You know you're a dedicated library user when...

[ckd]

...at the prompt "Type the 14 digit number on your library card" you don't have to look, and in fact haven't had to look for many years.

Because an arbitrary 14 digit number that lets you get books? That's worth brain space any day.

Especially when you can request the book over the Internet while attending a panel at farthingparty. Heh. (It's still in transit, alas, even though I requested it last weekend; this particular copy looks to be coming from Dedham.)

You know what else is cool, though? An application that tracks your library requests and checked-out items. Mac OS X 10.3 or later only. (Note to locals: Minuteman Library Network seems to require the beta to see your checked-out items at the moment.)

Comments

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've known my library card number for years too. Ours [counts] are also 14 digits. I wonder if there's some code to tell what library system.

[ckd]

Interestingly enough, my card is not actually a Cambridge Public Library card, or even a Minuteman Library Network card. It still works, though.

It's one of those historical accidents. My card is actually a Boston Public Library card (issued because BPL, as the library of last resort for the commonwealth, will give any Massachusetts resident a card). When I moved to Cambridge, CPL was still part of the Metro Boston Library Network, so they just updated my address and kept using the BPL card. Later there was a mass movement of many library systems (including CPL) from MBLN to MLN; as part of that, library users who "belonged" to any of those systems had their card numbers added to the MLN database so they could continue using their existing cards.

One nice feature of MLN is that due dates are determined by the library from which you checked out the book, even if you request it from another library system. CPL is quite generous, giving a 3 week loan on books, with up to 3 renewals possible.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I got a Somerille Public Library card (from the tiny branch library in Davis) when I first moved to Massachusetts in 1998, and kept using it when I moved to other towns in the Minuteman network. I changed the address in the computer system, but the card itself still said "West Somerville." I only changed it last month, when I asked the Arlington library for a new card so I could have the little keyring thingee. So I don't know my library card number anymore.