I love reading. I absolutely love it. Mystery. Romance. Crime. Young adult. Non fiction. And more recently meditation and yoga books. I read at home, on my way to work as I’ve written about, at lunch, on trips. Basically anywhere.
As an avid reader, one of my most important possessions is my library card. When I moved to Atlanta I knew I would be taking the train to work and what better activity to do on the the train than read? So I had to get a library card. In order to get a library card from your local library you need to show proof of who you are and where you live. The following documents will suffice:
- Driver’s License
- Student ID
- Apartment lease
- Utility bill
- Printed check with current address
Check out your local library website for a comprehensive list of documents.
Armed with this knowledge and ready to quench my thirst for literature, I went to the library branch nearest my apt. Being a new resident in the state of Georgia, my driver’s license was from my home state, had my old home address so it wasn’t useful to show proof of address. I took my lease agreement and utility bill with me and stepped up to the front desk with a big grin on my face. I was so close to getting my library card. The front desk associate looked at my license and said “this won’t work. You need a Georgia government issued ID to prove I am who I say I am.” What? This made no sense. Apparently it’s because people can commit fraud with a library card. Yes you read that right. People can steal someone’s identity with a library card. Absurd.
If I wanted to steal someone’s identity, taking their library would not be the smartest move. I tried to convince the library associate that I needed a driver’s license from any state for identification and that my lease agreement and utility bill should be sufficient to show proof of address. But alas she was uninformed and did not issue me a library card. Dejected but not ready to give up, I headed over to another library branch to get my library card. And… SUCCESS. I knew that all I didn’t need a Georgia gov’t ID. I had the right documentation with me all along. I was as happy as a kid in an ice-cream shop. I now had the keys to the kingdom (ahem…library).
Reading opens the door to learning about anything and everything. It awakens your imagination and fosters a curiosity about the world and people. There is no better way to spend the day than being curled up in bed reading a well-written book that takes you into another world whether it be real-life or fiction.
After moving to Atlanta and experiencing loneliness, reading provided a solace. A great activity to engage in a new city. And I haven’t done this yet but you can also join a book club and make new friends. Win. Win. So as the title of this post says – Get a Life. Get a Library Card!