ROCKPORT — The Rockport Public Library is celebrating “Library Card Sign-up Month” throughout September. It is an opportunity to remind the community of the resources available through the library and the benefits of being a member.

All Rockport residents are entitled to a free library card. Likewise, people who are employed in Rockport, teachers in Knox and Waldo counties, and any student in Knox County may also receive a free library card. Nonresidents can obtain a card for a nominal annual fee of $20.

“When you consider that the cost of a new hardcover book is about $25, and the cost of a standard Netflix subscription is over $15, you see how quickly your savings can add up,” said Rockport Library Deputy Director Julia Pierce, in a news release. “The library has a lot of the same content, including newly released books and DVDs. If we don’t have something you are looking for onsite, we can usually get it for you within a couple days through our interlibrary loan program.”

For those who can’t make it into the library to browse the collection, cardholders can access thousands of audiobooks and eBooks for free from home on mobile devices through the cloudLibrary app. The library also offers cardholders free passes to places like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Regardless of cardholder status, the Rockport Library welcomes everyone and anyone to the library to participate in free programs for all ages. The public is also welcome to use the library’s computers, Wi-Fi, printer, copier, and peaceful study spaces. Families can stop in to play with the library’s large collection of Legos and puzzles.

“The library even has a public coffee machine so that visitors can settle into a cozy chair with a warm beverage and the newspaper,” said RPL.

Learn more about the Rockport Public Library by visiting rockportlibrary.net.