By Dylan bradley/reporter
A TexShare library card provides students with borrowing privileges for more than 500 public libraries across the state.
“It is a program that was developed by the state library in Austin so that we can share amongst ourselves within the state,” said Bonnie A. Hodges, NE public services librarian.
The TexShare card is different from a regular library card because it grants students access to hundreds of state university and local libraries.
“Not all Texas libraries participate, though most do,” she said.
Beverley Shirley, consortia program administrator at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin, said academic library directors in the state’s public universities proposed TexShare in 1988, but it wasn’t funded until fall 1993. TCC signed its TexShare participation form in October 1997.
According to the TexShare website, during the 2001-2002 school year, TCC issued 593 TexShare cards and had 29 visits from patrons who checked out 42 items. Ten years later, during the 2011-2012 school year, TCC issued 429 TexShare cards and had 46 visits from patrons who checked out 63 items.
A common misconception about the TexShare card is that it provides full access to any library in Texas, but in reality, individual libraries determine the privileges, Hodges said.
“When a patron brings us one from another library, we issue them a community-user card, which allows them to check out three items,” she said.
But University of Texas at Arlington libraries have different privileges for TexShare cardholders.
“Users can borrow up to five books. The loan period is 21 days,” said Troy Black, UTA library assistant.
Hodges said another common misconception about the card involves accessing online databases.
“TexShare cards actually have nothing to do with the TexShare databases,” she said. “They are two different programs under the same umbrella.”
According to the TexShare website, obtaining a TexShare card does not grant access to any online databases, which are separate resources.
TCC subscribes to the TexShare database collection as well as a multitude of other databases, but not all schools offer this service.
The TexShare card is available only to Texas residents at public or university libraries. Each library defines requirements for applications,
but all patrons need photo identification.
To obtain a free TexShare card at TCC, Hodges said students or staffers must obtain a school I.D. card from the copy center, then take the I.D. card to a campus library circulation desk.
At TCC, TexShare cards expire at the end of each semester.
