Library Cards and Borrowing

Library Cards

The Bixby Memorial Free Library offers free library cards to residents of Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes, and Waltham, Vermont. Children under the age of 16 are eligible for a library card but must have the signature of a parent or guardian. The Bixby offers library cards for several patron categories based on residence and other factors. Different renewal dates may apply to some categories. The Bixby does not offer family cards and encourages individual cards to protect the confidentiality of our patrons. Please visit the Circulation Desk to apply for a card.

Seasonal residents of the five towns may apply for a library card free of charge. Patrons residing outside of the five towns served by the Bixby may obtain a library card for an annual fee of $30, payable via cash or check. The Bixby is a Homecard library and accepts valid library cards from other participating Vermont libraries. Check the list of Homecard library participants here. You must have your physical library card from your home library to set up a Homecard account at the Bixby.

Materials are borrowed for three weeks and can be renewed twice. No overdue fines are charged, but contributions to the conscience box are always welcome. If an item is lost or damaged, we ask that patrons pay the cost of the item so the library can replace it. Educators within the five towns may borrow materials for classroom use for longer time periods. Please let the staff know if you require a teacher’s account.

For further information about library cards at the Bixby, feel free to read our Circulation Policy.

Renewing a Card

All library cards have expiration dates, which vary based on the type of account. To renew your library card, visit the library in person and confirm your account details.

After you receive a library card, patrons can access their online account. Go to our catalog from the Bixby home page, and click Login in the upper right. Your username is the barcode on your library card, this is the full code (letters and numbers) on the back of your library card. Please note this barcode starts with the number “2” and the letters “VSQI”. The default password for your account is the last four digits of your library card barcode. If you forget your password click “Forgot Password” on the login screen, enter your full library barcode, including the letters as your username, and a password reset will be emailed to you. If this does not work, please call the library and we can reset your information.

To reserve materials, log in to our catalog, then search to see if the Bixby has a copy of the item you want. Click “Place a Hold” to submit your request. The library will pull the available item and call or email you once the item is ready. A reserve for an item that is currently checked out will sit in a queue until the item is returned and then pulled for you when available. Items on hold will be held at the Circulation Desk.

Patrons may renew items they currently have checked out. Login to our catalog, click your name in the upper right, and under “Your Account” click “Items Out”. You can view the items you have checked out and choose which ones you would like to renew.  You only have two renewals before an item must be returned. If there is a hold on the item, you will not be allowed to renew it. If the item is an Interlibrary Loan, you will not be allowed to self-renew it; please call to see if a renewal is possible. If you do not want to renew an item yourself, you are welcome to call us and our staff will renew it for you.

Home Screen Icon Setup Instructions  

Phones and tablets provide the ability to add websites to their Home Screen, which enables patrons to create an icon/link that will take them directly to the online catalog, VERSO. To do this, you’ll need to use your phone’s Internet to navigate to the homepage of the Verso library. Then, follow the instructions below for iPhone or Android: 

iPhone 

  1. Log onto the Webpage using your phone’s internet browser.
  2. From the website, tap the download icon (this appears at the bottom of your phone screen and will look like a square box with an arrow pointing up), then tap “Add to Home Screen”.  The icon appears only on the device where you add it.

Android  

  1. Log onto the Verso Webpage using your phone’s internet browser.
  2. Touch the overflow button (three vertical dots next to the web page home address at the top of the screen) and select “Add to Home Screen”. 

Now you’ll have an icon for the Verso homepage on your phone. You can simply click this icon to be automatically taken to the catalog login page.