Borrowing Information

How to Get a Library Card
Apply at the circulation desk for a library card. Essex residents are asked to present proof of residency, such as a driver's license or two items with a current address. Patrons who are under the age of 18 need to have a parent or guardian present at time of registration. Library cards are valid for three years.

Using Your Library Card
Your Essex Library card may be used in any public library in Connecticut and patrons from other libraries are welcome to check out materials at the Essex Library. If a library card is lost, there is a $1.00 replacement fee.

Loan periods and Late Charges

Materials	Borrowing period	Fines	Renewal policy
Books, musical CD's, books on tape or CD	3 weeks	10¢/day	May be renewed one time if no one else is waiting
Videos and DVD's	1 week	$1/day	May not be renewed
Magazines	1 week		May not be renewed
Museum passes	3 days	$2/day	May not be renewed

Renewing Library Materials
Most Essex Library materials may be renewed ONCE, unless another patron has placed a hold on it. You may renew items in three ways.
1. In person: Come to the library and renew through staff or the public PAC.
2. By phone: Call 860-767-1560 and ask to renew.
3. Over the Internet. Have your library card handy to access the library's catalog from the Essex Library Web page.
Go to our online catalog

Click on “My Account”
Type in your last name and the barcode on your library card then click on “Submit”
Click on “Items currently checked out”
To renew selected material(s), click on the box to the left of the title(s) you’d like to renew then click on “Renew Checked Items” icon. Or to renew all of your materials, simply click on the “Renew all” icon.
If you can not renew materials, a message will appear on the screen. If you are successful, a new due date will appear in the “Status” column.

Reserving Materials- Placing a "Hold"
You may place a reserve or "hold" on an item that is currently checked out by another patron. You may do this in three ways:
1. In person: Come to the library and reserve through staff or the public PAC.
2. By phone: Call 860-767-1560 and ask to place an item on hold.
3. Over the Internet. Have your library card handy to access the library's catalog from the Essex Library Web page. Go to our online catalog

Click on “My Account”
Type in your last name and the barcode on your library card then click on “Submit”
Click on the “New Search” icon
Search for the material you’d like to reserve.
If material is found, click on the “Request/Hold” icon to the right of the title information.
Using the drop down menu, please select from which library you’d like to pick up the material and indicate when request should be canceled if not filled quickly then hit the “Submit” icon.
If you don’t find the material, please contact us by email, phone (860 767-1560), or in person. We will do our best to obtain the material from another library.

Returning Materials
Materials may be returned to the circulation desk during library business hours or dropped in the book drop when the library is closed. We request that musical CD's and DVD's not be dropped in the book drop as the cases tend to crack. Materials may be returned at any library in Connecticut . Patrons will be billed for the full replacement and reprocessing costs for any items which are lost or damaged.