Library Memberships

Library Memberships —

The Idaho Falls Public Library provides library services to residents of the City of Idaho Falls.

The information on this page is governed by our circulation policy.

Page content:

New Memberships

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The following membership classifications are able to obtain Library cards and check out items from the Library:

  • Tax supported membership: People residing within City limits or employed by any Department of the City of Idaho Falls are eligible for a tax supported membership without additional charge being paid at the Library and with full borrowing privileges.

  • Fee supported membership: People living outside the City are eligible for membership for the annual fee set each year by the Idaho Falls Public Library Board of Trustees. If no new fee is set, then the fee from the previous year will remain in effect.

  • Property owner membership: People who own property within City limits are eligible for property owner membership by presenting proof of tax assessment for City property that they own within City limits. Property owner membership is good for one (1) year and must be renewed each year.

    • The formula for calculating the property owner membership fee is as follows:

    • If the taxable value of the property multiplied by .0006 is greater than the Fee Supported Membership Cost, then a Library membership will be issued at no additional cost.

    • If the taxable value of the property multiplied by .0006 is less than the Fee Supported Membership Cost, then the sum of the above calculation is subtracted from the Fee Supported Membership Cost and the property owner will need to pay the difference to obtain a property owner membership.
  • Temporary Membership: People living in City limits who do not have a current identification issued by the State of Idaho and eligible for a temporary membership valid for up to ninety (90) days from date of issuance. Temporary membership holders may checkout only two (2) items.

Registering is a two-step process:

  1. Create an account through our online catalog and then …
  2. Visit the library to verify your identity and local residency† and pick up your card.

†Required Documentation

Picture identification, an identification card with a photo issued by the State of Idaho, or an Idaho State Driver’s License, or other photo Identification acceptable to Library staff, and proof of residency within City limits are required to register for a Library card.

Please also bring one of the following showing your name and current, physical address:

  • Recently postmarked mail
  • Utility statement
  • Car registration slip
  • Checkbook register
  • Paycheck stub (employer-printed)

If you do not have photo identification issued by the State of Idaho, you may sign up for a temporary library memberships while you finish the process of establishing residency (see details below).

Please note that the library:

  • Will not accept expired identification.
  • Does not accept school identification cards as proof of identity.
  • Does not accept lease or rental agreements as proof of local residency.

Property owner and Military Memberships require additional documentation (see details below).

Children’s Memberships

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Parents/Legal guardians are legally responsible for all Library materials borrowed on their dependent’s card(s). Parents/legal guardians are responsible to supervise and monitor their child/children’s use of the Library and Library materials.

Children below the age of eighteen (18) are required to have a parent or legal guardian appear in person at the Library to obtain a Library card. The parent/legal guardian is required to present photo identification and proof of residency within City limits prior to registering a child for a Library card.

A parent or legal guardian now selects either a restricted or unrestricted Library card to be issued to a child registering for a Library card.

  • Unrestricted Card: An unrestricted card allows a child access to everything in the Library, except for adult graphic novels, Blu-Ray and DVD movies.

  • Restricted Card: A restricted card allows a child to check out materials ONLY from the children’s Library collection located on the first floor of the Library.

    • Note: Adult graphic novels and DVD/Blu-Ray movies may only be checked out by Library cardholders who are over eighteen (18) years of age and only using the library card issued to them.

Temporary Memberships

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Those living inside the City of Idaho Falls who don’t have Idaho-issued identification have not yet, as per library policy definition, established local residency and cannot yet sign up for a tax supported membership with full borrowing privileges. Persons in this situation may sign up for a temporary library membership while they apply for Idaho identification. Temporary memberships have a 2-item borrowing limit and expire annually. Temporary borrowers do not have access to the interlibrary loan program.

To sign up for a temporary membership, bring your out-of-state driver’s license plus one of the following bearing your name and local address:

  • Recently postmarked mail
  • Utility statement
  • Car registration slip
  • Checkbook register
  • Paycheck stub (employer-printed)

Upgrading from Temporary to a Tax Supported Membership

To upgrade a temporary membership to a tax supported membership, simply present your Idaho-issued photo identification at the library’s second-floor service desk and request an account change to tax supported membership. Tax supported memberships have full borrowing privileges, including access to the interlibrary loan program. Because this is just a change to your account status, you will keep the same physical card (your library card number will not change).

Property Owner Memberships

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Anyone who lives outside the City of Idaho Falls but owns property within the limits of the City of Idaho Falls may sign up for a tax supported library membership by showing their photo identification and most recent tax assessment for the property. To sign up for a property owner membership, you must own—not lease—the property listed on the tax assessment. Owning property in Bonneville County (outside city limits) does not qualify for this membership type.

Property owner memberships expire annually but have full borrowing privileges, including access to OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks and LinkedIn Learning.

Property owner memberships must be renewed in person at the library.

Fee Supported Memberships

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Anyone who lives outside the City of Idaho Falls may sign up for an Idaho Falls Public Library membership by presenting their photo identification and paying the $120/year household fee. Because this is a household fee, others residing at the same physical address may also sign up for a fee supported membership without extra cost (each person must be present to sign up for a membership).

Fee supported memberships have all the privileges of tax supported memberships including access to ebooks and digital audiobooks through OverDrive and to learning content from LinkedIn Learning.

Fee supported memberships have all the privileges of tax supported memberships including access to ebooks and digital audiobooks through OverDrive and to learning content through the library’s LinkedIn Learning subscription.

Fee supported memberships expire annually and must be renewed in person at the library.

Military Memberships

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Active-duty military stationed inside the City of Idaho Falls may sign up for a library membership by showing their photo identification and a copy of the current orders stationing them inside the City of Idaho Falls.

Military memberships expire annually but have full borrowing privileges, including access to OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks and LinkedIn Learning.

Military memberships must be renewed in person at the library.

Lost Cards

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If your card has been lost or stolen, report it by calling 208-612-8460. If calling after hours, leave a message with your name and phone number. If you have access to your card number, please share that in the recording as well.

Patrons may request a replacement library card, free of charge, by visiting our second-floor service desk. Library staff will ask for photo identification before issuing a new card.

Please note that replacement cards come with new barcodes. This means that any holds you might have pending on OverDrive and any course completion data you might have on LinkedIn Learning will be lost.

Damaged Cards

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If your library card has been damaged or is worn out, you may request a replacement card, free of charge, by visiting our second-floor service desk.

Please note that replacement cards come with new barcodes. If you have any holds pending through OverDrive or have completed training through LinkedIn Learning, tell our staff this before they replace your card.

Expired Memberships

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All Library cards are assigned an expiration date upon issue. The Library Director is authorized to set expiration dates for Library cards based upon Library card type and needs of the Library. Any Library card not used at the physical Library location for thirty-six (36) consecutive months may be marked expired and may be removed from the Library database.

If your library membership has expired within the past year, you can renew it:

If your membership expired more than a year ago, if you have an out-of-city (fee supported) membership, property owner membership, or military membership, or if library staff have otherwise asked you to renew your membership in person, please visit our second-floor desk. Remember to bring your photo identification and proof of address, as outlined in the required documentation section above.

If you’re not sure when your membership expired, just call or submit an online renewal request. Library staff will let you know if the membership must be renewed in person.

Account Help

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If you experience trouble logging into your library account, try one of the following:

For information about borrowing periods, checkout limits, renewals, returns, fees, notifications, or holds and requests, visit our circulation page.