Where do I get the ID card from?

ID cards are issued by the libraries at the Medicine Hat and Brooks campuses. See the Information Desk at the Vera Bracken Library (Medicine Hat) and the General Services Desk (Brooks) to have your card created.

What do I need to do to get my ID card?

There are two types of cards issued by the library - the standard card and the proxy/security access card. This section covers the standard card (which all students receive), click here for information about the proxy/security access card.

• STUDENTS: Students will need to present a piece of legal photo ID (i.e., driver's licence, passport, etc.), or registration papers. Failing the presentation of ID or papers, staff will quiz you on personal information based on your registration.
  
• DISTRIBUTED LEARNING STUDENTS: Distributed learning (a.k.a., distance education) students will have a generic student ID card sent to them once the library has received an enrollment/registration list from the Student Registration Office.
  
• COMMUNITY EDUCATION STUDENTS: Students enrolled in community education/non-credit classes will not receive a student ID card.
  
• FACULTY/STAFF: New faculty and staff will be required to present legal photo ID and papers that cite their terms of employment if they are not accompanied by a member of Human Resources. Failing this, library staff will contact Human Resources to confirm employment status.

How much does the ID card cost?

• The first ID card for students is free. There is a $5 replacement fee for lost cards, however, worn cards will be reviewed and replaced for free at the card issuers discretion. So please, DO NOT throw the card out - even if you are gone for more than a year.
  
• There is no charge to faculty or staff for their cards.

What is the card used for?

We highly recommend carrying the card with you at all times on either campus. This will expedite the speed at which any department can serve you.

The campus ID card will act as:

• (a) your library card,
• (b) access card to campus recreational facilities,
• (c) access to 24-hour computer lab (must be presented to security staff to access the room),
• (d) access to Students' Association sponsored events (including access to the Rattlers Den), and
• (e) discount card to some local merchants (including Medicine Hat Transit).

Full time students at the Brooks Campus will use their ID card to access recreational facilities (e.g., Lakeside Leisure Centre) in Brooks. See the main Registration Desk at the Brooks Campus or the Lake Side Leisure Center for details.

Campus Security could ask you to present the card to them - particularly during the evening and weekend hours.

Do I have to renew it?

Yes, the card is typically renewed in the Fall (September-December) and Winter (January-April) semesters. You will see the Circulation Desk (Vera Bracken Library) and General Services Desk (Brooks Campus Library) for renewals. Once your registration has been confirmed, staff will adhere a new validation sticker to the card.

The Fall renewal is good until the end of December, and the Winter renewal is valid until the end of August. If you have registered for the upcoming semester, you can usually see the renewal location a month before the semester begins to have you card updated.

What about proxy/security access cards?

Security access cards (a.k.a., proxy cards) are issued to some staff and students of the college that need access to secured areas on campus.

• STUDENTS: Your instructors will inform you at the beginning of the semester about whether or not you need an access card. If so, you will see the Facility Operations office (in A142 - behind the Medicine Hat campus's cafeteria) to retrieve your card.
  
• FACULTY/STAFF: Either Human Resources or your program's coordinator/dean/manager will inform you about whether or not you require an access card. If so, you should present key-card access papers from any of the aforementioned groups that direct library staff to issue the card. If papers are not presented, library staff will not issue that card.
  
  Once the card is presented, you will have to see the Facility Operations office (in A142 - behind the Medicine Hat campus's cafeteria) to have the card encoded for access.

How long do I have to wait to get my card?

Typically, the card can be issued within 2-4 minutes of seeing the service desks.

NOTE: ID cards cannot be issued on the same day you register/enroll at the college. It takes 24 hours for the registration/enrollment information to reach the card issuing computers. Returning students will not have this issue.