Residents and Employees of Bow Businesses

What you need to get a library card
According to our Circulation Policy, residents of Bow, children attending Bow schools who live in Dunbarton, and employees of Bow businesses are able to get a library card free of charge. All library cards will be issued and renewed in-person only* using the following criteria.

For residents, please bring proof of residency and a photo id. Any of the following items will be accepted:

A current driver's license with your current Bow address
Your most recent Town of Bow tax bill, stamped "paid" by the Town Clerk OR a copy of your cashed check paying the tax bill
A driver's license without the current Bow address AND a recent utility bill in your name at your new Bow address
A current valid passport AND a recent utility bill in your name at your Bow address
If a new resident would like to use other forms of id/proof of residency, please contact the library director at martin@bakerfreelib.org

Renewals for residents occurs every two years. This enables us to keep our data current, minimize loss of materials, and accurately serve the taxpayers of Bow.

For employees of Bow businesses, please bring a photo id and proof of employment at a Bow business. Any of the following items will be accepted:

A current driver's license AND a current pay stub from your Bow employer
A current driver's license AND a letter from your employer verifying your employment
A current dirver's license AND a photo employer-issued id that is dated for the current year
A current valid passport can be substituted for the driver's license in any of the above

Renewals for employees of Bow businesses occurs annually in order to make sure that individuals are still employed at a Bow business.

For children attending Bow Schools who live in Dunbarton, please bring proof of school enrollment (current year report card, recent email from Bow schools to parent email address, etc.). A photo i.d. for the parent is also necessary to verify mailing address.

Please note that parents of Dunbarton children attending Bow Schools are NOT eligible for a free library card. They live in a town that has its own library, and can obtain their own library card there. Our function is to support the Dunbarton student who is attending Bow schools. This does not prevent the parents from checking out items on their child's card. But the card must be in the child's name, and has to be renewed on an annual basis with proof of continued enrollment in Bow schools.

Non-Resident Library Cards

Non-Resident Library Cards
updated 4/18/2022
Persons who reside outside of the Town of Bow and do not work in the Town of Bow may obtain a library card on an annual fee basis.

As of April 14, 2022, persons under the age of 65 may purchase a card for $90 annually, or if the person is 65 years of age or older, the annual fee is $45. Fees are set by the library's Board of Trustees, and are reviewed on an annual basis prior to the end of the library's fiscal year (June of each year). The intent of the Board of Trustees is to adjust fees over a period of years so that eventually the fees reflect the library's tax impact on the average Bow taxpayer. As of April 14, 2022, the library's average tax impact is approximately $119.

Non-Residents must come in person to obtain a library card, with appropriate photo id showing a current mailing address. Renewals are also conducted in person. The fee for a non-resident card must be paid at time of purchase or renewal. Once a non-resident card is expired, staff will NOT allow continued use of library resources and services until the appropriate fee is paid and the card is renewed for another year.

Questions? Please e-mail library director Martin Walters at martin@bakerfreelib.org