Get a Library Card

If you live in our service area, you may get a library card free of charge, as part of your tax-supported library service.

Your library card allows you to:

• Borrow books from us and from other public libraries in Illinois or beyond.
• Use special online collections to find magazine articles and information you can't get just by searching the web.

To get a library card, you must come in to the library to fill out an application form.  You must provide proof of identification.  If you've recently moved and don't yet have a current picture id, please bring in something to verify your new address (eg. a piece of mail).  Your library card is free the first time; replacements for lost cards are $3.00.  Children under the age of 14 must have a parent or guardian signature.

 

Renew Books

ONLINE RENEWAL:

To renew books and other items, go to "Catalog" in the black header above.  Type in your library barcode and pin number to access your account.  Once you are in "My Account", go to "Renew My Materials"  and select which items need renewal.  Keep in mind you can only renew books that are not yet due.  If the book is due the day you log in or call, or already overdue, the book cannot be renewed.  If this is the case, please call the library at 309-526-8375 and a staff member can help you.

PHONE RENEWAL:

To renew your items by phone, please call our system toll-free number at any time of day or night:

1-888-542-7259. 

You will be asked to enter your library barcode, followed by the # sign, and then you'll have these options:

1. renew your items

2. hear a list of items checked out and their due dates

3. hear a list of items that are overdue

There are prompts to follow within these options.  You will not be able to renew if you have fines, bills, or overdue items.  And again, you may call our library staff to assist you at 309-526-8375.

 

Place my own hold

Once you have done a search in the Catalog and found the title you want, click on the green "place hold" box.  The pick-up location will default to the library which issued your library card to you.  If you would rather pick up your item at a different library, choose it from the list, then click on the brown "place hold" box.  The next screen will tell you that the hold has been placed and a staff member will contact you when your item is available for pickup.  Click on "OK".

Get a Newsfeed of Library Headlines

This website has several "feeds", which allow you to automatically receive links to news and events as they're posted on the site. Using feeds is a convenient way to keep up with as many blogs, news sites, and other websites as you like. For a quick tutorial about feeds and how they work, see Common Craft's RSS in Plain English video.

Feeds are marked with a special icon , which you click to "subscribe" to the feed by adding it to whichever program you use as a feed reader (see below). 

Feeds on this site include:

• Library news
• Items featured on the Home page
• Events

There are a number of tools available for subscribing to and reading feeds. Here are a few examples:

• Online feed readers, such as Google Reader or Bloglines.
• Software, such as NewsGator, that you download and install on your computer.
• Widgets for your own web space or portal, such as on MySpace, Google, or My Yahoo.
• The toolbars on some web browsers, like Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox.
• RSS feed support in some email programs, like Outlook 2007.

Each tool has its own specific instructions for adding feeds, but the process is usually as simple as pasting in the feed's address or selecting from a menu.