One Card. One State. One Good Deal.

One Card...

Did you know that your local library card can be used in *any* public library in the State of Connecticut? That's right...check it out!

ConnectiCard is a statewide cooperative program that allows any Connecticut resident to use their hometown library card at every public library in Connecticut - providing equity of access to library materials statewide.

One State...

ConnetiCard is one of the most popular and efficient resource sharing services that Connecticut libraries offer their patrons.

• Last Year over 4.6 million books and other items were directly borrowed by Connecticut residents using ConnectiCard.
• In the last 5 years, loans have increased by over 20% while funding has decreased by 7%.

One Good Deal!

A recent study indicates that it cost libraries an average of $1.05 to circulate an item to a non-resident. The current reimbursement is approximately 14¢. If libraries were reimbursed at the full $1.05 that it costs them to provide service to non-residents, CCard funding would need to be $4.9 million. Current funding is at $676,028.

How do people use the ConnectiCard program 4.6 million times a year?

• A businessman who lives in one town and works in another is able to use the library where he works.
• A woman interested in reading a book that is not available in her local library is able to drive to a neighboring library and get it immediately.
• An entire class is given the same assignment, quickly depleting the resources at their local library. Students are able to visit neighboring libraries to find the materials needed to complete their homework.
• A family's first language is Polish. Their local library doesn't have the resources to buy Polish books but they are able to use a neighboring library with a strong Polish collection.

Help Keep ConnetiCard around...

Keep Connecticard working...write to your town representative asking for increased funding. Help make all Connecticut public libraries your local library! Click on My Legislator link to find out your local Town Representative. Check out our sample letter (can be downloaded as a MS Word Document or as an Adobe pdf, too), add your comments, and send it out today.