The Library Card was an essential part of many of us’s school-going kit growing up. Our library cards allowed us to explore the world of libraries and find answers to many questions we may have missed in school. We could also learn how to build things we are interested in or discover a new story we love. To encourage everyone to explore the wonders and benefits of the library, Library Card Sign-Up month was created.

To understand the history behind this celebration, we must go back in history to find the roots of the library and the library card. In 2600BC, we find the first example of what we might call a library. These were massive archives of clay tablets measuring in at inch thick and inscribed with cuneiform, one of the earliest forms of writing. These archives contained tablets that were similar to modern books. Each side had a description of the contents. We found papyrus in Egypt that contained government and temple records. In these times, both private and public archives were available.

The Library of Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the most important libraries of all times. It was both a repository of knowledge and a center of great scholarship. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Romans in 30 BC. The first organization system was also developed in this library. Libraries were an integral part of every culture throughout the years. In the modern age, library cards still play an important role. They track what we have checked out, when it should return, and when it is returned.