Your Library Card

Library cards are issued when the applicant visits the library in person and completes the appropriate application. All cards may be used at libraries throughout Lincoln Trail Libraries System including Tuscola, Chrisman, Paris , Arcola, Charleston , Champaign , Urbana , Danville and Mattoon.   Look below for details on who is eligible for library cards based on where you live.

Children age 8 or older may have a library card. The parent or guardian must accompany them and jointly sign for the card until the child is 16 years of age. The library card is a great 8 th birthday present!

Do you live in Newman Township or the part of Murdock Township within Shiloh School District?
Everyone who lives in Newman Township and those in the part of Murdock Township that is within Shiloh School District supports the library through property taxes or housing rents. A resident, age 8 or older, may have a library card for no other cost. Parents must accompany their child under 16 years of age to the library and sign the application for the library card. Please bring two forms of identification with you to apply for the card. One of these forms of identification should have your Newman Township address like a voter's registration card, bill, letter, or receipt. If you are unsure if you live in the township, check your voter's registration card. If you vote in Newman, you most likely are in the library district.  If you live in Murdock, you live in the library district.

Do you live in Shiloh School District, but not Newman or Murdock Townships?
Illinois law defines you as a non-resident since you do not contribute to the library through property taxes or rent. Therefore, the law requires you to pay an amount equivalent to the amount a library district property owner pays. This fee is set each year by the Board of Trustees for the library following the guidelines in the law. To figure the amount you will owe, you need to look for the taxable value of your property on your property tax bill and multiply that amount by $.0025, which is the amount people within the library district pay. If you rent your home, you should multiply the amount of your monthly rent times .05 (5%) to get the amount you will owe.  Payment is made at the time the application is made for a library card. You may have a card for every member of the household age 8 or over.

Do you live in Shiloh School District , outside Newman or Murdock Townships, but own other property in the library district's boundaries? (i.e. farmland, a business, or rental housing)
Each year you may bring to the library a copy of a property tax bill that shows you have paid library taxes to NRLD. The library, by law, must retain a copy of this proof of ownership. You will be entitled to one card per parcel of property on which library taxes have been paid. 

Do you live outside Shiloh School District in a place that does not pay property taxes to any other library?
The laws in Illinois, require a non-resident (someone who does not live where property taxes are collected for a library) to purchase a library card from the library in their school district. Those households in Heritage School District get their cards from Homer. Those in Chrisman School District get cards from Chrisman Public Library. Residents in Paris or Crestwood School District get their library cards from Paris. Villa Grove School District households purchase cards from the Camargo Township Library District. The Oakland School District has no public library within its boundaries, but an agreement has been reached to have them purchase cards from NRLD, Kansas, Charleston or Arcola, whichever is physically closer. While you must purchase your library card from the closest library, your card can be used at all libraries in the Lincoln Trail Libraries System, including Newman Regional Library District.