Here are the free things and discounts you can get with a Columbus library card
Cardholders at the Columbus Metropolitan Library are in luck this summer.
The library has a new partnership with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, so that cardholders can get free passes for the CAPA 2023 Summer Movie Series.
Each of Columbus’ 23 library branches has 10 CAPA Culture Passes available for customers, and each pass offers free admission for 10 CAPA Summer Movie Series films. These passes will be available starting Thursday.
For its 150th anniversary this year, the library is also offering free and discounted admission to a wide range of attractions in the local cultural sphere. Here’s what to know about how to put your library card to use this summer.
150th anniversary Partner Days
In honor of the library's sesquicentennial, cardholders will have free admission to performances and exhibits hosted by the library's community partners.
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The library announced this week that the National Veterans Memorial and Museum has joined the growing list of community partners. The museum will offer free admission for cardholders on June 22-24, July 13-15, and August 4-6.
Other Partner Days will include:
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Now through August 30, library cardholders can enjoy $3 off full-price tickets. General admission typically costs $23.
CAPA: Free Cartoon Capers at the Summer Movie Series: On June 24, show your library card and get free admission to Cartoon Capers at the CAPA Summer Movie Series, hosted at the Ohio Theatre at 10 a.m.
Gateway Film Center From Book to Film Movie Series: Admission to the film center is free with your library card every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout July, August and September. The GFC will also hold a Library Card Day on October 12, featuring a reception at 5:30 p.m. and a free screening of Frankenstein at 7 p.m.
Columbus Recreation and Parks Free Library Card Days: All summer, show your library card at any Columbus Recreation and Parks outdoor pool and get a Leisure Card good for five free entries. One Leisure Card per cardholder.
Ohio History Connection Free Library Card Days: Every Friday in September, library cardholders can get free admission to the Ohio History Center and the Ohio Village.
The library will also host a series of free Partner Events at Main Library, 96 S. Grant Ave., throughout the remainder of 2023. A full list of Partner Events is available on the library website.
Culture Passes
Beyond its 150th anniversary offers, the library also offers Culture Passes, which give cardholders free access to several more central Ohio organizations. There is a limited number of Culture Passes at each library branch, and passes can be checked out like books.
Culture passes can be used at the following organizations:
The BalletMet — valid for 2023 performances.
Columbus Children's Theatre — valid for 2023 performances.
Columbus Clippers — valid for Sunday games.
Columbus Symphony — valid for Masterworks performances.
Certain organizations only grant free admission to cardholders at certain library branches, so be sure to check if your branch applies before you go.
How to get a library card
All Ohio residents are eligible for a Columbus library card. To get one, residents must fill out a short application on the library website. Residents will then receive a digital library card number, which can be used to download eBooks, use research tools, access digital and streaming content, and meeting rooms.
To get a physical library card, residents must fill out the online application, then go to any of the 23 branches with a photo ID to pick it up. Anyone can reserve books and other physical items online with their digital library card number, and they can be picked up using either a physical library card or your digital library card number and PIN.
Culture Passes, Partner Days and most of the library's other offers also require a physical library card.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Free and discounted things you can get with a Columbus library card
