Using Your Card

As a Kanawha County resident, your library account allows you to check out digital and physical items and use the full array of library services at any facility in the Kanawha County Public Library (KCPL) system, as well as on the library’s website. Non-county residents may check out items from the physical collection and use the various databases. However, some digital resources may be limited to residents.

You will be asked to review and update information in your account once a year to renew your privileges. This process keeps your account active.
 

Patron Responsibilities

You are responsible for all items checked out on your account. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for all items checked out on the accounts of their minor children or wards.
Alert the library promptly about any changes in contact information or problems with your account, including:
•    Change of name, address or phone number
•    Stolen or missing library card or key tag
•    Concern about an overdue notice or bill
Return or renew items before the due date. Return items in good condition and with all parts. Pay bills promptly for items returned damaged, overdue, or lost.
 

Patron Confidentiality

Circulation and similar library records at KCPL that identify the patron are confidential in accordance with library policy. The library respects the confidentiality of all such records regardless of the age of the patron. 
 

Authorization to Review Account Information

You may review and receive information about your account through the library’s website or by presenting acceptable identification. 
Written authorization is required to share information about your account in other circumstances not prescribed by the library’s policy or state law, including when:
Custodial parents or legal guardians of a child under the age of 18 want to review or share information about their child’s account. 
The library considers the act of presenting another person's library card as evidence of the cardholder's consent for the bearer to use it.

Notices From the Library

The library provides printed due date slips when an item is checked out or renewed at a KCPL facility. The library also sends a:
• Notice when an item placed on hold is available
• Reminder when an item is 10 days past due
• Bill when an item is 20 days past due
You may choose to receive notices from the library via a street address or an e-mail address. If you choose to receive notices via an e-mail address, you will also be sent a reminder three days before an item is due.
 

Borrowing From the Collection

Present your library card or key tag for fast and reliable service. You may be asked for identification or required to enter your library account number and PIN.
Items will be checked out on the library card presented at the time of checkout.
Checkout periods and the number of items that may be checked out vary depending upon the type of item.
Reference materials and laptops (where available) are for use in the library only.
Accounts with items past due or with unpaid bills or fees may be blocked from additional check-outs until restored to good standing.

Holds may be placed on materials not currently available. When using the catalog to search for your title, you may see a “Place Hold” button. You may click on this button to place a hold on the item. You will need your library card number and PIN to place the hold. You may have up to 40 holds at any given time. You also have the option of freezing your hold if you want to get it later or you are going out of town and do not want the hold to be filled.

Your hold will be filled as soon as possible. You will be notified either by e-mail (if the library has your email on your account) or by the USPS mail. You will have at least 10 days to pick up the item and your notification will give your the pickup by date. If you forget to pick it up, the item is moved to the next person or returned to the shelves. Since some titles have other patrons waiting, we ask that you pick up your items as soon as possible when you are notified.

Why are there times when I can’t place a hold?

The system may not allow holds on items for several reasons. Holds are not allowed if:

• You already have a hold on the same item.
• There are bills greater than $10.00 on your account.
• Your account privilege has expired. In this case, you should see the message, “privilege expired.”
• The item is not part of a holdable collection, such as Express items or reference materials.
• The only available copy is at a library that is not participating in sending holds.

If more information is needed, please contact your local library.

Materials may be renewed up to 2 times before being returned to the library. There are several cases where you may get messages stating that you cannot renew items checked out to you. Renewals will be blocked if:

• There is a hold on the title.
• You’ve already renewed the item twice.
• There are bills greater than $5.00 on your account.
• Your account privilege has expired. In this case, you should see the message, “privilege expired.”

If more information is needed, please contact your local library.

Automatic Renewals

Automatic renewals will begin on December 1, 2022. Each day at 7:00 PM, our system will identify all items that are still due on that specific day and attempt to renew them. The system will only renew those items that can be renewed. Items that would normally not be able to be renewed, will NOT be renewed. Patrons will receive an email (not paper copy) of items that were not renewed and those that were renewed with the new due dates. You can always log in to your account here.

Materials may be renewed up to 2 times before being returned to the library. Items capable of renewal will be automatically renewed on the day they are due - unless you opt to renew them manually at an earlier time.  Patrons will receive an email (not paper copy) of items that were not renewed and those that were renewed with the new due dates. You must have an email on your account to receive this notification.

The item will not renew if:

- There is a hold on the title.
- You’ve already renewed the item twice.
- There are bills greater than $10.00 on your account.
- Your account privilege has expired. In this case, you should see the message, “privilege expired.”

If more information is needed, please contact your local library.

KCPL is fine free! However, we still need the items back for other patrons to enjoy. Some accounts with overdue materials may be turned over to a Collections agency after 45 days past the due date and billed a fee. 

An item is assumed LOST after 20 days of overdue. If an item is LOST or DAMAGED, the patron will be billed accordingly. If you owe more than $10.00 in bills, your library privileges will be blocked and you will not be able to check out more materials until the materials are returned and/or the balance has been paid.

KCPL accepts credit/debit cards, cash, checks, or money orders as payment for account balances. Outstanding bills may also be paid online via your online account. 

Sign In to you account, click on your name, and you will see "Bills." It will list all outstanding bills you have with the library and you may then pay choose to pay specific bills or all of your bills. Credit/debit card payments are not accepted over the phone nor is library staff able to manually enter your credit card information. Bills for LOST items are non-refundable. Please look thoroughly for the items before paying for the item.  

Patrons will continue to have a total limit of 100 items per person.