Borrowing Material
The library offers books, audiobooks on CD, DVD/BluRay movies, music CDs, and videogames for loan. You can search for items in our catalog to borrow at your local branch. If an item is unavailable at your local branch, you can place a request for the item to be delivered.
Click here (Borrowing Materials) to view item limits and loan periods for library materials.
You can also borrow materials for your eReader/Tablet/SmartPhone through our eLibrary.
From the Catalog > click on Log In > log in using your 14-digit library card number (with no spaces) and password (a minimum 4 digits).
After logging in, click your Name in the upper right (which is a hyperlink), the click your name again in the box that appears. Check mark the "Edit Profile" box, scroll down to the "Passcode"; select the "Change Passcode" box then enter your old password, new password, then your new password again in the verification box. Click "Change Passcode" to update your new password.
If you do not know your password you can reset by using the "I forgot my passcode" link at the Login screen and enter your barcode. An email will be sent to the email on file for your account. If you do not know the barcode associated with your card or if you email has changed, please contact your local branch to have them reset it manually.
For immediate access to the catalog and to place a hold, you can register for a temporary online card by registering with our old catalog at https://catalog.wmrl.info/polaris/patronaccount/selfregister.aspx?ctx=8.1033.0.0.1. To finish your registration and get your permanent library card, please come to the branch you designated in your registration. Be sure to bring a photo ID with your current address. For a permanent library account please follow the guidelines below:
Adult Card
A state-issued photo ID and proof of address must be presented to receive a library card:
If photo ID does not have the current address, please present the ID plus 2 forms of proof of current address. Acceptable forms of proof of address are:
Juvenile Card
Children age 12 and under will be issued a Juvenile card. To receive a card the child must be accompanied by a parent/guardian with the required ID.
Student (RAIL) Cards - Raising Access to Improve Literacy
All Washington County Public School students have special Washington County Free Library accounts. RAIL cards works just like a regular library card, only there is no plastic card to carry. It is a virtual card. The Student RAIL number is made up of a prefix and their student ID number (Prefix + Student Number example: RAIL123456). RAIL cards are FINE FREE cards that allow students to:
Young Adult(YA) Card
Minors between the ages of 13-17 will be issued a Young Adult (YA) card. To receive a card the teen must be accompanied by a parent/guardian with the required ID, or present:
Lost Card
Please report lost or stolen card to library staff immediately. We can issue a new card immediately or you may use your ID to check out material if you think it was just misplaced. When your new card is issued, you will be charged a replacement fee of $1.00.
Expired Card
Library cards expire every three years in order to make sure that we have your current contact information. In order to renew your card, visit your nearest branch and have your Library card and proof of current address handy. There is no charge to renew your card for Maryland Residents.
Non-Maryland Residents within the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia) will have to update their cards yearly and pay the $18 renewal fee.
When you receive your library card, the password is typically 4 digits and it could be whatever password you selected.
You can reset your password if you have forgotten it, simply by using the "Forgot your Password?" link from the account page and enter your barcode. An email will be sent to the email on file for your account.
If you do not know your barcode or the email associated with your account has changed, please contact your local branch to assist you.
If the material you would like is checked out, or not available at your local branch, you may place a hold. To place a hold online:
There is no charge to place a hold on an item. If you place a hold on an item that is listed as available, please note that holds are pulled from the shelf at 8am the following business day. You will receive notification that your hold is available for pick-up via email, text message or phone call.
Please contact your local branch to change your notification options.
Renewals
**If there is a hold on an item, it cannot be renewed even if there are renewals remaining.**
Go to the Catalog > click on Log in > log in using your 14-digit library card number and password
On the screen you will see a summary of your checkouts, holds, and fines. Select your name again (which is a link) and see your Bookshelf (My Bookshelf). Under your My Bookshelf tab you will see Checkouts, Holds, Fines and Fees, and Profile. To renew your Checked Out items, select the Checkouts tab and then select the items that you would like to renew by selecting the "Renew" button.
You may also contact your local branch to renew materials over the phone.
Each card holder can borrow up to 100 total items per library card.
Specific item limits are as follows:
eLibrary limits:
You are encouraged to return library materials on time. Patrons cards issued to children and young adults under 18 will not be charged fines. Children and YA items checked out on an Adult card will still accrue fines. Patrons of all ages are charged for materials which are lost, damaged or never returned. The fines for overdue materials are:
If your fines are $6 or more, your borrowing privileges will be suspended.
*Exemptions*
If you have forgotten your Password, first try the last 4 digits of your phone number.
If that doesn't work: click "forgot your password."
If we have your correct email address on file, you will receive an email within 30 minutes containing your password.
If you do not have an email address or you do not receive an email with your password within 30 minutes, please call your local branch to reset your password and update your record.
We want to make sure you are getting your email notifications in a timely manner. If notifications are not coming through, please take the following steps to make sure your email program is set up to receive messages from us:
Step 1: Make sure your email address is correct in our system:
Step 2: Check your Spam Folder -- Sometimes our messages get filtered as Spam
Step 3: Add donotreply@washcolibrary.org to your contacts or safe senders list
Your email provider may have more tips regarding not getting messages. Here are some common providers and links to their relevant help sections:
AOL -- https://help.aol.com/articles/fFix-problems-reading-or-receiving-aol-mail
Yahoo! -- https://help.yahoo.com/kb/emails-arent-received-yahoo-mail-sln28074.html
Gmail -- https://support.google.com/a/answer/55299?hl=en
MSN/Hotmail -- https://bit.ly/36MpjyH
If an item is lost or damaged, you will be charged the full replacement cost for the item. Replacement items are not accepted. If you find the lost book within 1 year and return it, you can receive a refund minus the maximum late fine of $6.
Your account number can be found on the back of your Library Card. It is the 14-digit number found under the barcode. Type in all 14-digits (without spaces) to log in to your Library Account.
Library cards expire every three years in order to make sure that we have your current contact information. In order to renew your card, visit your nearest branch and have your Library card and proof of current address handy. There is no charge to renew your card for Maryland Residents!
Non-Maryland Residents will have to update their cards yearly and pay the $18 renewal fee.
