BROWARD COUNTY, FL – The Broward County School Board celebrated the successful partnership with Broward County Library (BCL) that led to the creation of the BCL Digital Direct Library Card.  The digital Ecard pilot program began last year and 30,000 students are currently registered for the card. The dual use library card allows students to access digital resources and learning programs available through Broward County libraries. September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. 

"This collaboration opens the door to a vast amount of information and databases.  There is treasure of information available for free. This program allows students access to a portal of essential online resources that will allow them to locate information and check out materials in a faster, easier way. It literally combats so called ‘fake’ news as students can seek and verify information available on any platform their using,” said Broward Mayor Beam Furr. “Our community goal is to have every child reading at grade level by third grade.”  Mayor Furr is a former librarian/media specialist and the only elected librarian in the United States. 

The BCL Digital Direct Student Library Card is available to students whose parents "opt-in" to the card by filling out the consent form in the Back to School Packet for the current school year. Parents can use their school credentials to access the Broward Public Library from home or school.

“Through our continued willingness to work together we have truly transformed how students access library service - in a way that does not limit them to a specific media center or library location. The library is with them all the time,” said Broward County Library Director Kelvin Watson. 

New to the program this year Broward County Library has made their children and teen eBook collection with over 20,000 titles available to students and teachers.  

Recent national studies indicate that more than 60 percent of children living below the poverty level do not have a library card. The BCL Digital Direct Student Library Card is part of the county's commitment to support the national initiative to connect students with library resources through library card registration and data sharing.

Caption 1: Broward Mayor Beam Furr speaking at School Board meeting about the success of the Digital Direct Library Card available to students.

Caption 2: BCL Director Kelvin Watson at Broward School Board meeting encouraging the use of the Digital Direct Library Card available in partnership with the School District.

Caption 3: Broward School Board celebrates librarians/media specialists (including Mayor Beam Furr) as September is designated Library Card Sign-Up Month.