I’ve had my library card, obtained at the Agoura Hills Library, since shortly after we moved here 6 years ago. I’ve been checking out books and movies for myself and the kids ever since. But this summer, my older son finally said the magic words: “How old do you have to be to get your own library card?”
Kyle, then in 2nd grade, interviewing the children’s librarian, Miss Grace.
Music to my ears. I’m a reader and a lifelong library lover. Hauling my kids to the Agoura and Westlake locations of the Los Angeles County Library system whether they wanted to go or not was self-serving, but I knew that it might rub off on them.
Doing a project using library books instead of Google
The older boy naturally loves to read, and my younger son who is now 9 finally got the reading bug when I pulled him off video games and tablet use earlier this spring. He re-discovered Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series as a result. He would finish a volume, then request a trip to the library to get the next few titles. It’s the gateway book to reading for young boys. Hooray!
Naturally, once my son expressed curiosity about getting his own card, I was all for it. I had my husband take him in to apply. The answer to his question is that there is no minimum age. A child under 18 just has to have a parent or guardian sign his application.
The little brother went along for the ride and when they all returned, they both had library cards! In a way, it’s a little more complicated because now we have three accounts to keep track of, but I’m happy to deal with that in order to foster what I hope to be a lifelong love of libraries for them.
In fact, all three of us took out books and brought them on vacation, so when we returned we had $9.00 in fees among the three of us! But I don’t mind that a bit – I am happy to support this otherwise free public resource. Not only does the library offer books, movies, and even e-readers pre-loaded with over 100 book each, but it also holds free events for kids like Mad Science demonstrations and chess classes.
