Russia Launches Smart Library Card for Digital Book Access

A new digital library service in St. Petersburg lets users reserve books, extend loans, and access e-collections remotely—all from a unified city card.

St. Petersburg has launched a digital library platform called ‘Reader’s Card,’ giving users full remote access to citywide library services. The system allows patrons to reserve and renew books, access digital collections, and manage their library activities online. Through a personal dashboard, users can browse a catalog of 200 participating libraries and select the most convenient pickup location and time.

The Reader’s Card is integrated with the Unified St. Petersburg Resident Card—a broader smart-city initiative that already includes 13 connected services. Activating the card is simple and can be done via a mobile app or the city’s web portal.

The platform also supports linking existing physical library cards, including children’s accounts. Parents just need to register their kids’ information within the system to unify access.

The Resident Card itself provides more than just library access. It offers updates on urban infrastructure, tracks fitness and wellness metrics, and delivers personalized alerts about community events. One added perk: users can buy event tickets directly through the platform without additional fees.