Penn State, Delaware County libraries partner for community borrowing option

Penn State Brandywine library

Library card holders at Delaware County Libraries are now able to use their public library cards to check out items at Vairo Library at Penn State Brandywine following a simple account registration process.

Credit: Michael McDade

MEDIA, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries’ Vairo Library at Penn State Brandywine is beginning a lending partnership with Delaware County Libraries. Now, library users from any of the county library system’s 28 locations may use their existing public library card to check out books and other items from Vairo Library and other Penn State University Libraries locations. 

“As a land-grant research library system, Penn State University Libraries provides Pennsylvania residents with borrowing privileges for our collections. We are thrilled to make that access easier for Delaware County public library users through this new collaboration,” said Mary Fran McLaughlin, Vairo Library reference librarian. “With this initiative, we seek to cultivate a meaningful relationship with members of our community by promoting freedom, discovery, openness and sustained affordability of information.” 

“We are pleased to be able to offer our cardholders easier access to the resources of the Penn State University Libraries through this partnership,” said Catherine Bittle, director of Delaware County Libraries. “The collaboration will provide additional opportunities for our community to increase their skills and knowledge for work, life, and educational goals.” 

Delaware County Libraries card holders are now eligible to borrow or request library materials from any Penn State library. Community borrowers are asked to please return Penn State-owned materials to Vairo Library. 

To begin the registration process, community borrowers are invited to visit Vairo Library at Penn State Brandywine, where they will create an online account at accounts.psu.edu. This account will enable users to request and renew books and other items. In addition, the online account will give them on-campus access to University Libraries-licensed digital content, including hundreds of library databases, when using Vairo Library computer workstations or workstations at any other University Libraries location

Community members will then need to show a driver’s license or other state-issued ID at Vairo Library’s service desk to complete their registration with the University Libraries lending system. Registered community members may borrow up to 100 library items from Penn State for a period of 28 days and may renew items up to three times. Some library items, such as DVDs and technology equipment, may have shorter lending periods. 

Additional details about Penn State University Libraries’ borrowing privileges for all Pennsylvania residents are available online. Before visiting Vairo Library or any Penn State library, users are encouraged to check hours of operation at https://libraries.psu.edu/hours-and-locations.