Reading and the Library Card
What the Library Card is, what it unlocks, and how to use it.
The Library Card is the patron account at America’s School Trust Library. It is free, forever, with no payment of any kind. It is issued the moment you complete the sign-up form. This page explains what the Card does, what it looks like, and how to use it.
What the Card unlocks
A Card is not required to read anything in the Library. Reading is open to everyone. The Card is what lets you do the things that leave a record attached to your name:
- Saving bookmarks across devices, so a page you found on your laptop is still bookmarked when you open the Library on your phone.
- Submitting feedback on any page.
- Submitting a correction to any page.
- Writing a review of one of the Library’s books.
- Replying in discussion threads, or starting a new thread.
- Uploading files when you submit feedback, a correction, or a review.
If you only read, you do not need a Card. If you want to take part, you do.
What the Card looks like
When you visit /my-library/ while signed in, the top of the page shows your Library Card. The Card has four visible fields.
Number. Every patron gets a sequence number. The first patron is 1, the second is 2, and so on. The number is shown on the Card in a spaced format: patron 1 reads as 00 001, patron 247 reads as 00 247, patron 1,234 reads as 01 234. That formatting is just for the Card itself. In URLs the number is unpadded — your public profile page lives at /p/1/ if you are patron 1, not /p/00001/.
Tier. Every Card starts at the tier called Reader. Tiers reflect the kind of role you hold at the Library. Most people stay at Reader and that is exactly right; the tier system is not a ladder you climb by reading more.
Standing. Every Card starts in standing Active. Standing is a separate field from tier. It changes only if something unusual happens — for example, if a patron is suspended after repeated harassment in discussions. Most patrons never see anything but Active.
Badges. Badges are awarded by the head librarian over time, for specific kinds of contribution. The badges you might see on a Card are things like state expert, OASTL board, friend of the Library, editorial contributor, or citizen historian. Badges show up on the Card as you earn them. New Cards have no badges — that is normal.
How to sign in
Go to /library-card/, or click any Sign in link in the page footer. Enter your email address. You will get an email with a one-time sign-in link. Click the link in your email and you are signed in. The Library does not ask for a password; it uses email links instead.
If the sign-in email does not arrive, check your spam folder first. If it really did not come, send feedback from the /library-card/ page and a librarian will help.
How to sign out
Visit /my-library/. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Click Sign out. You will be signed out on the device you are using. If you share a computer, sign out when you are done.
Setting a display name
By default, when you submit feedback or write a review, the Library shows only your patron number. If you would rather have your name shown — say Jane Smith instead of Patron 00 247 — set a display name.
Visit /my-library/. Scroll down to the section called Your profile. Type the name you want to appear in public into the Display name field. Click Save. Future reviews and discussion posts will show your display name. Past posts will update too.
Setting a bio
In the same Your profile section, the box below Display name is for a short bio. A sentence or two is plenty. Many patrons skip this; it is optional.
Making your profile public
By default, your profile page is private. If you want to make it visible to other patrons — for example, so people can see your published reviews and your bio in one place — check the box that says Show my profile publicly in the Your profile form, then click Save. Once you check that box, your profile page at /p/{your-patron-number}/ becomes shareable. You can uncheck it at any time and the page goes private again.
If something on this page does not match what you see when you sign in, use the Submit feedback on this page link at the bottom — your screenshot may save the next reader from the same confusion.
More on tiers and advancement: /pro/roles/ — the institutional ladder, with the full list of recognition and stewardship paths.
