Forum Overview :: Tansin A. Darcos's Alter Ego :: Maryland's Consolidated Library System

[quote name="Commander Tansin A. Darcos"]I am posting this from the Silver Spring Public Library on Fenton Street, which is in Montgomery County, not the county where I live, which is Prince George's County. I was, however, able to use my library card from the Prince George's County Memorial Library System here (which you have to have a card to use the computers) because of the consolidated library system Maryland operates. Any person who is a non-resident but pays property taxes anywhere in Maryland or is a resident anywhere in Maryland can obtain a library card for free from any library in any county (or City of Baltimore) in Maryland. Also, you can, instead, authorize a library card issued in one county to be recognized in another county so you don't have to carry a library card for every county you would visit, (but you can get a card from that county's library if you want.) So all I had to do was present my existing library card and my driver's license and the card is then authorized to work in Montgomery County the same as a local card. Also, because of reciprocity, a resident of the District of Columbia, Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun Counties in Virginia and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Mannasas, Virginia may obtain a library card in Prince George's or Montgomery Counties at no charge as well, because these locations will allow a resident of Montgomery or Prince George's County to obtain a library card in their jurisdiction on the same terms. Now, this only applies to neighboring areas. While I can obtain - or authorize my Prince George's County - library card in locations such as Baltimore City, Baltimore County, or Anne Arundel County (where the state capital of Annapolis and BWI Airport are located) for no charge, a resident of DC or Virginia cannot. Non-Residents who do not pay property taxes in Maryland may obtain a library card in any county, but the fee is $50 a year. That card would only be good for that county; you'd have to pay for each county you wanted a card for. I think this is a pretty nice idea. Allowing neighboring jurisdictions a reciprocal card is reasonable, but allowing someone who lives anywhere in the state to get a library card free is very generous indeed. [/quote]