Library Circulation Policies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What may I borrow once I have a Library Card?
- How long is the loan period?
- What if I want to keep it longer?
- What do I do if the Library material I want is not on the shelf at my Library?
- Where do I return my Library material?
- Is there a charge if my Library material is returned late?
- What if I have lost a Library item or damaged borrowed Library Material?
- How will I be notified of overdue material and/or fines?
- Do you have a chart of the current Library Fees?
- My library card is expiring. How do I renew it?
- Política de Circulación de la Biblioteca
Borrowing Materials
- My First Library Card Borrowers may check out a maximum of 25 juvenile books.
- Library borrowers aged 6 through 17 in good standing may borrow any combination of books, audiocassettes, compact discs and videocassettes, as well as 6 DVDs per category, not to exceed a total maximum of 75 items.
- Library borrowers over age 17 in good standing may borrow any combination of books, audiocassettes, compact discs and videocassettes, as well as 12 DVDs per category, not to exceed a total maximum of 75 items.
Loan Period & Renewals
| Regular Library Card | My First Library Card |
|---|---|
| Feature Film DVDs may be borrowed for 3 days. Feature Film DVDs in circulation for less than 90 days may not be requested and may not be renewed. All other materials may be borrowed for 21 days and, if not requested by other borrowers, may be renewed. Renewals can be performed at any Library Circulation desk, on the Library's website at My Account or by Telephone Renewal (317-269-5222). Library material with requests pending for other Borrowers must be returned by the due date to the Library. | If another patron has placed a request on an item, we cannot allow it to be renewed. Otherwise, items checked out on My First Library Card may be renewed in the branch, over the phone (317-269-5222) or over the web. |
Requesting Material
| Regular Library Card | My First Library Card |
|---|---|
| Feature Film DVDs in circulation for less than 90 days may not be requested. All other circulating material may be requested, in person or in the Online Catalog. There is a maximum of 50 requests per borrower at any given time. The library will not send any notices through standard mail when the requested material is available for pickup, but Borrowers may sign up to be notified by email or telephone. There is a $2.00 charge for failing to pick up items that have been requested. | Requests cannot be made using the My First Library Card. |
Returning Material
All material may be returned at the Circulation desk or in the drop box at any Library location.
All material returned in the drop box before opening will be checked in as though returned the previous day.
Charges for Overdue Material
| Regular Library Card | My First Library Card |
|---|---|
| The Library charges a rate of $1.00 per day per item for Overdue DVDs, Magni-Cams, and CD-ROMs. Juvenile and Teen materials are charged at a rate of $.15 per day per item. All other materials are charged at a rate of $.25 per day per item. | Overdue fines are not charged for items checked out to My First Library Cards. |
Charges for Lost or Damaged Material
We charge the cost of the specific item at the price listed in our catalog record, or you may provide an approved, new replacement copy of the same item plus a restocking fee of $10.00. Please contact any IndyPL Library for more information.
Notification of Overdue Materials and/or Fines
The receipt provided at the time of check out serves as the official notice to the Borrower of when materials are due. As a courtesy, the library will also attempt to notify the Borrower when materials become overdue.
Reminder Notices
Only Borrowers who sign up for e-mail notifications will receive Reminder Notices. These messages are sent 3 days before an item is due, on the actual due date, and again 5 days after an item's due date.
Overdue Notices
Borrowers who sign up for either e-mail or automated telephone notification will receive an Overdue Notice. If a Borrower has not signed up for either notification method, no overdue notice will be sent.
The overdue notice will be issued 4 days after the due date for DVDs, VHS, and CD-ROM titles. All other overdue materials will trigger this notice 14 days after the due date. This is the only notice of overdue materials which the Borrower will receive.
After an item is 40 days overdue, it is considered lost and a user fee for lost materials is automatically charged to the Borrower's account.
Billing Notices
A Billing Notice will be sent whenever a Borrower accumulates $25.00 or more in user fees. If the fees are not resolved or a payment plan is not established within 30 days of the Billing Notice, the Borrower account will be assigned to a debt collection agency. An additional $10.00 will be charged for this service.
Borrowers with e-mail or telephone notifications will receive Billing Notices in the manner they have selected. Borrowers who have not signed up for either notification method will receive Billing Notices through standard mail. This is the only notice that may be delivered through standard mail.
Library Fee Schedule
| Extended use fee for adult audiocassettes, compact discs, videocassettes and print material | $.25 per day per item |
| Extended use fee for juvenile and teen audiocassettes, compact discs, videocassettes and print material | $.15 per day per item |
| Extended use fee for DVDs, Magni-cams, and CD-Roms | $1.00 per day per item |
| Failure to Pick Up a Held Item | $2.00 |
| Lost or Damaged Material | The cost of the specific item at the price listed in our catalog record, or you may provide an approved, new replacement copy of the same item plus a restocking fee of $10.00. |
| Restocking Fee | $10.00 |
| Barcode Replacement | $5.00 |
| Debt Collection Fee | $10.00 |
| Insufficient Funds Check | $25.00 |
| Card Replacement (Regular library card only) | $3.00 |
| Non-resident Library Card | $65.00 annually |
| Public Library Access Card (PLAC) | As set annually by Indiana State Library |
| Public Copies on Photocopiers | $.15 per page |
| Public Copies on Color Photocopiers | $.25 per page |
| Black and White printouts from public computers | $.15 per page |
| Color printouts from public computers | $.25 per page |
| Copies on Microform Equipment | $.15 per page |
| Copies made by Library staff | $1.00 per page |
| Headphones | $2.00 (includes tax) |
| Re-useable Totes | $2.00 |
| Facility Usage Fee | $50.00 per hour plus other applicable fees |
| Tech Support | $20.00 per hour (excludes Auditorium) |
| Flash Drives | At cost |
| DVDs for Special Events | At cost |
| Bunny Book Bag Tote | $12.00 (includes tax) |
| Interlibrary Loan | All applicable fees |
| Proctoring Exam Fees | $25.00 for the first two hours $10.00 for each additional hour |
Expired Library Cards
Non-resident and PLAC library cards expire after one (1) year. All other IndyPL library cards expire after three (3) years.
Library cards must be renewed in person. Please visit one of our library locations to renew your library card. You will need to present a valid form of identification that includes your current address. All fines or fees must be paid in full at the time of renewal. When renewing a card for a child under the age of 18, the parent/guardian listed on the child's library account must show his/her current identification.
