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Library Card Policies

All policies below apply to card holders. (Exceptions: Customers age 60 and older are not charged overdue fines. Customers who live in or teach in the Westerville City School District may be issued an Educator Card with different loan policies.)

Loan Periods for Checked Out Items

This table describes how long you can keep materials checked out.
28-day loans include:	14-day loans include:	7-day loans include:
Most books	New books	Fiction DVDs
Puzzles	Audiobooks	Juvenile DVDs and videos
Art Prints	eBooks	Ohio eBook Project videos
CD-ROMs	eAudiobooks	Ohio eBook Project music
Non-fiction videos & DVDs	Holiday books	-----
----	Magazines	-----
----	MP3 players	-----
----	Music CDs	-----
----	Playaways	-----

Attention: SearchOhio and OhioLINK loan policies may differ.

Renewals

All items in the library can be renewable up to four times, unless another patron has requested it or if your library card has a fine of over $5.00. To renew items, stop at the Circulation Desk, call 614.839.2070, or log on to My Account.

Movie restrictions for children: With parental permission, children under 18 may check out movies above a G rating. Parents may give permission when registering their child for a Library card, or by signing a consent form at the Circulation Desk. Otherwise, movies rated PG, PG-13, or R cannot be checked out using a child’s library card.

Overdue Fines

1. Books and most items | 20 cents per day
2. Videos, DVDs, MP3 Players | $1.25 per day
3. Art prints | 25 cents per day

Note: Beginning March 15, 2009, overdue fines on a single item will be charged up to the replacement cost of that item. (For example, a book purchased by the Library for $19 can mean late fines of up to $19.)

Other Fines & Regulations

1. Confidentiality Policy: In order to receive information about your library card account at the library, you must show your library card or government-issued photo ID. If communicating by phone, you must provide us with your name and library card number (located underneath the barcode on your library card.)
2. Lost library card: Your first library card is free! However, if you have lost your card, we can reissue one to you, for a $1 fee.
3. Lost items: If you have lost an item that is checked out to your library account, you will be responsible for paying to replace the item, as well as paying a $5 processing fee. If you returned the item, but it still appears on your library account, you can request that the library do a search of the shelves for that item.
4. Maximum Fines: If your fines exceed $5.00, your account will be blocked and you will be restricted from checking out additional items, renewing items or using the computer labs and gaming room. The block will be removed when your fines are paid down to $5.00 or less.
5. Collection Agency (i.e. Unique Management Services): The Westerville Public Library currently uses a collection agency to collect outstanding overdue items on the library's behalf. To find out more, please see our Collection Agency information page.

Returning items

All items, except Art Prints, may be returned 24 hours a day in the drive-up return slot on the north side of the library or in the return boxes in the under-building parking area. During library hours, materials may be returned at the main desk in the atrium. Items returned in the return slot or drop boxes when the library opens on the day after the items were due will be considered late and fines will be assessed.