GET A LIBRARY CARD
Adult resident
Who qualifies for an adult resident card?
The adult, age 18 or older, must live in the official Marion city limits.
What do you need to prove your address?
Valid ID with a photo
Mail postmarked within 30 days with name and address OR
Property tax receipt.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all adult checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 3 years.
Child resident
Who qualifies a child resident card?
The child (under age 18) must live in the official Marion city limits.
What does adult sponsor need to prove address?
Valid ID with a photo
Mail postmarked within 30 days with name and address OR
Property tax receipt.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all children checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $5 or are more than 6 months old.
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How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 3 years.
Adult property-owner
Who qualifies for an adult property-owner card?
The adult must own property in the official Marion city limits. The property may be a rental unit or business.
What do you need to prove ownership at that address?
Valid ID with a photo
Property tax receipt.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all adult checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Organization
Who qualifies for an organization card?
Businesses and nonprofits within the Marion city limits
What do you need to qualify?
Written authorization from CEO, executive director or another company representative in charge of business.
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Fill out application at the Circulation Desk designating you may use the card.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. Because of public-performance rights, no movies nor other entertainment DVDs or CDs may be checked out with this card.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Nonresident adult
How can someone get a nonresident-adult card?
If you do not qualify for a resident, student, property owner, or educator card, you may buy a library card.
What do you need to get a library card?
Valid ID with photo
Pay $60 for 1 year.
Why is there a fee?
The library is supported through property taxes, which those in the city limits pay through ownership or rent. As a courtesy, the library extends privileges to students and educators affiliated with schools and colleges within the city limits.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all adult checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Marion student
Who qualifies for a Marion student card?
A child who lives outside the Marion city limits yet attends one of these schools qualifies for a children's library card. The schools: Any Marion Community School, St. Paul Catholic School, Kinwell Academy
What do you need to prove that the child attends that particular school?
Valid student ID or other proof of attendance
Parent's ID
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system; after that, borrowers have all children checkout privileges. Videos may not be checked out on child cards.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $5 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Marion educator
Who qualifies for a Marion educator card?
The teacher or administrator must work at a school in Marion city limits - any Marion Community School, St. Paul Catholic School, Kinwell Academy
What does the educator need to prove employment with a qualifying school?
Valid ID with a photo
Teacher ID or other proof of employment
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all adult checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Local college student
Who qualifies for a local college student card?
A residential student at Indiana Wesleyan University, even if permanent address is not in the Marion city limits, or a student at the Marion IVY Tech campus, even if the address is outside of Marion.
What do you need to prove student attends IWU or IVY Tech's Marion campuses?
Valid ID with a photo
Student ID or other proof of attendance
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, borrowers have all adult checkout privileges.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
This card is valid for 1 year.
Gift certificate
What is a gift certificate for a library card?
People may buy a gift certificate for an annual card for an adult or child. The card is otherwise like a nonresident adult or child card.
What do you need to get this card?
Valid ID with a photo from the card recipient (if an adult) or, if a child, a parent's ID
Payment of $60 from the gift-giver.
Are there limitations with this card?
Only 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. After that, adult borrowers have all adult checkout privileges; those under 18 have the same privileges as those holding children's cards.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old; $5 for a child's card.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
PLAC Card
What is a PLAC card?
A PLAC card allows cardholders to get a library card at any public library in Indiana.
What do you need to qualify?
Valid ID with a photo
Users first need a home card from another library if users live in a library district; if not, users must purchase a library card from an Indiana library before buying the PLAC card.
Pay $65 a year; can buy PLAC card at MPL or at your home library.
Once users get a PLAC card, they can apply for an MPL library card. Users must apply at other libraries to get privileges at those libraries.
Are there limitations with this MPL card?
The PLAC card itself only allows users to get a card at other Indiana libraries.
Once PLAC cardholders get an MPL card, users may only have 4 checkouts until the card is entered into the system. MPL users have regular borrower privileges; other libraries set their own policies.
Checkouts will be restricted if fines top $10 or are more than 6 months old.
How long before the card must be renewed?
The card is valid for 1 year.
Policies
How many, how long?
What can you check out and for how long?
First, what you can check out with adult cards.
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Books: 50, 3 weeks
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Magazines: 10, 3 weeks
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Audiobooks: 12, 3 weeks
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Music CDs: 7, 3 weeks
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Play Away Audio: 4, 3 weeks
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Play Away View: 2, 3 weeks
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Play Away Launch Pad: 1, 3 weeks
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Fiction DVDs, Blu-Rays: 7, 7 days
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Nonfiction DVDs, Blu-Rays: 7, 3 weeks
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Video games: 1, 1 week
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Framed art: 2, 8 weeks
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Stories-to-Go kits: 2, 3 weeks
Children's cards may be used to check out books, magazines, audiobooks, and music CDs, with the same limits on the number of items and how long.
Library card policies
Want more details about MPL policies regarding library cards and circulation? Check out our circulation policies.