Frequently Asked Questions
Library Cards
How do I get a Library Card?
Any resident of the state of Ohio can receive a Preble County District Library Card for free. You can apply for a Library Card in person. When applying in person, please show valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license, a state-issued identification card, a current student card, or an armed forces identification card. Additionally, please bring verification of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement. You must bring the card in with identification for account verification before checking out library materials.
Children must be at least five years old or able to sign their name to obtain a Library card. Children 17 years old and younger must have a parent’s or guardian’s signature on the registration form, and the parent or guardian must present the required identification and verification of current address; the signature will satisfy the requirement for identification for the patron under the age of 18. The parent or guardian is responsible for any charges incurred on this card.
First-time borrowers are restricted to three items only. Once the initial three items are returned, the patron may borrow the maximum number of items allowed per card.
Special cards are also available for teachers. Please CLICK HERE or ask at the Library for details.
RETURNING ITEMS YOU BORROW
You can return items to any Preble County District Library, regardless of which Branch you checked them out from originally. Items can be returned (24/7) directly to book drops or inside at the circulation desk.
AUTOMATIC RENEWALS
We renew most items for you. Items you have checked out from the Library will automatically be renewed up to four times. This means you don’t have to access your account or call the Library when you want to renew. It also means you won’t have overdue fines when you forget or don’t have time to renew the items yourself.
Two days prior to the due date, your items will automatically be renewed if no one else has requested them. If we have your email address, you’ll get a message letting you know which items are due in two days, and which have been renewed, along with a list of any other materials you currently have checked out.
Most items can be renewed up to four times if there are no outstanding requests. Mobile hotspots cannot be renewed.
Loan periods:
Books and Audiobooks: 21 days
Magazines: 21 days
CDs and Music: 21 days
Early Childhood Education Kits: 21 days
Playaways: 21 days
Adaptive Toys: 21 Days
Wonderbooks (PCDL Patrons only): 21 days
Mobile Hotspot (PCDL Patrons only): 14 days
DVDs and Blu-rays: 7 days
Video games: 7 days
Playaway Views: 7 days
Borrowing limits:
Books, magazines and other print materials: 50 items combined
DVDs and Blu-rays: 25 items
Audiobooks and music: 50 items combined
Video games: 2 items
Don’t have a library card? Signup for a free eCard with Preble County District Library without the need to visit one of our locations. An eCard gives you immediate access to our electronic resources:
- download or stream ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and magazines
- access newspaper archives, genealogy resources, and scholarly journals
- get ahead with online learning tools
Physical materials at our library locations cannot be checked out with an eCard. However, eCards can be upgraded to a standard library card by showing valid photo ID and proof of address when you visit any of our libraries.
You may change request to change your address in person or by calling your PCDL branch. You may be asked to verify detailed account information. Visit the LOCATIONS page for contact information.
What do I do if I have lost or damaged library materials?
At times, a patron may damage or lose an item they checked out from the library. In such a case, the patron is responsible to pay the repair or replacement cost of that item. Accounts with $50 or more in fees will be sent to Unique Collection agency to recover the cost for the library. At that time, a $12 collection fee will be added to the total amount owed. Collection fees cannot be waived.
If an item is damaged beyond normal wear and tear and cannot be repaired, the cost of the item as it appears in the item record will be charged to the patron. If an item is reported as lost, the replacement cost of the item will be charged as well as a processing fee for collection costs. The charge for a lost item will be the cost of the item as it appears in the item record. The only acceptable replacement will be the cost of the item. Any items that a patron purchases on their own from a retailer will not be accepted. All items will be paid for at the circulation desk and a receipt will be given. After a damaged item has been paid for and removed from the catalog, the borrower may keep that item at the staff’s discretion.
A free of charge interlibrary loan arrangement permits you to obtain circulating materials anywhere in the library system which may not be located in your branch. We will attempt to borrow the material from another library system for you.
PCDL offers a diverse collection representing a wide range of customer interests. If you find a title that we do not own, but feel that we should, you can suggest that title and our librarians will review it to see if we can add it to our collection.
If you would like PCDL to add a title to our collection, you can make a request for purchase HERE. When our librarians have made a decision regarding your title, you will receive an email letting you know the result.
If your card is lost or stolen, call the your local branch as soon as you can so that we may suspend access to that account. You are responsible for all items checked out on your library card, so please make your report as soon as possible.