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The eCard from the San Francisco Public Library – updated

Update: Penny Scott has alerted us that SFPL’s eCard program has been suspended due to electronic vendor licensing agreements. See Penny’s comment #5 below. — Debbie B.

The San Francisco Public Library has introduced a new kind of library card. They call it their eCard and any California resident can register on their website for one. You don’t even have to go to the library to register, you can do it all at your computer.

It gives you access to all of their electronic resources and databases. They have some databases that we don’t subscribe to here at USF, like the San Francisco Chronicle Historical file or the History Resource Center.

So if you are a student, faculty, or staff person, getting an eCard increases your access to more electronic resources!

And thanks to Jerry Dear, an SFPL Librarian, who pointed this new resource out to me.

8 thoughts on “The eCard from the San Francisco Public Library – updated”

  1. This is so awesome!! Every USF faculty, student and staff should get this e-card!! A nice complement to what’s available here at USF!!

  5. Hi all,

    Just went to SFPL’s web site to look at databases, and found this notice:

    ***
    Special Notice Regarding E-Card Users: Due to electronic vendor
    licensing agreements, San Francisco Public Library must suspend issuing
    e-cards, effective immediately. Existing e-cardholders must validate
    their current address no later than April 10, 2009 in order to continue
    using SFPL databases and other electronic resources remotely. This
    validation must take place in person with appropriate identification and
    proof of address at any San Francisco Public Library Branch or the Main
    Library. The Library will continue to investigate ways of offering a
    revised e-card in the future. We recommend that non-San Francisco Bay
    Area residents check for similar electronic resources at their local
    public library. We apologize for the inconvenience.
    ***

  6. It’s too bad. Still, there are a couple of SFPL branches nearby where anyone with proof of a San Francisco address can obtain a “validated” library card, that will allow remote access to the databases. There’s Park Branch on Page St. near Cole, the Western Addition Branch on Scott and Geary, and the Main Library at the Civic Center on Larkin and Grove.

  7. Yes–This updated policy went into effect just yesterday morning. I reckon some of the commercial vendors were unhappy with the access SFPL was granting throughout the state of California.

    In other news, we’ll be working on developing our electronic media collection via Overdrive(?) somewhere down the road. Stay tuned.

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