In the summers, my siblings and I used to ride our bikes about five miles to the nearest bookmobile stop. On our first visit, we applied for library cards. That small piece of orange tag board with a tiny metal rectangle in it became the ticket to a world of learning and exploring through books. Early public library visits turned me into a life-long library patron.
And when I had kids, I started taking them along.
Today, our older son got his first library card. It has a picture drawn by a child and the word “imagine” on it. He used it to check out three books.
What do you remember about your first library card?
first teacher 
I remember it was made of cardstock and was orange. There was a little metal piece with my number on it.
Yes, you’re right. The little metal piece had numbers on it. Do you still have yours? I don’t.
Lovely post, Anita! I grew up right next door to a library and not only did I lug home books in stacks, but it was the place I first had a summer job. My daughter just got her first card too, and it was an exciting day.
A house right next to the library? That raises the property value, without a doubt. And I couldn’t think of a better place to get a first job.