Boston Public Library eCard

Free to residents of Massachusetts

GET OR RENEW YOUR eCARD

After a quick online registration, you can begin accessing resources from the Boston Public Library's extensive online collections, including:
Boston Public Library eCard
  • Hoopla: eBooks, music, movies, and more
  • Kanopy: streaming movies
  • PressReader: digital newspapers and magazines, including The Economist, The Chicago Tribune, PC Gamer, Variety, and Wallpaper
  • Historical newspapers online
    including: Boston Globe (1872 - 1990), Financial Times (1888 - 2010), International Herald Tribune (1887 - 2013), Irish Times (1859 - 2020), Jewish Advocate (1905 - 1990), Sunday Times (London, 1822 - 2016), & Times (London, 1785 - 2014), among others
  • Historical magazines & journals online
    including: Economist (1843 - 2015), National Geographic (1888 - present), National Geographic Traveler (2010 - present), Smithsonian Magazine (1970 - present), & more
  • Research & learning tools
    including: A to Z Databases, A to Z World Food, CQ Researcher, JSTOR, LawDepot, LinkedIn Learning, Mergent Online, Oxford's Very Short Introductions, & much more
  • Streaming audio & video collections
    including: Dance in Video, Opera in Video, Royal Shakespeare Company Collection, Theatre in Video, streaming music across many genres, & more


NOTE: CW MARS cardholders can now borrow OverDrive eBooks & audiobooks from the Boston Public Library without a BPL eCard. Learn more about the statewide eBook lending program.



As the Library for the Commonwealth (LFC), the Boston Public Library (BPL) receives state funding through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) to provide statewide services to Massachusetts residents.

Updated April 3, 2023