About OnPass, and what it means to you (Tully Free Library Patron)

Some on you might have received a letter recently that explains that because you live outside Onondaga County, your status is being changed in the library system. I'm here to explain what this means.

Very little has changed.

If you live outside the county, then your status will be changed to an "OnPass" patron. OnPass patrons have all the same rights and privileges as in-county patrons, at OnPass Participating Libraries.

The Tully Free Library is an On-Pass Participating Library

Here is the complete list of On-Pass Participating Libraries

Central Library Beauchamp Branch Library Betts Branch Library
Mundy Branch Library Northeast Community Center Library Paine Branch Library
Petit Branch Library Soule Branch Library Southwest Community Center Library
White Branch Library Baldwinsville Public Library DeWitte Community Library
East Syracuse Free Library Eldbridge Free Library Fairmont Community Library
Fayetteville Free Library Jordan Bramley Library LaFayette Public Library
Manlius Library Marcellus Free Library Maxwell Memorial Library
Minoa Library Onondaga Free Library Salina Library
Skaneateles Library Solvay Public Library Tully Free Library

As an On-Pass Patron may borrow, place holds and use all library services exactly as you did before, with no change of any kind taking place to the level or quality of service you receive at our library.

If so little has changed, why make the change?

Libraries in Onondaga County face a difficult choice. Funded by their local tax-payers, some have found a significant amount of their traffic comes from outside of the county, from those who do not support the library through their taxes. This leaves the library with the choice to 1) provide service to out-of-county residents using the funds generated by their local communities, or 2) ask out-of-county residents to pay a fee in order to get a library card. If you are a member of a library who has elected to make the second choice, then you have in all likelihood already paid that fee. This leaves those libraries that are providing free cards to out-of-county residents, which is what the On-Pass program is all about.

I don't live inside the County, but I'm in the school district, own a property, etc...

There are a number of exceptions to the rule that all out-of-county residents must be OnPass Patrons. If you qualify for any of the following, you can come to the Tully Free Library and we will update your record accordingly.

  • If you own property and pay property taxes inside Onondaga County
  • If you reside in a school district (like Tully's) whose taxes support an Onondaga County Library
  • If you are enrolled in any school, college or university that is located inside Onondaga County
  • If you are a library employee, staff-person or volunteer