This September, Tompkins County Public Library invites you to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month and discover how a single card can open the door to endless opportunities.

With a library card, you can do more than check out books. From free classes and job resources to homework help, streaming media, and cultural events, today’s libraries connect communities to information, inspiration, and each other.

This year’s theme, “One Card, Endless Possibilities,” is a reminder that libraries are for everyone—no matter your age, background, or goals. Whether you're diving into a new hobby, searching for your next great read, brushing up on tech skills, or helping your child succeed in school, it all starts with a library card.

At TCPL, you’ll find:

• The Makerspace, which is filled with high-tech tools and the resources needed to learn a craft or hobby
• The Library of Things, where you can borrow instead of buy to fill a short-term need like a sewing machine, tools, board games, or passes to local parks, theaters and museums.
• Weekly storytimes for various ages, including a upcoming Chinese-English Bilingual Storytimes.
• The Teen Center: a dedicated space exclusively for teenagers.
• Digital access to books, magazines, movies, documentaries and more.
• Public meeting spaces and study rooms.
• One-on-one help with Technology Basics.

That’s in addition to writing workshops, yoga sessions, NARCAN training, author talks, seasonal income tax preparation help, and so much more.

Getting a library card is free, easy, and empowering. For students, it’s a key to academic success. For adults, it’s a gateway to lifelong learning. For everyone, it’s a smart way to stay connected to your community.

In September, your library's outreach team will be at Foodnet Meals on Wheels events at Loaves and Fishes and Titus Towers sharing library resources and offering on-the-spot library card sign-ups.

You can also sign up for a library card at The Kitchen Theatre before and after its production of the play “Bad Books,” a dark dramedy on censorship and parenthood that centers around a mother who declares war against her local library after her teenage son brings home a "vile" book.

TCPL staff will join two special Around the Kitchen Table talks following the production.

• Who Decides Books are Bad? Censorship and Parental Rights
  Where is the line between censorship and parent’s rights? Lisa Swayze from Buffalo Street books will lead this important discussion, which will include TCPL staff members who make decisions on which books to include in the collection. The talk will follow the Saturday, September 13 showing.
• Librarians Get Loud: Mythbusting Library Culture
  People have a lot of misunderstandings about libraries. Join the conversation with TCPL librarians after the matinee showing on Sunday, September 14 to check your preconceived notions about life in the stacks.

Stop by your library at 101 East Green Street in Ithaca or visit us online at www.tcpl.org to sign up for your card today. Because with a TCPL card, the possibilities are truly endless.