Scott Fetters, left, private lands biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pointed natural elements like a beaver dam and native plants during a Syracuse Public Library In the Garden field trip to Pisgah Marsh on Thursday, Aug. 25. Also, pictured is Tena Heimann. Photo by Sarah Wright.

News Release

SYRACUSE — Get a library card at Syracuse Public Library this month. September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. A library card serves as a gateway for more than just books — it provides community, access to technology and so much more.

The Syracuse Public Library serves all off Turkey Creek Township, an area of approximately 8,400 people. Of those individuals, only 1,500 have a library card. That means almost 7,000 within Turkey Creek Township are missing out on access to more than over 29,000 materials, including books, audiobooks, magazines, DVDs and mobile hotspots. This figure doesn’t even factor in the digital offerings of books, audiobooks, magazines, TV shows, movies and documentaries available through the Libby and Hoopla apps — all free with a library card.

Signing up for a library card is super easy. Bring your photo ID to the library; if it doesn’t have your updated address within Turkey Creek Township, you’ll also need to have a secondary proof of residence, such as a utility bill. It takes only minutes to get a new patron established in the Evergreen Indiana system, where they have access to not just Syracuse’s items but also those from other Evergreen libraries across the Hoosier State.

To celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month, the Syracuse Public Library will also offer free replacement cards for existing patrons, who have lost them or have cards displaying a lot of wear and tear.

Patrons can celebrate the month by visiting the library and encouraging their friends and family to do so as well. Don’t forget to share a photo of yourself with your library card to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #GetLibraryCarded for the chance to win a $100 Visa gift and a poster of choice from American Library Association Graphics. Three second-place winners will receive their poster of choice. This promotion begins at noon Central Time Thursday, Sept. 1, and ends at noon Friday, Sept. 23.

Weekly Programs
While the Syracuse Public Library will close Monday, Sept. 5, in observance of Labor Day, it returns with several great programs. Come play Mahjong at 1 p.m. each Wednesday in the downstairs meeting room; the Monday session returns at 10:15 a.m. Sept. 12 and will continue each Monday like normal. Chair yoga makes its return at 9:30 a.m. Thursdays.

The Decluttering Support Group will meet at noon Thursday, Sept. 8, at Louie’s Bar & Grill. This group is perfect for people looking to simplify their lives by removing the clutter from them. It provides a nonjudgmental space to receive encouragement and helpful tips for letting go of items.

Join In the Garden’s discussion of chapters five and six in “Nature’s Best Hope” at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. These two chapters present ways to restore the natural environment. Weather permitting the discussion will be held at an off-site location; contact Becky Brower at [email protected] for more details.