Get a Card

Your Kanawha County Public Library card is free if you live, work, or attend school in West Virginia.  It is good for a year and can be renewed annually.

KCPL requires identification that shows your name and current address to receive a permanent library card. It does not have to be a photo ID. Parents/Legal Guardians of children under the age of 18 must sign for their child’s library card. 

Forms of ID can include:

• Driver's License or State ID
• Voter Registration Card
• Insurance Card
• Mail sent to you postmarked within 30 days of today’s date
• E-Bills
• Current lease with dates, name, and address
• Checkbook with name and current address

All permanent card holders have access to the public PCs and online resources.

You are legally responsible for all library materials borrowed on your card, whether the items were borrowed by you or another person using your card. Parents/Legal Guardians are responsible for materials that are borrowed on their children’s cards. Patrons must pay for any fees incurred on their cards and patrons will be blocked from checking out based on the amount of total fees.

If you lose or damage an item, it is your responsibility to pay for that replacement cost. KCPL does not allow for replacements or substitutions for lost or damaged items.

You may still have an account with KCPL even if you have not used your card for several years. Call or visit any of our locations and they can tell you if you are still in the system with an account. If so, you will only need to go to the library and update your information and receive a new card. If your account has been removed, you will need to complete a new registration form.

If you are no longer in the system, live within Kanawha County, and are 18 years of age or older, you can register online. The account is good for 14 days. With this temporary account, you will be able to use our online databases, checkout our digital materials (movies, books, magazines, and more), and you can place holds on up to 5 titles in our physical collection. However, some items, such as the Read-A-Louds, video games, and Tool Library equipment require having a permanent card before holds may be placed. Visit any of the KCPL locations with your current identification, sign a user Responsibility Agreement, and you can pick up a permanent card with full borrowing privileges for physical and online resources. Those visiting the Main Library in Charleston should plan to come into the library to pick up a permanent card rather than using the Drive Up Window as it is not a simple checking in or checking out of library materials.

The PIN (Personal Identification Number) is your personal code that is assigned to every user in our system when the library card is created. This PIN is be used in conjunction with your library card number to place holds, renew materials, check your library account, use the online databases, download digital resources, as well as use public PCs at the library.

If you forget your PIN, you can use the “Forgot my PIN” when attempting to login to your account and the system will send you a PIN via the email listed in our database for your card. However, if the library does not have an email on your account, you will need to call or visit the library.

Each year, you will need to update your library card privileges to retain access to our collections. Cards can be renewed in person at any of our locations or by phone. If you have questions, please call 304-343-4646.

For your protection, remember to report lost cards by calling your local KCPL library or emailing Circulation.Services@kcpls.org. If emailing, please include your library card number, your name and address, and state that your card was lost.

If you are a teacher, we have a special type of card you can use to check out materials for your classroom! To register for an Educator Card, come in to any library, call 304-343-4646, or email Terri. Find more resources just for you on our Educators Page.