Borrowing and Fees

Fees

At their meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, the Library Board of Trustees approved a policy to eliminate overdue fines, effective March 1, 2020 [1]. The policy waives all unpaid overdue fines and collection agency fees charged prior to implementation, and eliminates fines for all late returns moving forward.

Items that are lost, returned with damaged or missing parts, or otherwise did not return in the same condition as when they were checked out are billed accordingly. Learn more. [2]

You may pay any balance owed in person using cash, personal check, or debit/credit card. Debit/credit card payments may be made online at My [3]Account > Fees [4]. Payments are not accepted at the drive-up window.

Alternately, you can enroll in our Care Fee Option Program [5] to remove fees just by checking out material!

Checking Out

To borrow physical items, bring them to any designated customer assistance desk or self-checkout station with a valid library card in good standing. Cardholders age 18 or over may present either a library card or an acceptable photo ID at the time of checkout. Patrons age 17 or under who do not have their library card or a photo ID may supply other identifying information.

List of acceptable photo IDs*

Driver's license
State ID
Learner's permit
Consular ID
Military ID
Passport
Student ID

*Patrons age 17 or under who do not have a photo ID may supply other identifying information to verify identity.

To check out physical items to another person's account

Have that person's library card in hand –or–
Know their My Account username and password (for self-check) –or–
Verify with an acceptable photo ID that you have their permission to pick up items for them. Cardholders grant permission for others to pick up their items by completing a form, available on your My Account [6] page using this link to the previous version of the Library catalog. Holds for patrons under the age of 18 may be picked up by a parent or legal guardian.

Borrowing Periods and Limits

Material Type	Loan Period	Number of Items at a Time
Books	21 days	No limit*
Audiobooks, Playaways	21 days	No limit*
Blu-rays	7 days	7
DVDs	7 days	14
Video Games	21 days	2
Music CDs	21 days	21
Magazines	7 days	No limit*
Zines [8]	21 days	No limit*

*The maximum total number of items, of any type, allowed on a Library account at any one time is 100. Be sure to consult your receipt or account for due dates.

Additional borrowing limits

Material Type	Loan Period	Number of Items at a Time
Video Game Controllers [9]	14 days	14
iPads [10]	14 days	14
Mobile Hotspots [11]	14 days	14
Mobile Video Production Kits [12]	14 days	14
External Hard Drives [13]	14 days	14
Energy Monitors [14]	14 days	14
Binoculars [15]	14 days	14
Pickleball Game Set [16]	14 days	14
Role-Playing Game Kits [17]	14 days	14
Baking Kits [18]	14 days	14
Ukuleles [19]	14 days	14
Book Club Kits [20]	42 days	1
Launchpads [21]	14 days	2
Storytime Kits [22]	21 days	1
Toys [23]	21 days	No limit*
VITAL [24] Materials	42 days	No limit*

More information on checkout limits and borrowing periods for eBooks, streaming movies, eMagazines, and more is available on the eLibrary borrowing [7] page.

Renewing Items

Unless someone else requests an item that you've borrowed, most items may be renewed twice. Items eligible for renewal will automatically renew [25] shortly before their due date. To receive email or text notifications of automatic renewals, you must include an email address or phone number in your settings at My Account > Profile [26]. Normal borrowing and return policies apply to items not eligible for renewal.

Renewing items manually

Log in to My Account > Checkouts [27]
"Checkouts" are part of your Bookshelf
Click “Renew” within the title’s result
To renew eligible overdue items, select the drop down menu “Renew Items” at the top of the Checkouts page, then select “Renew overdue”
To renew eligible items that are due soon, select the drop down menu “Renew Items” at the top of the Checkouts page, then select “Renew due soon”
To renew both eligible overdue items and items that are due soon, select the drop down menu “Renew Items” at the top of the Checkouts page, then select “Overdue and due soon”
Note: You can see the remaining renewals above the Renew button

Returning Items

Regardless of where our items are borrowed, they may be returned to any of the following locations. Outdoor return slots are open 24 hours a day. Although most items are suitable for these slots, certain items must be returned directly to a service desk; please note any special return instructions on items you borrow.

Downtown Library
Ellettsville Branch
Southwest Branch
Bookmobile
Outreach Van

See the our complete Checkout Policy [28].

Updated January 15, 2025