# 68% of Americans have library cards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434 "2008-12-23T14:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/21 "2008-12-24T16:44:11Z")
I was the president of the Libray Board in my community for seven years and that figure (68%) is almost exactly the same as ours. I don’t see any reason to doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/22 "2008-12-24T17:35:37Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Another thing to remember is that most library cards don’t have expiration dates. An “adult American” could have gotten a library card at the age of 7, moved all over the country and still have the library card. Do you not seperate your cards into childrens and adults? How do you stop children taking out ‘naughty’ books? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/23 "2008-12-24T17:41:32Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > How do you stop children taking out ‘naughty’ books? Many libraries do not put limits on children’s cards. The parents are required to monitor all material checked out (and subsequently are responsible for all fines accrued). This is great fun when it involves the child of divorced parents who aren’t on speaking terms. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/24 "2008-12-24T18:26:53Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > One interesting thing from those studies is that a larger percentage than I would expect physically visits the library each year: 64% in 2002, 65% in 2006. Given that, the number of people with library cards doesn’t seem out of line. I think we just assume that “no one goes to the library anymore” which isn’t the case. I always find it strange when someone says they _don’t_ go to the library–most of the people I know do. (OK, I’m a librarian, but I see my friends and neighbors in there all the time.) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/25 "2008-12-24T21:13:21Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > Do you not seperate your cards into childrens and adults? > > How do you stop children taking out ‘naughty’ books? How do you define ‘naughty’ books? It’s not like most libraries have copies of porn magazines on the shelf. Most children have to have a parent who is responsible for the child’s fines. In my brother’s small town in Michigan, the library wouldn’t tell him what his daughter had checked out until he put her on the phone. She’s 9. I have no idea how they could tell it was her on the phone and not my brother. Library card registrations should go up because people need them for the free Internet access. And although it’s easier for a family to have one card, sometimes everyone in the family will have a card to get around loan limits on things like DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434/26 "2008-12-24T21:38:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > So do they expire two years after the last usage? As long as you’re using it fairly regularly, they never expire? Or do you have to sign up all over again at the end of a two-year period, no matter how much you use yours? In Chicago the card expires 2 years when you sign up for it. So if I got a card on December 1, 2008 it would not be good on December 2, 2010. It doesn’t have the experation date on the card but if you look at your card online (to see your holds and books you’ve checked out, it says “date of expiration” on the account. After it expires you can’t do anything like renew or check out or place holds. When you go to renew you have to produce something that says you still live in Chicago, like a driver’s license or state ID [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/68-of-americans-have-library-cards/478434.md?page=1)