Library Help

1. How Do I Get A Library Card?

• Library cards are free to any individual Adult applicant who shows identification that includes a picture I.D. and proof of a current Maricopa County residential address. A post office box number alone is not acceptable. Acceptable forms of photo identification include a Driver's License; Federal, state or tribal identification card; military identification card; university or school identification card; or a passport. If these do not show the current address, also bring a lease agreement, mortgage statement, utility bill, current car registration, voter ID card issued within the last year, property verification via the County Assessor or mail postmarked within 30 days.
• Children under 18 years of age may be issued a library card if the parent or guardian and child are present during the registration process and provide the required identification. The parent or guardian may authorize or restrict access to audio-visual materials for the child at the time of registration. List parent’s name and source of ID, ID number and any restrictions they wish to require in the “Notes” field.
• Upon registration, customers are issued a permanent borrower card. Applicant agrees, by signing the back of the library card, to abide by all policies and regulations set forth by the Maricopa County Library District.
• Non-Residents may purchase Oasis cards for computer use only. They are renewable monthly for a nominal fee. Non-Residents may also choose to purchase a library card with full borrowing privileges.
• All cards are valid for one year. To renew a borrower's card, an applicant must present identification showing current address. All outstanding fines and fees must be paid and/or overdue materials returned before a borrower's card may be renewed.
• Please notify Customer Service immediately if your card has been lost or stolen. Replacement cards cost $2.
• Each borrower is responsible for items checked out on his/her card and for any associated fines. Only you can use your library card. It is recommended that you do not loan borrowed items to others and that you not depend on others to return items for you.

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2. I Don't Live In Maricopa County. Can I Get A Library Card?

• The Maricopa County Library District is funded primarily by a secondary property tax. Non-residents who live outside Maricopa County and who do not own property in Maricopa County must pay a fee of $50 per year to obtain a card because they do not pay the secondary property tax that supports the operations of the Library District.
• If you are not a Maricopa County resident or Maricopa County property owner, the branch library staff will assist you in finding the nearest library which would be available for your use without a non-resident fee.

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3. What If I Forget My Library Card?

• Customers who forget their library card must show a picture identification card to check out materials.

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4. What Are The Checkout Limits, Fines, Fees, Renewals and Lost Library Card Replacements?

• Customers may check out up to 50 items total including a maximum of 10 DVDs or Blu-rays. All circulating material is loaned as follows:
  

  	Loan Periods
  	New books	14 days
  	DVDs & Blu-rays	7 days
  	All other material	21 days
  	If a due date falls on a Library District holiday or when the library is closed, the loan period will be extended to the next business day.
  	Holds Not Picked Up in 7 Days	$2.00 per item
  	Overdue Fines
  	Books, cassettes, magazines, CDs	$.20/day
  	CD ROMs, videos, DVDs	$2.00/day
  	Maximum Fines
  	Maximum per item (book, magazine, CD, DVD, etc.)	$12.00 each
  	Library Card Fees
  	Replacement card	$2.00
  	Other Charges and Fees
  	Non-resident fee	$50.00/year $25.00/6 months
  	Non-resident Computer-use-only card	$5.00/mo.

• Damaged materials must be paid for at the cost of repair or replacement and any overdue fine, plus a $5.00 Processing Fee.
• Lost material must be paid for at replacement cost and any overdue fine, plus a $5.00 Processing Fee. If material is found and returned within 30 days of being paid for, the District will refund the cost of the materials only.
• Accumulated unpaid fines and/or fees of $10.00 or more will result in loss of borrowing and computer use privileges.
• Accumulated unpaid fines/fees of $50.00 or more will be referred for collection. If referred to a collection agency a $15 fee will be applied to your account.
• A returned check fee of $25.00 will be assessed, plus any bank charges, and is payable before loan privileges will be extended.

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5. Can I Reserve Materials?

• Customers may place requests for Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) titles so that the next available copy is provided to them. Requests are limited to 15 items per customer, with a maximum of 10 requests on DVDs. There is no fee for this service.

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6. Where Can I Return Materials?

• Materials checked out from MCLD libraries may be returned to any MCLD Library. Book and media drops are located inside the libraries. Also, some libraries provide drive-up and walk-up drops that may be used 24 hours a day.

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7. How Do I Reserve Materials Online?

• If you are interested in a title owned by the Maricopa County Library District at a branch other than your home branch, it is possible to reserve that title online and pick it up at whichever branch you desire.
  • Once you have entered our online catalog and found the title you want, you will see the following statement: "Place Request".
  • Click on this statement and you will be asked for your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN (personal identification number). To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Follow the instructions on the screen.
  • When the item is available, you will be notified by phone, mail or email.
  • Total requests are limited to 15 items per customer, with a maximum of 10 requests on DVDs.
  • There is a $2 fee for requested items that are not picked up within 7 days.

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8. How Do I Renew Items Online?

• You can access your account from our Web site: http://www.mcldaz.org.
  • Click on the link: My Account
  • You will then be prompted to type in your library card number(without any spaces between numbers) and PIN. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Then click on “Log In”.
  • Click on "Renew Items Out".
  • Renew selected titles by marking in the box to the left of the title. At the bottom of the page, click on "Renew Selected Items" or "Renew all items".
  • If you have any problems accessing your account, contact your home branch for help.

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9. How Do I Access My Library Account From Home?

• You can access your account from our web site: http://www.mcldaz.org.
  • Click on the link: My Account
  • You will then be prompted to type in your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Then click on “Log In”.
  • You may now view and renew the materials you have checked out, as well as change your PIN number, see the items you have on reserve and check on any fines.
  • If you have any problems accessing your account, contact your home branch for help.

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10.How Do I Access Databases From Home?

• If you have a library card and internet access, you may access many of the library’s information databases from home. The Library District subscribes to these informational databases on behalf of their customers. They are available for free with a library card.
  • To begin, go to our website http://www.mcldaz.org and click on "Online Research".
  • You will then see a list of subjects. Select the subject you are interested in or choose "Alphabetical Listing of E-Sources" to view all the databases that can be accessed from home.
  • Click on the database you wish to access and start searching.
  • Enter your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library.

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11.Where Do I Find Genealogy Information?

• None of the Maricopa County libraries is a genealogy library. We have some books on how to do genealogical research, but we don't have the primary source documents that most genealogical researchers use.
• The library district does subscribe to HeritageQuest Online and ProQuest Obituaries which can be accessed on our Online Research page.
• We also have Ancestry Plus which can be used within the library only. Library cardholders can access this database at any one of our branches.
• Also, there are a couple different locations in the Phoenix area that have excellent genealogical collections.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is well-known for its genealogical records. They have several of their Family History Centers in the Phoenix metro area, so if you go to the following link, www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp, you can locate the center closest to you.
• The Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records also has both archival (www.lib.az.us/archives/famhistory.cfm) and genealogical (www.lib.az.us/is/genealogy/index.cfm) collections. Additional genealogical links can be found on the library's list of selected Web sites.

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