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Borrowing Services

Library Cards:
Newark Residents
Nonresidents Who Work, Attend
School or Own Property in Newark

Other Nonresidents and ReBL
Get a Library Card Online

Library Borrowing Privileges:
Expiration of Borrowing Privileges
Lost or Stolen Cards
Suspension of Library Privileges

Loans:
Loan Periods
Checkout Limits
Renewals
Holds/Reserves
Your Personal Account

Library Fines:
Overdue Fines
Overdue Notices
Lost or Damaged Items

Library Cards

Newark Residents

The library issues borrower’s cards at no charge to those who live in Newark.

Applicants over the age of 14 must present identification, with proof of their address. Appropriate forms of identification include current:

  • New Jersey driver’s license
  • New Jersey motor vehicle registration
  • New Jersey non-driver’s license
  • School ID
  • New Jersey State Senior citizens’ ID
  • Rental or lease agreement
  • Utility bill addressed to the applicant at the applicant’s stated address
  • Bank statement addressed to the applicant at the applicant’s stated address
  • Credit card statement addressed to the applicant at the applicant’s stated address
  • Other U.S. mail addressed to the applicant at the applicant’s stated address, delivered within the preceding 30 days.

No identification is required of applicants under the age of 14. Cards are issued immediately to children only when they are accompanied by a parent or guardian who presents appropriate identification. Otherwise, they are mailed to applicants’ parents.

Residents of Shelters are considered temporary residents. The library issues temporary cards to them if they present a letter from a shelter, confirming their residency. Temporary cards must be renewed every three months.

Nonresidents Who Work, Attend School or Own Property in Newark

The library issues cards to non-residents who work, attend school, or own property in Newark, if they provide proof of their employment, enrollment, or property ownership in addition to the proof of identification and home address that is required of resident applicants.

Appropriate proof of employment includes:

  • Employee identification badge
  • Letter from employer
  • Pay stub with work address

Appropriate proof of school enrollment includes:

  • Student identification card
  • Printed class schedule
  • Report card
  • Letter from school

Appropriate proof of property ownership includes:

  • Tax bill
  • Water bill
  • Title, deed or other proof of ownership

Other Nonresidents and ReBL

The Newark Public Library also issues cards to non-residents for an annual fee of $50.00.

ReBL Cards

Most libraries in Essex County participate in the ReBL (Reciprocal Borrowing and Lending) program and will extend ReBL privileges to their borrowers in good standing.

Newark residents who wish to have ReBL borrowing privileges must apply for them at The Newark Public Library — at the Main Library or at any branch. When a Newark patron applies for ReBL privileges, library staff:
(1) Check to see that the borrower does not have outstanding fines in excess of $15.00, and does not have any items overdue;
(2) Affix a ReBL sticker to the borrower’s card.

Non-Newark residents who wish to have ReBL borrowing privileges must apply for them at their local public library. The local library will affix a ReBL sticker to the patron’s card. Patrons holding cards from other ReBL libraries may borrow items from The Newark Public Library if they present a borrower’s card from their "home" library to which a ReBL sticker has been attached.

If a borrower presents a card from another ReBL library, but a ReBL sticker has not been affixed to it, NPL staff will require the individual to obtain a sticker from the "home" library before allowing Newark Public Library borrowing privileges.

If an out-of-town patron who does not have a card with a ReBL sticker attached has an urgent need to borrow an item from NPL, the patron may call his/her "home" library and ask a librarian there to fax an ALA interlibrary loan request form to NPL. (At the Main Library the form will be faxed to the ILS office, from which the patron is to pick it up.) When the patron presents the interlibrary loan form at the circulation desk, together with the item to be borrowed, the library staff member at the desk will charge the item to the library that issued the form and let the patron take it.

Get a Library Card Online

Through a program initiated by the New Jersey State Library, it is now possible to apply for your Newark Public Library card online.

When an application is received library staff will process the request, issue a library card, and then mail the card to the patron.

As soon as the card is received it may be used to check out library materials, or to access the Library's online databases from home, school, or work.

Click here to apply for a library card.


Library Borrowing Privileges

Expiration of Borrowing Privileges

All cards (except the temporary cards issued to temporary residents) are valid for one year from the date of issue. Borrowers who have no overdue items or unpaid fines in excess of $15.00 may renew their cards. To do so they must present identification of the kind that initial applicants must present.

Lost or Stolen Cards

Borrowers are responsible for all items borrowed with their cards until they inform the library that their cards have been lost or stolen. Those who cannot find their cards are advised to notify the library immediately.

The charge for replacement of a lost card is $0.25.

Suspension of Library Privileges

Borrowing privileges of those who owe fines in excess of $15.00 will be suspended until the fines are paid. The library will temporarily restore the privileges of those who make reasonable partial payments.


Loans

Loan Periods

7 Days
14 Days
30 Days
  • Videocassettes and DVDs
  • Adult periodicals
  • Children’s materials in temporary high demand
  • Children’s materials (except those in temporary high demand)
  • New adult books
  • Test preparation books
  • All other adult books*
  • Spoken recordings (audiocassettes and CDs)
*Reference books may not be checked out.

Checkout Limits

Borrowers who have no overdue items or unpaid fines in excess of $15.00 may borrow as many books and magazines as they choose.

No one may borrow more than three DVDs at one time.

No one may borrow more than five of each of the following at one time:

  • Videocassettes
  • Music recordings
  • Spoken recordings

Renewals

Borrowers may renew loans of items (other than videocassettes and DVDs), unless other borrowers have reserved the items. They may renew loans in person (at any library agency) or online (through the library’s catalog), but not by telephone.

Loans may be renewed even if borrowed items are overdue; but borrowers will still be liable for fines accrued before renewal.
Click here to go to your personal account.

Holds/Reserves

Cardholders may reserve up to three titles online or in person. They may renew items at any library agency for pick-up at any library agency. The library will notify them by e-mail (if possible, otherwise by post) when reserved items become available and will hold the items for them up to 7 days. Holds may not be placed on videocassettes and DVDs.

Your Personal Account

Patrons may check their personal accounts online. Your personal account provides a list of all the items currently checked out. Items may also be renewed through your personal account. Click here to go to your account.


Library Fines

Overdue Fines

The Library charges overdue fines to encourage prompt return of materials and thereby increase their availability to the public.

For each day that the library is open:

Item Type
Charge per Day
Maximum Fine
Adult Videocassettes and DVDs
$2.00
$10.00 maximum
Children's Videocassettes and DVDs
$1.00
$5.00 maximum
Other adult materials
$0.15
$10.00 maximum
Other children's materials
$0.05
$5.00 maximum

Overdue Notices

The Library sends overdue notices by email (if possible, otherwise by post). Because library records are confidential, the staff cannot divulge information from borrowers’ records over the telephone. Borrowers can check their own library accounts online or obtain information from staff in person at any library agency. You may view your personal account online.

Lost or Damaged Items

Cardholders are responsible for all items borrowed with their cards and liable for the cost of repairing or replacing items are lost or damaged. Items that are overdue 60 days are accounted lost, and borrowers will receive bills for them. Payments for lost items will be refunded if these items are subsequently returned.

The library will accept a new copy of the same edition of a lost item, in the same format, as payment for the lost item.

The Library’s policies and procedures regarding library cards, fines, and loan periods are subject to periodic review and revision.

 

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