorite chair, and they can fill your Clark County Public Library bag (which can be purchased for three dollars at our front desk if you missed out during Summer Reading). And we also have a large variety of movies. From classic films to this year’s blockbusters, the library has movies you can enjoy from your home.

But a library card gives you access to more than just books and movies. The library uses subscription services like Kentucky Libraries Unbound, which can be accessed through your phone with the Libby app, as well as Hoopla, allowing you to check out and download books and movies right to your phone or computer. The library has all sorts of items you can check out, from Wi-Fi hotspots that allow you to access the Internet to Artful Reading kits, which are lesson plans that combine reading and the arts, from cake pans for baking to blood pressure monitors to keep healthy.

The point is that the library has a lot of things, and September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. Now is the time to experience all that the library offers. Did you have a library card a long time ago? It’s probably still in our system. Have fines on that card? We are currently fine free and have removed fines accumulated before the pandemic. Stop by our front desk or call us at (859) 744-5661 to ask about your library card status or come by the library and sign up. This month is the right month to check out what the library offers. And these programs taking place this week don’t even require a library card:

• On Sept. 6 at 2 p.m., the Kentucky Picture Show presents a Hercule Poroit film from 1982. Trying to find how a millionaire wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous. When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi. The film is rated PG. Popcorn and snacks will be provided.

• Why should kids be the only ones to get storytime? From 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 7, the library will have Adult Storytime. Sit, enjoy snacks, have fun, and listen to classic and contemporary stories being read aloud. Feel free to bring your favorite short story to read and share with others. Napping is not allowed because you won’t be able to get to sleep later.