Answered By: Katelin Last Updated: Mar 01, 2024 Views: 3165
There are a couple of options for non-residents to be able to get a Sarasota County Library card:
1. Non-Resident Card
Non-residents not on this list may fill out an application (English or Espanol) to purchase a non-resident library card. The fees for non-resident library cards are non-refundable. They are:
- $15 for a three-month card
- $25 for a six-month card
- $40 for a yearly / twelve-month card
Non-resident cards offer the same library privileges as Sarasota County resident cards.
New Ask Us video chat option! If you are unable to come into a library in person, you may be interested in requesting a video chat appointment for a new Non-Resident library card. Information is linked here.
2. Reciprocal Borrowers
Residents of several nearby /Florida counties may apply for Sarasota County Library cards as reciprocal borrowers. Just present your current home library card, a photo ID, with proof of home address.
Reciprocal borrowing allows patrons to check out physical materials and place holds on materials free of charge. Borrowing privileges do not include Sarasota County Library's online resources: databases, eBooks, and eAudiobooks. For database and e-material access, a non-resident card may be purchased for a fee (see above).
You must have a valid library card from one of the following libraries to be eligible for reciprocal borrowing:
New Port Richey Public Library
Okeechobee County Public Library
Oldsmar Public Library
Palm Harbor Library
Pasco County Public Library System
Pinellas Park Public Library
Safety Harbor Public Library
St. Pete Beach Public Library
St. Petersburg Public Library System
Seminole Community Library
Tarpon Springs Public Library
Temple Terrace Public Library
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Note that the "Digital Library Card" is a temporary, 30-day card that provides online access only. It's considered a way to help our new community members to get online access while settling in. This gives time to get to one of the 10 Sarasota County Public Libraries to get a regular card. Click here for information about how to get a regular library card with Sarasota County.
Links & Files
- Tampa Bay Library Consortium
- Burton Memorial Library (Plant City)
- Charlotte County Library System
- Citrus County Library System
- Clearwater Public Library System
- DeSoto County Public Library
- Dunedin Public Library
- East Lake Community Library
- Gulf Beaches Public Library
- Gulfport Public Library
- Hardee County Public Library
- Hernando County Public Library System
- Largo Public Library
- Manatee County Public Library System
- New Port Richey Public Library
- Okeechobee County Public Library
- Oldsmar Public Library
- Palm Harbor Library
- Pasco County Library System
- Pinellas Park Public Library
- Polk County Libraries
- Safety Harbor Public Library
- Sebring-Highlands County Library System
- St. Pete Beach Public Library
- St. Petersburg College Library
- St. Petersburg Public Library System
- Seminole Community Library
- Tarpon Springs Public Library
- Temple Terrace Public Library
- Zephyrhills Public Library
- Tampa Bay Library Consortium
- Library Card Application English
- Library Card Application Espanol
- Digital Library Card (30-day temporary) online application
- Youth Library Card (17 and under)
- Library Card Application Russian
- Library Card Application English
- Library Card Application Espanol
- Youth Library Card Application English
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Comments (2)
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Manatee county libraries allow free library cards for individuals who are not Manatee county residents as long as they can demonstrate that they work in Manatee county. Has there been any consideration on the part of Sarasota libraries of reciprocating this benefit, to avoid the need for Manatee county residents to pay the 40 dollar fee for an out of county library card?by Chris Manatee on Mar 08, 2023
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Hi Chris - thank you so much for your question. I wanted to check in with Sarasota County Library Administration to see if there was some additional and/or historical information to share in response to your question. Sarasota County allows those who work for the County and/or live at least 6 months within the County's boundaries (tax payer base) to have the benefit of a regular card. Outside of that, access to a regular card (for ebooks, for example) is restricted. Simply put, these perimeters are usually set by County in Florida mainly due to the contractual limitations from ebook vendors. You are right that a regular non-resident card is $40 - and that gives patrons full access to all of the online and physical items. Our collection of ebooks and downloadable audiobooks through cloudLibrary includes over 750,000 items, so there's plenty to choose from. Hoopla is another ebook/audiobook resource, but also includes streaming movies and music. Flipster has dozens of popular magazines, such as Consumer Reports, at your fingertips. These resources (and more) really give patrons a bang for the buck! We hope this helps to address the reasons why there is the non-resident card fee and how our reciprocal borrowing arrangement works. We truly appreciate your interest! Thank you again for asking!by Cathay on Mar 16, 2023