Why you should get a New York City library card in 2026

Do you have a New York City Library card? Have you ever considered getting one? Well if you haven't, I don't think you really know what you're missing out on! The NYPL has so much to offer for free and the card is a breeze to get. It should be on your list of things to do as soon as you arrive.

So what is it that you can do with the New York Library card?

Use your card to go to Museums

Do you have a New York City library card? If so, you can now go to the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim and 31 other prominent New York cultural institutions for free.

How do you go to museums for free?

Explore New York City’s museums and attractions with Culture Pass. If you have a library card, you can get free admission to dozens of cultural institutions.

Once you've got your card, you just need to apply for a (now) free culturepass.nyc! Use your library card number and pin to make reservations, and some of the inclusions, like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, allow entry for up to four people!

ALSO, in addition to all that culture, you can also stream almost 30,000 movies FOR FREE using your library card with Kanopy! I mean… It's like the deal that keeps on giving.

Go on, get yourself a library card.

How do you get a NY Library Card?

To get yourself a library card, you just head over to the New York Public Library website:

The requirements are relatively simple:

Any person who lives, works, attends school or pays property taxes in New York State is eligible to receive a New York Public Library card free of charge. Use of a New York Public Library card is non-transferrable, i.e., can only be used by the person whose name appears on the card.

New York City Residents (within the 5 boroughs), non-residents who work or attend school in NYC, and out-of-state visitors can submit a partial application online, then visit a library location to validate and pick up the card.

To apply for a card you just fill out this form.