Library vendors require residency verification for customers to access online databases and digital resources. Prior to the digital registration form, customers needed to provide proof of residency by bringing physical documents into a physical location for staff review and approval. This cumbersome process was not only inconvenient for customers who have become used to conducting business online, but also presented a digital equity issue for patrons with limitations in their ability to visit a physical branch during open hours, due to reasons such as transportation access, physical mobility, job schedules or other obligations. MCPL’s Digital Transformation Team and Collection Management Team identified this as a digital equity opportunity and procured a vendor to verify residency requirements online and generate a new customer library account within the ILS at any time and from anywhere.

In 2023, MCPL’s’ Digital Strategies Team conducted a qualitative user study aimed at identifying customer pain points navigating our website and online catalog, resulting in over 600 narrative survey responses. Thematic analysis revealed customers’ desire to reduce physical barriers of access to MCPL’s digital resources for those who identified themselves as having limited physical mobility or reliable transportation to a local library branch. In addition, the MCPL’s Collection Management team needed a mechanism to verify residency for temporary Covid-era digital accounts resulting in the joint opportunity to solicit and procure a fully online verification and registration service. This bid resulted in the selection and implementation of Patron Point’s eCard solution.

Since the launch of this initiative, 7,900 customers have signed up using the digital card service, which accounts for 33% of 23,400 new library accounts created during this time period. In addition, 1,480 existing customers have added digital copies of their library card to their digital wallet.

In OverDrive-

• May 2024: 126 digital card users checked out 3580 materials
• June 2024: 483 digital card users checked out 3099 materials
• July 2024: 1208 digital card users checked out 5097 materials

Physical materials circulation:

• 3,200 checkouts and 1,800 renewals of physical materials on full-access digital cards.

Finally, MCPL anticipates a decrease in circulation staff workload as customers are able to create their own cards online, rather than having staff type and verify identifying information at the service desk.