By KIMBERLY JACOBS

As a way to promote the city’s new municipal ID program dubbed IDNYC, a kickoff event was held at the Bronx Library Center at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., the  second most visited library in New York City behind the mid-Manhattan branch on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The Bronx Library Center will serve as a hub for residents to have their application appointment for the ID. Appointments can be made online at www.nyc.gov/idnyc, which includes a rundown of the proper documents needed to obtain the ID. Above all, proof of identity and residency (a bill, for example, qualifies as an acceptable document) are required. The city utilizes a point system to approve applicants for the free card – three documents verifying identification, one to prove New York residency.

At a news conference last month, officials listed the benefits of having the card, largely intended for everyone regardless of immigration status, sex, or age. Officials talked of the program on pragmatic terms–having the proper identification in New York City. But many also listed its overall intent of creating a sense of proof of identity for those who don’t have one.

“The simple fact is without an ID in this town or anywhere in America, you can be treated as a non-person, and everyone is a person,” said Tony Marx, New York Public Library president.

This program has been largely targeted toward non-documented immigrants, but is open for every resident including homeless, seniors, LGBT, and those who don’t drive.

“This is very much about solidifying and validating every New Yorker, having people come out of the shadows and being fully integrated into society, and into the fabric of our beautiful city,” said Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City Council Speaker, who lent support to the program launched several months ago by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Councilman Ritchie Torres, whose district overlaps with the Bronx Library Center, also touted the benefits.

The stigma in lacking proper ID has often kept residents from taking advantage of simple amenities such as opening a bank account. The ID clears that hurdle, said officials. They can also benefit from visiting over 30 cultural institutions around the five boroughs, free for one year, including the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, and Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center. Along with visiting cultural institutions there are discounts for movie tickets along with health and wellness centers. Cardholders can use the ID as a library card, and is honored as a form of identification by all city agencies and office buildings. The card is not valid for traveling or at federal agencies.

“To me, more than the tangible benefits that matters the most is the intangible value of a municipal ID. It’s the sense of validation,” said Torres. “That feeling of validation is the most gratifying part of this celebration.”

Since the launch of this program on Jan. 15, roughly 60,000 people have signed up and over 100,000 have scheduled appointments. Demand has been so high, city officials are looking to streamline the process because the earliest appointment dates are in August.