May 2021
Quick Facts
- Multnomah County residents can get a free library card.
- Residents of Clackamas (except Johnson City), Hood River, Washington, Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania counties can get free library cards. In addition, some Cowlitz County residents, can get a free library card.
- Many people can get free library cards:
- Teachers who live or teach in the free service area
- Students who live or go to school in the free service area
- People who pay certain property taxes in the free service area
- People who have library cards at Passport Program libraries
- Library volunteers
- Find an unknown zip code and/or county with USPS zipcode lookup.
Note: Metromap is not recommended for this task, as it does not include all of the counties in the free service area. - Free service area map
Policy
Residents of Multnomah County are eligible for free library cards. In addition, the Metropolitan Interlibrary Exchange (MIX) reciprocal agreement allows residents of participating areas to receive library services at any MIX library.
The free service area (see map) includes:
- Clackamas County, Oregon -- except for Johnson City
- Hood River County, Oregon
- Multnomah County, Oregon
- Washington County, Oregon
- Clark County, Washington -- including the city of Camas (CAMAS_WA)
- Klickitat County, Washington
- Skamania County, Washington
- Yale Precinct, Cowlitz County, Washington
- City of Ariel, Cowlitz County, Washington
- City of Cougar, Cowlitz County, Washington
- City of Woodland, Cowlitz County, Washington
Reciprocal libraries are:
- Camas Public Library
- Fort Vancouver Regional Library
- Hood River County Library District
- Library Information Network of Clackamas County (LINCC)
- Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS)
Educators
An educator who lives or teaches in the free service area may receive a free Educator card. Use the user profile 4_EDU. If an educator lives outside the free service area but teaches in it, add a History field to the account:
"Patron teaches in free service area. LM/GSM 1/5/2025"
Students
Students who lives or go to school in the free service area may receive a free library card.
If the patron's account lists an address outside the free service area, add a note to the account stating that the patron attends school in the free service area.
"Patron is a student in free service area. LM/GSM 1/5/2025"
Staff and volunteers
- Library staff who live outside Multnomah County or the free service area may get full-access library cards.
- A person who volunteers at the library may have a free library card.
- Staff and volunteers should use the user profile 0_MULT, their county of residence, and add a "Y" to a Staff field in the Extended Info tab.
Others
- A person who resides outside the free service area and pays property taxes in the free service area may be eligible for a free taxpayer card.
- A patron who lives outside the free service area and has a library card from a participating Oregon Passport Program library may receive a Passport library card. It does not matter where the patron lives, only that a library card from a participating library is presented at registration.
- People who live outside the free service area may purchase library services for one year for a fee of $180.00 per household.
Note: Interlibrary Loan services are only available to Multnomah County, taxpayer and fee patrons. Reciprocal patrons can use the Interlibrary Loan services in their home county.
Telephone Notices
Telephone notices will be sent to any area code, not just those in the free service area.
Rationale
Much of the library's financial support comes from property taxes paid by residents of Multnomah County. Reciprocal libraries are also supported by local taxes.
The reciprocal agreement, Metropolitan Interlibrary Exchange (MIX), allows residents of participating areas to receive library services at any MIX library.
The Passport Program allows card holders from participating Oregon libraries, who are also paying taxes to support library services in Oregon, to receive library services at other participating libraries.
Patrons who live outside the free service area provide financial support with taxes or a library card fee. See Taxpayer cards and Fee registration cards.
Application
To determine a patron's county, search by their address in the United States Post Office Zip Code Lookup. Click on the down arrow next to the address to see what county it is in.
See the Free service area map.