Membership
Library Membership
Library membership is free to people who live in the Town of Hanover, own a business in the Town of Hanover or pay property taxes to the Town of Hanover. People who do not live in the Town of Hanover are welcome to join the library, but must pay a non-resident fee. See current fees.
Who can get a library card?
Adults
Please bring two pieces of identification with you to sign up for a library membership. One piece must be valid photo ID that shows who you are. The other piece must show where you live, such as a recent utility bill or rent receipt that is dated within the last two months.
Teens 13 +
Teens aged 13 and over may sign up by themselves. Bring one piece of ID (preferably with photo) such as a student card, and one piece of address ID such as a piece of mail addressed to you that is dated within the last two months. Parents/guardians can sign up youth under 18 who have no ID and proof of address.
Children (0-12 years)
Children 12 and under must be signed up by a parent or guardian using valid photo and address ID.
Indigenous Membership
In recognition of the fact our library stands on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation – Chippewas of Saugeen and Chippewas of Nawash, people who have a status card or band membership card from those nations can join our library with no charge provided they live in the Grey/Bruce area.
Temporary Membership
To get new members signed up quickly, we offer temporary memberships! These can be offered to individuals who are unable to provide adequate proof of address when first applying for a regular membership. Temporary memberships are valid for one month. Borrowing will be limited to one physical item from the library at a time and unlimited use of digital resources. The new library member will be expected to complete the requirements for a full library membership within the one month period.
See Membership Policy for further details
How to Register, Renew or Upgrade a library Membership
Registering
Come to the library to register for your library membership. You will need to bring photo ID with a Hanover address. If you have photo ID without an address a separate document showing your name and address, such as a utility bill or a rent receipt will also be required. For non-residents, you will need to bring proof that you own property or a business in Hanover (property tax documents are best) or pay the non-resident fee. You can choose to purchase a membership for either 3 months or 1 year.
Renewing
If you are a resident with an existing card, we need to check your details annually to renew membership. We will ask you to bring your library card (or key tag), and staff will verify your current address and contact information. For non-residents, you will also need to bring proof that you currently own property or a business in Hanover (property tax documents are best), or pay the non-resident fee. You can choose to purchase a membership for either 3 months or 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t live in Hanover. Can I still get a library card?
Yes, but it will not be free. Anyone who lives outside of Hanover’s town limits can get a membership here, but must pay a non-resident fee. You can purchase a 3 month or 1 year membership. See the current fee schedule here: https://hanoverlibrary.ca/fees/
Exception: if you own residential or business property in the Town of Hanover, you and your family are eligible for free memberships. Please bring a current Town of Hanover tax bill or your business documents with you, as well as valid photo ID and proof of your home address.
You don’t need a library membership to visit the library, read books in the library, use the computers or Wi-Fi, or attend library events and programs. Please see our Policies page https://hanoverlibrary.ca/policies/ for more details.
Why is there a non-resident fee?
Public libraries in Ontario receive over 90% of their operating budget from the city, town, municipality or county in which they are located. Residents of the Town of Hanover receive free memberships to the Hanover Public Library because their municipal tax dollars support the library. Therefore, if you pay your taxes to the Municipality of West Grey, your tax dollars support the West Grey Library System and you can join there for free. If you live in Bruce County, your county taxes support the Bruce County Library System, and you are able to join any branch of Bruce County Library System for free. Hanover Public Library is funded by a much smaller population compared with either of those libraries, and does not have enough resources to provide services for everyone wishing to have a membership.
How did we decide the fee for non-residents?
We calculate the membership fee each year for non-residents by dividing the Town of Hanover’s contribution to our annual operating budget by the total number of residents in Hanover. That way each non-resident person who chooses to join our library pays the same to use it as all Hanover residents have already paid. Please direct concerns about provision of library services to your local municipal government. Thank you for your understanding.