Library Cards, Borrowing Materials, Renewing Materials, and Fines

Getting a Library Card

WJML can issue cards to any Montgomery County resident or any person who works in Whitemarsh Township.

You can print out an application ahead of time by clicking on the Library Card Application or fill one out in the library. Bring the completed application into the Library, along with a photo ID with your current address or a piece of first-class mail or other confirmation (such as a rental lease, paystub, etc.) of your current address. A photo ID is required for a library application.

Children under 18 must have a parent or guardian’s signature on their application. By signing the application, you are accepting responsibility for the child’s material. Please see our Materials Use Policy for further information.

Anyone who is a member of another MCLINC library or who has a blue ACCESS PA sticker on their library card, may use that card at William Jeanes Memorial Library.

Once a year we will ask you to confirm your address and other information. Every three years your card will need to be renewed. All fines must be paid off in order to renew your card, and you must have your card.

If you lose your WJN library card, please notify us and we’ll replace it for free. (And PLEASE ask us if we have it–dropped cards are turned in to our Lost and Found all the time!) If your card is from another library, please contact that Library for their lost-card policy.

Borrowing Library Material

You may take out as many items as you like at WJML. Sometimes, we will place limits on items when there is high demand. For instance, we may limit the number of items in a particular subject when there is a school project or over holidays when everyone is looking for a great book about that holiday. See below for other limitations.

Most library materials can be borrowed for 3 weeks. There are some exceptions. Please see the list below for details.

Most items can be renewed two times unless they are on hold for someone else or not renewable at all. Non-renewable items are also listed in the below detail.

Once an item is returned, if it belongs to another library, we must send it back to that Library.  We will be happy to place another hold on the item for you, but that item must go back first. If it is our item, particularly if it is a New item, it needs to be on the shelf for a day before you may check it out again, so that other patrons may discover it.

Most books (child, teen, and adult): 3 weeks
New adult books: 3 weeks
Hot Reads-Books: 2 weeks, no renewals
Music CDs: 3 weeks
Spoken word CDs and Children’s Kits with CDs: 3 weeks
Playaways: 3 weeks
Magazines: 1 weeks (current month does not circulate)
DVDs and Blu-Rays: 1 week for new titles; 3 weeks for all other titles
In-Demand DVDs: 3 days; 1 per card
Video Games: 3 weeks
Grab & Go Bags: 3 weeks
American Girl Dolls: 2 weeks, no renewals; 1 per card
Adventure Packs: 2 weeks
Museum Passes: 3 days, no renewals, 1 per household
Book Club in a Bag: 6 weeks, no renewal
Nook & Kindle E-readers: 3 weeks
Hotspots: 2 weeks, no renewals
Ukuleles: 3 weeks, no renewals
Board Games: 3 weeks
Lawn Games: 2 weeks

Renewals

Most items may be renewed for 2 additional loan periods unless they have been reserved by another patron. Renew in person, by phone or email during library business hours, or through the Library’s website. Phone renewals require a library card number,  verification of the contact information associated with the account, and/or the titles or barcodes of the items to be renewed. To renew online, patrons must have a valid library card and password to log in.

Automatic Renewals: The William Jeanes Memorial Library will automatically renew eligible materials that are checked out on your library account three days prior to the due date. If successful, your loan period will be extended for 21 days from the existing due date, so you will get another full loan period. This will only apply to our materials and any other MCLINC libraries that currently offer automatic renewal.

An item will not automatically renew if:

• Another library patron has requested it
• The item is from another MCLINC library that does not offer autorenewals
• The item has reached its maximum number of renewals (2 renewals for most items)
• Your account expired
• The item is an inter-library loan (ILL) from a library outside of MCLINC. (Please contact the library at least 3 days prior to the due date listed on the item to request a renewal.)
• The item is a digital item, such as an ebook from Overdrive.

Fines

The William Jeanes Memorial Library and Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning is proud to be fine-free for WJM-owned books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines!

We know life gets hectic and things fall off your radar. One of the best ways to avoid fines is to create a library account online so you can check on all you have out, place holds, create reading lists, and more. Please ask the staff for assistance in setting up and using this account.

In case there is that occasion when you are late returning material, here is what you can expect. Please know that we are always ready to listen and help!

Adult Books: Fine-Free
Children and Teen Books & Audiobooks: Fine-Free
Adult CDs, Audiobooks: Fine-Free
Children’s Music CDs: Fine-Free
DVDs: Fine-Free
Adult Magazines: Fine-Free
Playaways: Fine-Free
Video Games: Fine-Free
Board Games: $.15
Grab & Go Bags, American Girl Dolls, Ukeleles, Book Club in a Bag, Lawn Games, & Adventure Packs: $5.00
Museum Passes, : $5.00/day ($5.00 fee if returned to another library)
Nook & Kindle E-readers & Hotspots: $5.00 ($25.00 fee if dropped in the book drop box)

Please ask the Library staff if you would like to learn how to access your account and renew materials online.

At times, a fine may exceed the cost of the item. This reflects the fact that this item was not available to everyone during the time it was out. Your library card application confirms that you are responsible for the overdue fines on all items you check out, and the Library is still collecting fines that were accrued on items before they were designated fine-free. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping all of our material circulating and available to everyone.

Paying fines: The Library accepts cash and checks made out to “William Jeanes Library” for overdue fines. At this time we cannot take credit card payments in the Library, but you are welcome to pay via your online account from home.

Replacement Costs

Items that are overdue accrue fines. Items that are long overdue are moved to a status of “Lost” and will be billed for the replacement cost. This price reflects the cost of the item at the time of purchase, as well as our time to catalog  and process it.

If an item that has been declared Lost is found and returned you will only be charged for the overdue fine.

If you believe you can replace the Lost item with a new copy for less cost, please speak with our Circulation Manager first, before you purchase a replacement. There are many factors we have to consider before accepting such a swap–it must be the exact same edition/version of the item, otherwise the Library will incur significant costs in the processing of your item in place of the original. The Library reserves the right to not accept an item you have purchased as a replacement, so please talk to us first! The Circulation Manager is Karen Wilton, her email is kwilton@mclinc.org, and her phone number is 610-828-0441 ext. 102.