How to Get a Library Card

See what you can do with a library card:

• Borrow books, movies and music
• Use our computers and the Internet
• Download eAudiobooks 
• Reserve or renew items online, or check due dates
• Use the Library's online research tools from home or in our libraries

Boise residents and those owning property within Boise City limits qualify for free Boise Public Library borrower cards.  Your card gives you full access to all of our services for one year, and you'll be able to use it at any Boise Public Library location and in most southwest Idaho public library systems. See card designs.

Borrower Card - Apply in Person or Online

Apply Online - It's Easy!

1. Go to the Online Library Card Application  and fill out the information.
2. Visit a Boise Public Library location in person to activate your card.  You must activate it BEFORE you can do any online transactions.
3. To receive your permanent library card bring in a photo ID and proof of your current address. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian will need to be present to approve your application and show photo identification and proof of current address.

Apply in Person

1. Visit any Boise Public Library location.
2. Fill out an application.
3. Show a photo ID and proof of your current address. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian will need to be present to sign the application and show photo ID and proof of current address. 

Choose from Several Great Designs

When you choose a library card, if you're a Boise resident, you can select from several fun designs that capture the excitement and adventure of the exclamation mark in LIBRARY!   

Other Types of Cards Available

If you don't live in Boise or don't meet other criteria for a library card, other options are available.  Please call your neighborhood library for more information on any of the following options:

• Temporary Library Cards:  If you do not have a permanent address, but are living within the Boise City limits, you may apply for a two-month temporary library card with your photo ID and proof of address.
• Internet-only Cards:  If you can provide photo identification but not proof of address, you may apply for a one-year Internet-only card.
• Non-resident Library Cards: If you reside outside the City of Boise, you may purchase a borrowing card for $69.30 per year.  (Senior citizens 62-years and older and most students who attend school in Boise: $17.33 per year.)  Cost is subject to change.
• Corporate/Business Library Cards:  Businesses with principal offices in the Boise City limits needing access to the Library's resources and Interlibrary loan service for work-related projects may apply for a BusinessLink library card.  These cards are valid only at Boise Public Library locations. 



This limited edition Boise150 card features detail from the Library! at Collister public art, The Museum & Farm of Ideas, by Stephanie Bacon. Using literary references in murals and architectural accents, the installation speaks to various disciplines, including geography and maritime exploration.

This limited edition Boise150 card features an image from the Library! at Hillcrest public art, Project: Artifact, by Bill Lewis. The series of small paintings focuses on old tools associated with writing, printing and literacy.

This pop art illustration is from the stock photo disc "Pop Life", by Paul Gilligan. Gilligan's work is inspired by Roy Lichtenstein and comic book artists of the '60s.

Keepsies, the bronze sculpture of three lifesize children playing marbles, was created by renowned sculptress Ann LaRose. It was dedicated in 1987 as a public art piece by the Boise City Arts Commission, and is permanently located in the Grove in downtown Boise. Photo by Karen Bubb.

A member of the carp family, the goldfish was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated. Some cultures associate them with serenity, wealth and happiness.

Boisean Monte Stiles took this photo of an Amur tiger at Zoo Boise. Zoo Boise participates in a Species Survival Plan for this endangered species, Panthera tigris altaica.

Various theories have labeled Stonehenge a ritual site, an observatory, a calendrical device, and even the burial place of Celtic kings. Located on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England.

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