How do I get a library card?
All Topsfield residents aged six and older are eligible to receive a library card from the Topsfield Town Library. Residents can apply for an eCard from home using our eCard Registration Form, or register in-person at the library’s Circulation Desk. View our Welcome Brochure here.
By applying for a library card, applicants agree to our borrowing policy guidelines. A cardholder is responsible for all materials checked out on their card, including any fines, fees, or charges. All library card applicants will be automatically subscribed to our library’s newsletter, highlighting upcoming events. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Note: If you already have a physical card issued to you from the Topsfield Town Library, you do not need to apply for an eCard. Your physical card provides all the benefits of an eCard. Please do not use this form to renew your already-existing library card.
Apply in-person
To register for a library card, visit our library’s Circulation Desk on the first floor. Fill out our New Patron Application Form and present proof of Topsfield residency to one of our team members; you will be able to use your card immediately. Borrow physical items (like books, DVDs, and items from our Library of Things collection), place requests from any library in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, and access all of our e-resources, including Libby, the New York Times, Comics Plus, and more!
Note: When filling in our New Patron Application Form, please share with us your preferred name. Identification or a bill with a deadname or legal name is still a valid form of address verification; we will register your account using your preferred name.
Apply for a library card online from the comfort of home! Your eCard gives you immediate access to all of the e-resources our library provides, including our e-book collection via Libby, the New York Times, and Comics Plus. Place holds on books, DVDs, Library of Things items, and other items in our physical collections! Your eCard information will be emailed to the email address provided in the application.
Not from Topsfield?
Resident of Town in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC)
Library card holders in good standing from any town within the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) can borrow materials from the Topsfield Town Library. Residents of other towns within the MVLC that do not have an active library account can apply for and receive a library card in-person at the Topsfield Town Library Circulation Desk; however, residents of other towns within the MVLC are encouraged to receive a library card at the library in their town of residence or to apply online using the MVLC eCard registration form to ensure unfettered access to all e-resources offered by the home library.
Resident of Towns not in the MVLC
Massachusetts residents of towns outside of the MVLC can apply for a library card in-person at the Topsfield Town Library, or online using the MVLC eCard registration form. In-person applicants must fill out the New Patron Application Form and provide identification (i.e. driver’s license, mail, student ID, paystub) at the Circulation Desk for registration.
Living Out of State but Working in Topsfield
The Topsfield Town Library will issue a local-use only library card to those who work in Topsfield but live outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This allows patrons to only borrow physical materials from the Topsfield Town Library. Patron must fill out the New Patron Application Form in-person and provide proof of employment in Topsfield and identification to the Circulation Desk for registration.
Decertification Statement
Topsfield Town Library regretfully declines to extend borrowing privileges and library services to Massachusetts public libraries that are not certified, and to residents from Massachusetts communities that do not have certified libraries. See our decertification statement for more information.
Looking for more to borrow?
The Boston Public Library has a very extensive collection of online resources, most of which are available to anyone with a BPL eCard. eCards are available to anyone who lives, resides part-time to attend school, owns property, or works in Massachusetts.
