It’s time to celebrate “the smartest card in your wallet.”

September is national Library Card Month and libraries across the region are hoping area residents will check out their public libraries and get library cards of their own.

“The theme is ‘The Smartest Card in Your Wallet’. Get it, use it. It’s your library,” said Martha Nell Thomas of Glasgow’s Mary Wood Weldon Library.

The timing of the event is perfect for the Metcalfe County Public Library, as the media center is unveiling a fully automated system.

“This is the first time that anyone in Metcalfe County has had a Metcalfe County library card,” said director Rhonda Glass.

The new system features an online card catalog and for the first time, library cards.

“We have had a really good response from the public,” said Glass. “Lots of people have been coming in and getting their library cards. People seem really excited and enthusiastic about the changes. We’re happy to have so much positive feedback.”

The library staff has been taking time to familiarize its patrons with the online card catalog and automation. In the near future, patrons will be able to review their account, renew and reserve books online.

A library card is much like a passport to the world, as it offers endless, free-of-charge possibilities, but each local county has certain criteria that must be met in order to get a card.

In Barren, Hart, Metcalfe, and Monroe counties, anyone wanting a library card must present a valid and current ID.

“Unfortunately, we can’t just take people’s word for it,” said Regina Holland of the William B. Harlan Memorial Library in Monroe County.

If a current driver’s license is not available, a recently paid bill is a suitable alternative.

“Sometimes if people just moved from out of state, their driver’s license is not updated to their new address yet,” said Thomas. “In that case, we will take a recently paid bill with a current address as proof of identification.”

At Glasgow’s library, a three-month temporary card is first issued. With the temporary card, a patron can acquire four items at a time.

At Monroe County’s William B. Harlan Memorial Library, a card is free to county residents.

“If you live, work or own property in Monroe County, then a library card is free,” said director Regina Holland. “If that doesn’t apply to you, then you can still get a card for $20 and it’s good for three years.”

In Monroe County, a child of any age can get their own card.

“You can bring a newborn in for a library card as long as a parent or guardian is with them to sign,” Holland said.

“The first time a person checks out books, they can only take two. If they bring those back on time, then they can come back and take out as many books as they like,” said Holland. “It’s like having good credit. We have to be sure that the person will be responsible and use the library the right way.”

Hart County’s library also abides by the two-item checkout policy for first-time patrons. They ask that children be enrolled in school, preschool or story hour before they obtain a card of their own.

“Of course, everything we offer is free to the public,” said director Vicki Logsdon. “We are proud to say that over half of our county’s population is registered with a card.”

Some positive changes may be coming to Monroe County’s library in the near future.

“We are in the process of looking at some of our policies,” Holland said. “I would like to make it possible for anyone ... to have a free card.”

She also hopes people will be able to check out four movies at a time for four days, rather than the current two for two days.

“With the state of the economy the way it is and the price of gas as high as it is, we want people to still be able to use the library,” she said. “We have enough movies now that I think four can be taken at a time and if they could be kept four days at a time, it would save our patrons from driving back so soon to return them.”