Museum Pass Program FAQ

Who can borrow museum passes?
Who are the Friends? How do I become a member?
What museum passes are available? How much will I save?
How many passes can I borrow?
Can I reserve museum passes?
How do I reserve a pass online?
What if I need to cancel or change my reserved date?
When can I pick up my pass?
Do passes have to be returned to the library?

Who can borrow museum passes?

All of the library's museum passes are generously purchased by the Friends of the Topsfield Town Library. Therefore, we ask that patrons join the Friends before borrowing museum passes.

Who are the Friends? How do I become a member?

The Friends provide ongoing support to the library by promoting the library to the community, providing funds for items outside the library's budget, and aiding with library programming. For more information on the Friends, see our Friends page.

The Friends membership year runs from October 1 - September 30. Patrons may join the Friends at any point throughout the year, but should keep in mind that their membership will run out in October.

A membership costs $25 for families, $10 for seniors, and $50 for businesses.

To join, simply fill out a membership form, and mail or hand-deliver with your membership dues to the main desk at the library. You may also join online, however please allow up to one week for processing before you attempt to reserve a pass.

What museum passes are available? How much will I save?

To see a full list of our available museum passes, and to see how much you can save, visit our Museum Pass page.

How many passes can I borrow?

You may only check out one museum pass per day.

Can I reserve museum passes?

Yes, and we recommend that you do! You can reserve a pass online, by phone, or in person at our main desk.

How do I reserve a pass online?

To reserve a pass online, go to our reservation calendar. If the pass is available, there will be a red "request pass" button next to it. When you click this button, you will be prompted to enter your library card barcode number. Enter the full number with no spaces or dashes. If you are a Friends member, the reservation will go through. If you are not a Friends member, you will need to join the Friends before being able to request a pass. Please contact the main desk for help.

What if I need to cancel or change my reserved date?

Call the library and let us know! If you will not be using the pass on a day that you had reserved, we need to free up that day so that the pass is available for other people.

When can I pick up my pass?

Passes may be picked up the day before the reserved date. Some, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, and Boston Children's Museum, may be picked up earlier. If you are concerned about timing, ask us when a specific museum pass may be picked up.

Do passes have to be returned to the library?

Some do, and some don't. A few of our passes are one-day-use coupons. These passes do not need to be returned to us, and will be be taken by the museum. Most passes, however, are membership cards. These do need to be returned the day after you use them. Bring them back to the main desk, or leave them in the book drop if you come by while we are closed.

Don't worry; when you check out the pass, we'll tell you whether or not it has to be returned. If you have any questions, just ask!