September is Library Card Sign-up Month when libraries nationwide join the American Library Association (ALA) to remind parents, caregivers, and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
Libraries play a crucial role in children’s education and development, offering various programs to spark creativity and stimulate an interest in reading and learning. Through access to technology, media resources, and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom and provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams, explore new passions and interests, and find their voice.
It’s easy to sign up for a library card at the library located at 80 N. 6th Street or online at MRLinfo.org/getlibrarycard/. With an online sign-up, patrons can start accessing the Digital Library Branch immediately, which offers e-books, audiobooks, movie streaming, research, legal forms, practice tests, ancestry, and dozens of other services.
At Morrisson-Reeves Library (MRL), patrons of all ages can find various free educational resources and activities, including Storytimes, Craft Classes, Live Music, Take-Home Craft Kits, Escape Rooms, The Sharing Center, and Swing Dance Lessons (available in September).
“Libraries play an important role in the education and development of children,” says Jenie Lahmann, Communications Manager, “We have library programs that serve students of all ages and backgrounds, such as Teen Craft Workshops to Bling Your Locker at school, #Digi-Lab is a STEM program where kids can explore science, Art in the Afternoon offers hands on art projects that kids can take home and display in their room.
On September 6, MRL kicks off the MOVIE Challenge, where library users can sign up for free to earn prizes for watching movies. MRL has 8,000 movies on DVD format in-house and thousands more to stream through the digital library collections. Join in the challenge where viewers watch two movies a week from various categories or subjects. Examples of a few challenges are Who Did It? – watch a mystery or suspense movie, Birth Year – watch a film produced in your birth year, or it takes place the year you were born. Visit MRLinfo.org for sign-up details.
This year, Tony Award-winning performer, actress, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist Idina Menzel (Frozen, Wicked) and her sister, author, and educator Cara Mentzel, will serve as honorary chairs of Library Card Sign-Up Month. Idina and Cara are excited to remind everyone that one of the best places to find your voice is at the library. During Library Card Sign-Up Month, they want us to explore all the library offers, like new children’s books, access to technology, and educational programming.
MRL and libraries everywhere continue to adapt and expand services to meet the evolving community needs. To sign up for a library card or to learn more about the library’s resources and programs, please visit MRLinfo.org.
For more information about Morrisson-Reeves Library services, reach out by phone at 765-966-8291 or online at MRLinfo.org.
Library Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:30 am to 8:00 pm, Friday 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, and Saturday 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Located at 80 North 6th Street, Richmond, Indiana.