New free library card called 'passport to opportunity' (Memphis, USA)

The Memphis public library has begun issuing new library cards that can double as official photo ID for voting and other business. The driver's license-size plastic card calls itself "Your Passport to a World of Opportunity." Mayor A C Wharton agrees. "This ID is going to bring people more knowledge and experience than what is found here at the library," Wharton said. "From this day on, no one can use the excuse 'I can't afford a valid ID' because this one is free." He said the card can be an empowering civic force. "This will allow people who have never been able to vote to use their voice in their community. That's the greatest thing a card can do for a person," Wharton said. The card is available now at all locations of the Public Library and Information Center to citizens 18 and older. The photo is optional, but if the card holder does not want a photo ID, it is only a library card, said Keenon McCloy, director of libraries