Have you heard about the ME Card? We are excited to hear that Red Deer is now live! Join up at their library today!
Sign up at
melibraries.ca
to activate a ME account at another Alberta library. This gives you
the same borrowing experience* as local patrons - you can use your
Parkland card to request and borrow DVDs, CDs, books, magazines, and
more!
*eBooks and other electronic content are not included due to licensing restrictions.
Signing up for the ME Card is quick and easy! All you need is a Library card and an email address associated with your account. The email address is a requirement to share your information with Libraries outside of our system.
Let's have a look at why the ME Card is so great:
What's the difference between a ME account and a TAL Card?
With either service, you can borrow the same formats and number of physical items as a local patron.
TAL cards must be obtained in person from
the library. In addition, a staff person at a non-Parkland library
must manually create an account for you the first time you visit. If you
are visiting a university or college library, you must use a TAL card
(the ME service is only available for public libraries).
ME accounts are associated with your current library card, and you can
sign yourself up online
for a ME account at any participating library - either before you
visit, or on the spot while you're there. (Minors must still be signed
up by a staff person, with the permission of a parent or guardian.)
No - your Parkland library card functions as all three, so you don't have to carry around more than one card.
Can I still use my card as a TAL Card?
Yes. University and college libraries
are not part of the ME initiative, so you will use your Parkland card as
a TAL Card at those libraries.
Which libraries are participating in the ME project?
All Alberta public libraries are part of
this project except: Andrew, Banff, Lamont, La Crete, Fort Vermilion,
Willingdon, and Zama.
All other libraries in Alberta will be
available on the ME website soon. If a library you're interested in is
not yet connected to the ME website, check back later!
When I sign up at one library, will all libraries have a ME account for me?
No. On the ME website, you must specify
which libraries you want your account information sent to (for privacy
reasons, it will not automatically be sent to all of them).
Where do I go to see items I have checked out from other libraries?
When you sign up for a ME account at a
non-Parkland library, you are entered as a patron in their system. When
you check out items from that library, you can log in online to renew
them, see your due dates, etc (just as a local patron would). So, for
example, if you check out items from Edmonton Public Library using a ME
account, you would
log in on the EPL site to view those items.
How do I renew my ME account or update my account information?
You must first renew your Parkland card at a Parkland library. Then, to renew your ME account(s), go to the
ME website
just as if you were registering for the first time. Your expiry date,
address, and phone number will be updated at the libraries you select.
Any changes to your PIN number will not be transmitted - you will need
to log in directly at the other library's website to change this.
Patrons using ME accounts to borrow items from Parkland libraries agree to the following terms:
- A maximum of 50 items checked out at a time, which includes up to 10 audiovisual items
- Overdue fines of $0.25/day (any format)
- Loan periods vary. In general, books have a checkout period of 3
weeks, while audiovisual items have a period of 1 week, but some
materials have extended checkout periods.
- CNIB materials may only be checked out by print disabled borrowers.
All ME patrons must abide by the local rules of each member library when using that library's resources.
Once again, please note that you MUST have an email associated with your account to become a ME Borrower.
If you have any questions that were not answered here, feel free to ask our lovely Library staff! We want you to have the best possible ME Borrower experience!
