Getting Your Library Card

The application process can be completed in 5 minutes and provides instant access to books, graphic novels, movies, downloadable eBooks and audiobooks, emagazines, music, streaming videos, research databases, and our digital local history collection.

With your new library card in hand, be sure to ask a staff member to take you on the guided tour.

In compliance with Missouri state law (Section 182.230, RSMO), library cards are free for all those who reside in the following Missouri counties: Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Ripley, Stoddard and Wayne.

Individuals residing outside this service area are invited to apply for a temporary card. Temporary cards extend borrowing privileges for 30 days at a fee of $10. A temporary card can be renewed after 30 days for an additional $10 fee.

Applying for a Library Card:

An adult, ages 18 and over, will be asked to provide the following documents when applying for a library card:

• A valid government ID (driver’s license, Missouri state ID, Social Security Card, U.S. Passport, or other government issued identifications).

And:

• One document establishing residency with printed name and current, physical address. Accepted forms of residency include: personal check; current telephone, gas, electric or cable bill; mail with a current postmark (within 30 days) or voter registration card. Original physical and electronic proofs of address are acceptable. (Post office box numbers are not considered proof of residency.)

Children, ages 4 - 17, must have a parent present when applying for a library card. Parent will be asked to present documentation as described above.

The library practices a One Person, One Card policy. This policy is in place to safeguard a library card from unauthorized access. Every library cardholder will be asked to present their own library card EACH TIME library services are used.

Updating Your Library Card

Library cards are updated every two years. A library card’s renewal date can be found in the Missouri Evergreen app or provided by staff when calling or visiting the library. Library cards and contact information can be updated in person, over the phone, or online. Online renewals take 1-2 business days to complete.


Replacing Your Library Card

A library card must be presented at every check out. If a physical library card is lost or stolen, please report it to the library immediately. A library cardholder is responsible for all materials and fees charged against his or her library card until its loss is reported to the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. If a library card is lost, the cardholder must present a current, valid ID to get a new card. Digital cards can be downloaded using the Missouri Evergreen app or a physical card can be issued for a $3 replacement fee. If a library card is damaged, the library will replace the card free of charge.


What if I forget my library card?

You may still use library services if you do not have fees or lost materials on your account. You will need to show your current, valid government issued picture I.D. to allow staff to access your account. A parent or guardian listed or grouped on a child's library card may still use library services for the child after showing a current, valid driver's license or state I.D. to allow staff to access the child's account.

How to login to My Account

Have control over your library card account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Download the Missouri Evergreen app or Login at www.poplarbluff.org/myaccount to manage your library card account online.

From there, you can:

• Renew items and check due dates
• Pay any outstanding fees
• Place items on hold and let staff pull these for you for faster service when you arrive
• Check the status of your holds or cancel a hold
• Suspend your holds
  If you are going on vacation, enter the dates you will be gone and the library will delay your hold until you return.
• Update your address
• Change your password
• Update your email
• Setup email and text notifications

When applying for your library card, you are entering into a contract with Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. The card extends borrowing privileges from the library's digital, state-wide, shared, and local collections. By signing your card, you agree that you are accountable for the timely and safe return of all items borrowed on your card and agree to pay for lost and damaged items. It is the responsibility of the cardholder to report a lost or stolen card. The library card remains the property of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library.