Who May Get a Library Card:
Cards are available to Residents and Non-Residents of the Town of Yarmouth
Resident Library Card:
A Merrill Memorial Library card is available free to legal residents and/or property owners, and employees who work in Yarmouth. A legal resident is defined as someone who is registered to vote in Maine, has a valid Maine driver’s license, or has registered one’s motor vehicles in Maine.
Library cards are also available free of charge to Yarmouth Property owners who are not legal residents, Town of Yarmouth employees, Faculty of Yarmouth schools, students and faculty of North Yarmouth Academy and Yarmouth business employees.
To Obtain a Resident Library Card:
Applicants must present proof of residence, property ownership, school attendance, or employment at the time of registration for a card as well as verification of mailing address.
One or more items from the following list are required:
- Valid driver’s license or state I.D. card
- Property tax receipt from Town Hall
- Utility bill with current address
- Imprinted checks with current address
- Rent agreement with imprinted address
- Car registration
- Town of Yarmouth Employee I.D. or recent pay stub
- Current Yarmouth School District I.D. or recent pay stub
- Current I.D. or recent pay stub from an educational or community service agency located in Yarmouth
Non-Resident Library Card:
Individuals not included under the Resident borrower list may purchase a “Non-Resident” card for a non-refundable fee of $40.00/year, to be renewed annually. To receive a non- resident card an applicant must present the following:
- Valid Driver’s License or State I.D. card from the out of town address
- Utility bill with current address
- Imprinted checks with current address
- Rent agreement with imprinted address
- Car registration
Library Card Renewals and Replacement of Lost Cards:
Resident library cards are renewed every year and are renewable upon verification of current address, phone number, and other information. Non-Resident library cards are valid for one year and are renewable upon verification of current address, phone number, and other information. Non-residents will need to pay the $40 annual fee as stated above. If a library card is lost it may be replaced for a fee of $2.00. In order to obtain a replacement card the individual must provide proof of identification.
Confidentiality of Library Records:
The Merrill Memorial Library safeguards the confidentiality and privacy of all borrower records, including those of juveniles, as defined by State and Federal Laws. Maine State Law, Title 27, Chapter 4-A, Section 121 states: “Records maintained by any public municipal library…that contain information relating to the identity of a library patron relative to the patron’s use of books or other materials at the library are confidential. Those records may only be released with the express written permission of the patron involved or as the result of a court order.”
This applies in all situations including the USA Patriot Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
A valid record in the patron database and the presentation of a current library card are required for checkout of all materials.
Possession of a library card is implied permission to use that card. If an individual presents another individual’s library card, whether from the same family or not, it is assumed that the person presenting the card has the permission of the card owner.
When a library staff member contacts an individual regarding library materials, the staff member will not leave specific information about the titles of the materials with a third party or on an answering machine. Specific information will only be shared with the individual whose library card corresponds to the material.
Revised April 4, 2022