00:00:03.119 - 00:01:18.120

on all of your social media outlets at all. We make the world better. You're now tuned.com, where we make the world. Hello everybody, this is Sam Oser, your unconventional journalist reporting on the movements that fight back Saturdays at 1:30 out of the All Read studio

00:01:18.529 - 00:01:41.720

in Third Ward, Houston. Today we have a guest with us. We have Fred who is the manager of circulation Services with the Harris County Public Library. Today we're gonna be talking about the enhanced ID. It is a library card with extra benefits um that serve as

00:01:41.720 - 00:02:00.459

an alternate form of identification, which is actually a big deal. I know it sounds really nerdy and weird. But it's, it's actually quite a big deal, so we have Fred with us today talking about it. Fred, thank you so much for joining me. Um, uh, we

00:02:00.459 - 00:02:24.619

were talking earlier about how this has been, uh, a vision of yours for a minute. Um, so could you tell us about the enhanced ID and how it serves the community? Uh, sure, um. So the enhanced library card is uh as Sam said it's a library

00:02:24.619 - 00:02:53.699

card, um, but it we also uh take additional steps in, uh, reviewing documentation that will help us to reasonably, uh, verify an individual's identity, uh, and residency so that. It it because the the library card also has a picture on it, um, organizations in the community

00:02:54.029 - 00:03:22.410

may choose to accept that as. Uh, and that a government issued ID, um, it, it, we issue it as a library card, but you know, various banks, uh, health care organizations, um, have chosen to also accept that as, uh, a, a verified ID that gives individuals

00:03:22.410 - 00:03:43.690

access to their services. That's, that is, I think it's so cool because a driver's license isn't exactly the most accessible. Um, and as far as I know, it's the only form of identification besides like a passport. We could have and I. There are state, um, there

00:03:43.690 - 00:04:05.750

are are Texas state IDs that individuals can apply for you get it from the, the same place from the Department of Public Safety that you get your, your driver's license from, but it, it isn't a driver's license, it's a state issued ID, um. But they all

00:04:05.750 - 00:04:28.000

cost money, right? um, and so, you know, when I recently needed to replace my driver's license because I, you know. Lost it I, um, you know, there was a charge connected with that and for me the charge was affordable, but you know my life is not

00:04:28.000 - 00:04:51.429

like everybody's, um, and so what was a manageable sum to me, you know, I, I think it was, I don't know, 16 to $20. It is an enormous sum and just you know out outside of the reach of a lot of people that we serve and

00:04:51.429 - 00:05:13.850

uh so we don't charge for the enhanced library card it is, you know, it is something that someone. Who's financially challenged to the point that they can't afford one of those state issued IDs, uh, can come and get from us and again, you know, we can't,

00:05:14.279 - 00:05:32.799

we can't require anybody to accept it as ID, but so many community organizations have chosen to. Um, that it's, it's giving people access to services that they didn't have access to before because they couldn't produce a photo ID. Yeah, and see, and guys, this is such

00:05:32.799 - 00:05:52.880

a big deal because Harris County is the 3rd most populated county in the United States, so anything that we can do to help other community members, especially community members who like showed up don't have money. For IDs to get access to services, housing, health care, um,

00:05:53.040 - 00:06:12.440

this, it's, it's important, um, so earlier when we were talking and just kind of like breaking the ice you're talking about how there is a point system associated with um getting somebody an ID um, could, could you tell the audience listening what that point system is

00:06:12.440 - 00:06:43.160

and how it works? Sure, so we have uh. A, a, a list of various types of documentation that we will accept, um, in, in various combinations that help us to reasonably verify an individual's identity and their residency. Um, and each type of document is issued a

00:06:43.160 - 00:07:03.000

point value, um, and so there are certain types of documents that just kind of cover everything, so they're, they're worth 4 points out there. We, we have a 4 point system. You, you, you give us documentation in, in combinations that must equal a minimum of 4

00:07:03.000 - 00:07:26.429

points and we'll be able to issue the ID. Um, and so if somebody does have, for instance, a, a state ID or a state driver's license, um, from any state we will count that as verification of identity, so it's the full three points that are required

00:07:26.429 - 00:07:49.640

to verify identity. Um, likewise, if they have, uh, a, a, a passport or, um, a photo ID from another country, we will accept that as verification of identity that will allow us to say, OK, you've covered all of the points that you needed to verify your,

00:07:49.660 - 00:08:15.989

your identification. Now we just need to verify your residency and that could be. Something like uh a lease agreement or a utility bill or some sort of document that is connected to the address where they live. For individuals and, and libraries serve everyone, so we, we

00:08:15.989 - 00:08:44.000

serve individuals who don't have stable housing, um, and sometimes that becomes very difficult for an individual to verify and so we will also take. You know if they receive services from a social service agency that will allow them to use that address as their verified address

00:08:44.000 - 00:09:10.080

and then provide you know a a signed letter saying you know this individual, you know, receives mail and resides here. Then we will accept that as verification of residency and we'll print that address on the um the library card um but again you know we we're

00:09:10.080 - 00:09:37.330

we're looking for ways to provide the card as an alternative that some agencies may accept as legitimate ID. And we're looking for ways to do that in a, in a way that reasonably verifies who they are and where they live so that they can get access

00:09:37.330 - 00:10:05.830

to the services of whatever agency chooses to accept it. Yeah. Um, so, the program has only been in place for about 3 years now. So what led up to the program being put in place and what have you seen so far? One of our commissioners, um,

00:10:06.469 - 00:10:33.799

the precinct 2 commissioner, Commissioner Garcia, um, had heard about a similar program that San Antonio Public Library was, was doing and, um, said, you know, I want you to do this. And uh it it it was it was a thrill to be able to work on

00:10:33.799 - 00:10:55.809

it. It was like, oh this is gonna be cool. Why, why was it so cool like in your, in your mind, like what, what made it so awesome? Um, I am, uh, just as a person, I am very, um, compelled to service the library has been

00:10:55.809 - 00:11:21.130

a wonderful place for me because it is an institution that is about providing services to everybody who walks through the door. Um, regardless of their, regardless of, of anything, that's exactly right, we, you know, we, we're not, we're not here to pass judgment of any sort.

00:11:21.210 - 00:11:42.890

If you have a need and the library can fill it, you are welcome in our, in our facilities and, and we're thrilled to provide that service. Um, and so I knew from a long career now in libraries that. A lot of our users, a lot of

00:11:42.890 - 00:12:11.479

our clients, um, face challenges of, of various types and I worked for another library system prior to beginning my career with Harris County Public Library and was also the circulation services manager there and. Uh, really became aware of how difficult getting a library card could be

00:12:11.479 - 00:12:30.900

because people could not produce ID. For a lot of reasons, um, they just could not produce ID and I thought, you know, this is, if it's interfering with getting a library card, what else is it interfering with? And it's such a vicious cycle too, right? Like

00:12:30.900 - 00:12:44.570

if you don't have the internet and you need like the library internet to do whatever you have to do, but you can't even access it because you don't have a photo ID it's like the snake eating its tail, you know, that picture. It, it just, it,

00:12:44.770 - 00:13:08.690

you know, it, and it seems such an unfair challenge, you know, a needless and unfair challenge, um, and so this was an opportunity for us to address that, um, at least to some extent, um, and so when, when it came to us, uh, as, as a

00:13:08.690 - 00:13:29.309

challenge from the, the commissioner, um. You know, I began to really look into the various other ID programs that existed at the local government level, uh, around the, the, the nation. I, I couldn't find a lot of information at the time on what San Antonio was

00:13:29.309 - 00:13:46.950

doing. um, it was just a. It, I, I, you know, when I reached out to them, I, I had difficulty, um, I, I don't know, it may be that I had difficulty expressing what I was looking for and they were like, who's this guy exactly the

00:13:46.950 - 00:14:10.270

introverts are like, actually, uh, yeah, I don't wanna talk to you. But you know I found some information on uh. A program, a similar program that had been done, I believe in Nashville by Nashville Public Library, um, and it was a program that that was not

00:14:10.270 - 00:14:29.890

successful they couldn't sustain it and so I thought, well, you know, let's see what they did and then I found that New York City does a municipal ID. And several cities in California and then through the Midwest a couple of cities were doing local government IDs

00:14:29.890 - 00:14:48.650

and I took a look at, you know, what they were doing it's like, well, you know it, I, I have never worked in an agency that um actually verified ID beyond saying, well, give us some ID that helps us to know you are who you are.

00:14:49.000 - 00:15:04.250

You know, and that's different to say give me documentation that helps me to verify who you are, you know. Um, and so I took a look at what they were doing and actually one of them, and I, I wanna say it was Richmond, California, but I

00:15:04.250 - 00:15:28.169

don't know, I, you know, I don't remember that, uh, absolutely, but they had used this point system and then had a just a vast array of documents, well, vast, um, a significantly, you know, list of documentation. That they would accept and each one carried a point

00:15:28.169 - 00:15:46.770

value and when you achieved this certain number of points you had you were reasonably verified we could say it, OK, you are, you know, we can, we can trust that you are who you say you are either that or you've really dug into. Um, you've really

00:15:46.770 - 00:16:12.609

covered your, your steps. Yeah, well, um, and so, you know, we, we looked at, well, what kinds of documents do, do people have reasonable access to, you know, school, school registration documents, um. Uh, various things, you know, we'll, we'll take a Social Security card. We don't

00:16:12.609 - 00:16:29.570

take the number, but you know, if you can give us a Social Security card with your name on it, that's worth a certain number of points, you know, we will, uh, say, OK, and then once you, once you get the, the 3 points for identity and

00:16:29.570 - 00:16:49.700

the 1 point for residency. So a combination of 4 points. 33 of the points have to verify identity, and then 1 document, uh, a document worth at least 1 point has to verify residency. Then we will, um, we'll issue the card. Um, and you issue it

00:16:49.700 - 00:17:08.459

on the spot. We issue it on on site. That's right. So we wanted to make certain because transportation can be an issue. Um, Harris County is not only large in terms of population, it is a huge geographic area. It is sprawl is intense. It, it's like

00:17:08.459 - 00:17:29.939

the size of Rhode Island. It, it's, it's a big county. Um, and you know it, it can be challenging enough to get to a, a, the library that is closest to you, much less getting to. You know, a, a location that might be across town from

00:17:29.939 - 00:17:48.209

you. So we said, well, we want to make certain that we're issuing this at all of our facilities, um, and then we trained our staff, we bought the equipment, we trained the staff on, on how to use the equipment on how to, you know, use the

00:17:48.209 - 00:18:11.359

documents list to verify identity and residency, how to take the photograph and, um. You know, uh, transfer it into the, the system that keeps all of the, the card information and then print the card from there and so when the individual comes in, they go through

00:18:11.359 - 00:18:36.500

the registration process we verify, use their documentation to verify who they are and where they reside. They take all of that documentation back with them. We don't retain any of that. Um, we enter their information into, uh, the library system. It transfers into the ID database,

00:18:37.189 - 00:18:55.900

um, they add a little more information staff adds a little more information into that, you know, the gender marker. Uh, is, is something that the individual getting the card tells us what gender marker we they want on the card, and we, we add that. Take the

00:18:55.900 - 00:19:18.880

photograph, upload it to the printer, and then print the card so they walk out with the card, um, usually within about 15 minutes. Wow. That's, that's wonderful. That's, that's really good because, you know. In a typical institution you have to take your picture, wait for it

00:19:18.880 - 00:19:38.599

to come in the mail, come back to go get it, um, but in this case it's just printed right there and then which kind of serves as like we could be doing that. Oh, regularly, like for driver's license and other forms of ID to me it

00:19:38.599 - 00:20:00.469

shows we, we could be doing that regularly. I, you know, I can't speak for what the state does and or and their reasons for doing it, but I can say that the, the Harris County Public Library is going to make every effort to serve the needs

00:20:00.469 - 00:20:22.464

of the individuals who who. Who have need of us um and and to make it as convenient and painless as we can, um, and in this instance I think we've done we've done a good job. Yeah, no, I truly think so. Um, I, I think so

00:20:22.464 - 00:20:41.500

as well. So, OK, so you guys have been in this program for 3 years leading up to the launch, how long did it take to buy all the equipment, get the processes in place, get the funding, get the Harris County political, all the shenanigans in order

00:20:41.989 - 00:21:01.119

leading up to the launch? How long did that take? From the time we got the go ahead to say, you know, this is something that you can do. Um, and, and, you know, we needed to make certain that we weren't going to, uh, overstep and so,

00:21:02.089 - 00:21:18.359

you know, we wanted to, to pass it by the county attorney for review and everything and from the time that we got the go ahead to, to do it, it was, uh, a year to the launch. That's it. Yeah, wow, I, I, I thought you were

00:21:18.359 - 00:21:37.630

gonna tell me like it took like 8 years and 40 nights or like something. It was a year we, uh, we worked we worked hard on it. Our, um. You know, we, we worked closely with purchasing. I, I worked with a great pur purchasing agent who

00:21:37.630 - 00:21:54.589

was, was able to to help. I had, you know, reached out to the various vendors for their bids and that sort of thing and told them exactly, you know, the specs that we needed them to to meet and, and it, it went quickly. Now I'd done

00:21:55.119 - 00:22:01.560

some legwork ahead of time, you know, just. On the assumption that we're gonna get the go-ahead over this. I had that um that RFP ready to go. It's like, oh well, let me print this. Let's go, um, you know, and so it, it, it went, it

00:22:01.560 - 00:22:35.959

went, um, that's so lovely. OK, so. It only took a year for you guys to implement this. We're 3 years in. What are the results that you guys have seen so far from this program? We have

00:22:35.959 - 00:22:58.469

issued now, right, um, just almost 12,000 cards. We're just a hair under 12,000, uh, which has been, uh, immensely successful, um. When I just kind of did some checking on similar programs that are being done around the nation, this has been certainly one of the most

00:22:58.469 - 00:23:20.969

successful. I, you know, I'd be inclined to say it's been the most successful certainly that any library has done, but it's been immensely successful, um. And, and by successful I mean it, it's, it's getting into the hands of people who have need for it, um, and

00:23:20.969 - 00:23:51.290

it is being, uh, it's trusted by various medical facilities, um, which gives individuals access to to medical care. Um, which for us is there, you know, it, it's when you, when you do work and you can see it have that effect and then you can say,

00:23:51.329 - 00:24:17.859

you know, I, I can sleep well with this, just knowing that, you know, you, what the, the fruit of your labor is. Giving people access to services that they were cut off from before. Um, there are banks that are accepting it, um, which allows individuals to

00:24:17.859 - 00:24:34.435

open up bank accounts, um, and I had, I didn't realize that an ID was required to open a bank account. I know I should, but you know, I'm, I'm an old man back in the day when I. Opened my bank account. It just wasn't a requirement.

00:24:34.685 - 00:24:54.045

Oh, really? I didn't know that. I know it's something I take for granted these days, but I didn't realize it wasn't a requirement. And so that was very rewarding, but, you know, it was, it was a bit of surprise to say, oh, you know, this is

00:24:54.045 - 00:25:12.290

what this allows us to do. Yeah, and like having a bank account is important y'all because like if you are somebody who is like houseless for example and you need a job, OK, you need identification to even apply for that job, but then like people don't

00:25:12.290 - 00:25:23.829

really cut checks anymore like if you're working for McDonald's they're not gonna cut you a physical check. It's going to go into your direct deposit. It's gonna go into your bank account, but if you don't have the identification to get the bank account, you don't have

00:25:23.829 - 00:25:41.459

the bank account to get your check. You're just gonna kind of stay where you are, you know? Right, it becomes, you know, kind of this vicious circle of, you know, I don't have, it's just, you know, I don't have that so I don't have this and

00:25:41.459 - 00:25:57.400

I don't have this because I don't have, you know, and it's just, it comes back over and over and over again to the same thing. So this has helped to break that cycle. For for some of the individuals and the other thing that I really have

00:25:58.189 - 00:26:21.949

liked about this and I didn't quite realize it. Um, until after. Uh, I got kind of an impact story from one of my colleagues in a branch who said, you know, we had somebody come in with. Uh, a Texas, uh. Offenders' ID they had been released

00:26:21.949 - 00:26:38.699

from incarceration and had an ID and they were like, Well, can I, can I take this? They don't want to show this as their ID and I'm like, don't blame them. Absolutely, you know, and if, if the state has verified the identity of this individual, absolutely

00:26:39.060 - 00:26:58.709

issue the card. Uh And so it, it helps to build dignity, right, um, for, for people that are in that position, um, you know, and that was just kind of a. Something that somebody had called and said, oh, this, this cool thing happened today. You know.

00:26:59.560 - 00:27:18.359

That's, that's really amazing, um, and I think we should be proud y'all because this is our tax dollars at work, right? Sometimes when we think about our our taxes, we don't understand in the ways we're seeing it in our community and this is some way that

00:27:18.359 - 00:27:40.410

we're seeing it in our community. We're seeing it break cycles of harm or being stuck and I think that's something to be proud of. Um, yeah. Of the of the 12,000 or hair under 12,000 folks that you guys have served. Do you know who they are?

00:27:40.449 - 00:28:07.770

Are they single mothers, houseless, um, like what's, what's the data behind that? Um, that's not data that we gather. Um, it's not. It's not useful to us. It's not needed by us. And so anybody that comes in. Has the the right to have the card if

00:28:07.770 - 00:28:29.890

they can produce the documentation and what their. Situation is is if not no importance to us. um, we, we understand that they have a need for the card and if they can meet the requirements to get it we're we're delighted to issue it to them. Nice.

00:28:30.699 - 00:29:20.369

Let's see what else we got. How can folks access it? I mean, I feel like we covered so much. Let's take a quick little music break, uh, so we can recap and see what else we need to cover. Um, but we'll be right back, y'all. you

00:30:17.079 - 00:30:47.209

You're now tuned into AllRadio.com, where we make the world better. Hey everybody, this is Sam Osser, your unconventional journalist reporting on the movements that fight back Saturdays at 1:30 Central out of the All Radio studio in Third World, Houston. I report on the movements that fight

00:30:47.209 - 00:31:10.050

back. I report on people and communities and organizations working to make the world better. You are not alone in experiencing increasing difficulties and obstructions with the health care system, with the private prison industrial complex, with the police state, with having to work 3 or 4 jobs

00:31:10.050 - 00:31:33.050

and still not making ends meet. You are not alone in this, and there are people working to make the world better. Please join me Saturdays at 1:30 central to learn about the people fighting back and how you can get involved. And we're back. My cute little

00:31:33.050 - 00:31:52.369

commercial drop in the middle there. Thanks, thanks Risky, thanks, decolonize for queuing that up for me. Um, so we've been here talking with Fred, who is the manager of circulation services at the Harris County Public Library, and we've been talking about the enhanced ID program. If

00:31:52.369 - 00:32:14.000

you missed the first half of this interview, just look up Unconventional journalists wherever you get your podcast and listen to it there, and I'll be uploading it soon. So, um, you know, getting the, the enhanced ID into the hands of the community, you know, folks who

00:32:14.000 - 00:32:32.890

don't have internet, people who aren't plugged in. I mean, you know, even, even people who have internet don't know about this program. I certainly didn't until a shout out to Katia for hooking this up. Um, but like this gets buried under so much of life in

00:32:32.890 - 00:33:02.449

general. How were you guys able to get it into the hands of the community? Um, The, the Texas organizing project, uh, was really, uh, the that was the group that partnered with us and really. Um, Kind of evangelize the community right they were um, they, they

00:33:02.449 - 00:33:23.045

were, you know, they, they work with it's, it's kind of a coalition. My understanding is it's kind of a coalition of various community groups. That are really embedded in the various communities that they serve and so you know they made certain that uh communities became aware

00:33:23.045 - 00:33:39.479

of it if they were in a community they made certain they became aware of it um there were a couple of. Um, community meetings that I, I remember there was one that early on that they did in a park and they kind of sent me the

00:33:39.479 - 00:33:56.869

address and I was like, it's in the park, yeah, it'll be around the picnic tables. OK. And so I show up and you know what, you know, it it was kind of this time of year and so it was getting dark, you know, fairly early and

00:33:56.869 - 00:34:19.030

I show up at these picnic tables and there were were community members and you know, so. We, we did our, um, our little promo speech for them and, um, then as, as soon as we got it launched, it, it was like just within days of the

00:34:19.030 - 00:34:46.110

soft launch, they had arranged for, um, a busload of people to show up at one of the branches goodness get cards. It was like, oh. And so, you know, it was like, OK, you know, and you know, fortunately when we were, we were, we were smart

00:34:46.110 - 00:35:05.534

when we were figuring out the equipment and how to buy it and so we bought outreach kits that could be, you know, deployed quickly, uh, to, to supplement the equipment at any branch and so there were several individuals. Uh, with the library, with the, the, the

00:35:05.534 - 00:35:23.774

partnerships and outreach team that went out to this particular branch and set up, you know, multiple machines so that they could get people registered and get the, the IDs printed in a reasonable period of time because when you have like, you know, 40 or 50 people

00:35:23.774 - 00:35:45.899

that show up, it's gonna be like, oh, this is gonna take some time, you know, I mean. It's a pretty fast process, uh, but it's not that fast. So, so, uh, they, you know, they really were instrumental in getting the word out to the communities that

00:35:45.899 - 00:36:09.040

they're, that they serve, um, and then it just kind of, there was kind of, you know, this. A natural progression of of awareness through other parts of the community, you know, they promoted, they, they ended up reaching out to various agencies to get them to, you

00:36:09.040 - 00:36:33.489

know, consider accepting it whether Harris Health, you know, um, and, uh, they, they, you know, lobbied the, the sheriff and HPD and to, to accept it and. You know, have made made it possible for some of those agencies to be aware of the quality of the

00:36:33.489 - 00:36:56.840

vetting that we do and to to say yeah this this meets our criteria you know and so we'll accept it as. Uh, an alternate ID, um, to, you know, a state ID or some other thing. So, yeah, yeah, no, it, it does. Uh, shout out to

00:36:56.840 - 00:37:19.399

top, um. Yeah, they're fantastic to work with, um, they really and they, they were great to work with as we were, you know, developing the policy and the procedures for, you know, verifying identity and that, and they were, they were really great to work with there

00:37:19.399 - 00:37:44.969

too because they helped us to. Understand the challenges of some of their Um, constituents, um, and that there, there were just a number of instances where it was like, oh, we didn't think of that. Yeah, well, we can do this instead. Um, so it was, you

00:37:44.969 - 00:38:13.179

know, they, I think they've been as instrumental as any of us in making this successful and certainly in making it, um, making people aware of the option. Yeah, that's amazing. If, um, organizers, community members, leaders in community. wanted to get this plugged into the communities they

00:38:13.179 - 00:38:30.489

serve, how could they get in touch with the Harris County library to get this going? You reach out to to any branch, you know, if, if one of our branches is in your, your neighborhood, reach out to them, you know, and they'll they'll work with you

00:38:30.489 - 00:38:49.370

to ensure that, you know, that you get the service that you need, um, and if you're in an area of the county where there's not a branch conveniently located, certainly reach out to, you know, our, our administrative offices, um. You know, they'll they'll put you in

00:38:49.370 - 00:39:05.209

touch with someone. It may be me. It may be one of my colleagues, but you know, we'll, we'll make certain that you're put in touch with someone that can help you get the services and help your community get the services and the access that they need.

00:39:05.729 - 00:39:24.139

Yay, I think that about covers it. um, to put a cherry on top of this, is there any last words or anything you wanna say before we wrap up? Um, come to the library, you know, come to the library for, for whatever it is that you,

00:39:24.280 - 00:39:43.020

you want. It may be that, you know, it's for entertainment, it may be for edification, and it may be just because you need help with the problem, but come to the library. We we're waiting for you. And, and you're welcome. OK. We love our libraries, y'all.

00:39:43.300 - 00:40:06.489

Um, I do wish my library was open a little later than past like 6. But we love, love our libraries, so keep supporting them and if you guys aren't aware, there is the Harris County Community Safety budget in which Community members, coalitions, organizers get together and

00:40:06.489 - 00:40:29.760

review the Harris County the Harris County budget and lobby to make it geared towards safety, towards having services like this one that actually serve the community. So, yeah, tune in to that tune in to your library and if you need any more services, go to the

00:40:29.760 - 00:40:45.294

Harris County library and see how they can help. That's all we got. Fred, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you. It, it was a pleasure being here. I appreciate the opportunity. drinks and food there as well. The Pearl Bar is one of Houston's

00:40:45.294 - 00:41:00.135

local treasures, and we are so proud to be with them. Come on out, support us from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, November 10th, and we will have something for everyone. Bring your pets, people, and also, well, your pods, or you can just buy one from us.

00:41:00.175 - 00:41:05.814

It's fine. The metallic sunflower partnering with the pearl bar to make all your planting needs fun.