Onondaga County libraries bring card signups to public events

Onondaga County Public Library is taking its card table into the crowd, signing up new users at public events instead of waiting for residents to come to a branch. At the Maker Faire on Saturday, four libraries were out in the county with outreach gear, including a button maker that turned a registration stop into something more hands-on and approachable.

The strategy is built around a simple calculation: many people already know the library system, but the bigger growth opportunity is reaching residents who do not visit often. Tom Walters said the outreach is meant to connect with people who may not use branches regularly or who still carry old ideas about what a library offers. That makes the table itself part of the service, not just a place to hand out flyers.

The numbers show why the push matters. OCPL, a federated system of 32 public libraries across Onondaga County, reported 266,485 registered cardholders at the end of 2024. County residents checked out 3.3 million items that year, and 23,660 people got new cards. The system also expanded its community role through partnerships with the Food Bank of Central New York, the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, the Office for the Aging, the Downtown Farmers Market and WCNY/OPB.

This is not the first time OCPL has used large public gatherings to reach people directly. The system handed out more than 20,000 pairs of solar eclipse glasses in April 2024, showing it already knows how to meet families where they are. Recent stops have also included the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, The MOST and NBT Bank Stadium.

For residents who do not already have a card, the outreach lowers a few practical barriers. OCPL says patrons age 13 and older can start an application online, and in-person registration requires a current photo ID with a current address or two forms of identification showing a photo and current address. Once a card is in hand, the system opens access to databases, e-books, audiobooks, job-search resources, interlibrary loan, wireless printing, park passes, notary public service and community and social service resources, along with books, movies and room reservations.

OCPL also planned to show up at Syracuse’s Downtown Farmers Market in Clinton Square on Tuesdays, a busy summer gathering place with steady foot traffic. In a county where public spaces matter, the message is clear: the library is no longer asking residents to come find it first.