All branches of the Marin County Free Library will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2013, in observance of Memorial Day.
Books and materials checked out at a Marin County Free Library branch can be returned to any public library in Marin.
View list of library locations.
(Note: Borrowing policies for items belonging to City Libraries may differ from those of Marin County Free Library.
More details.)
For information on library cards, please see our Library Cards page.
Checkout Limits
The maximum number of items you may have checked out at a time on your library card is:
- 50 Books/ Magazines
- 10 Books on CD
- 10 DVDs
- 10 Music CDs
Loan Periods
| Books, Magazines, Books on CD, Music CDs, Language Instruction DVDs | 3 weeks |
| DVDs | 1 week |
| Lucky Day Collection - Books | 1 week |
| Lucky Day Collection - DVDs | 3 days |
| Nook eReaders | 1 week |
| LINK+ Books | 3 weeks |
Vacation loans:
Items can be checked out for a vacation loan period of 6 weeks, with the exception of DVDs, new & high-demand materials. No renewals are allowed on vacation loans.
Overdue Fees
| Adult and juvenile books, DVDS, CDs and magazines | 25¢ per day |
| LINK+ items | $1 per day |
| Nook eReaders | $5 per day |
Bookmobile patrons are charged by the scheduled stop, rather than by the day that items are due.
Maximum Overdue Fees
| All adult & teen items | $6 per item |
| All juvenile items | $3 per item |
If you owe more than $10, you will need to pay down your balance in order to check out again.
Renewals
Two renewals are allowed on most items, except those that have been reserved by other patrons. Items renew for the same period of time as the original checkout.
LINK+ items can be renewed one time for 3 weeks, unless the item has been requested at the owning library.
Renew:
- Online by logging in to “My Account” using your library card number and PIN. Click on “Checked Out Items”, then either “Renew All” or “Renew Selected”, then “Yes” to confirm. Please check the screen carefully to make sure that the items were renewed.
- By phone at any branch during open hours. Please have your library card number ready.
- In person at any branch during open hours. Please bring either your library card or items to be renewed.
Reserve Requests
| Within Marin | Free |
| LINK+ | Free |
| Outside of LINK+ | $5 |
| Magazine articles | $1 |
(Fee is non-refundable and applies to SEARCHES, whether or not items arrive. Charges for lost, damaged or overdue items are assessed by lending library).
You can place a hold online, by phone, or in person at any branch.
To place a hold online:
- Log in to “My Account” using your library card and PIN.
- Click “Search Catalog” and type a search term into the search box. (How to search the catalog).
- Click on “Request this Title” and follow the prompts.
When the requested item arrives at the branch, you will receive a notification via mail or by email if we have your email address on file. We will hold the item for you for 7 days. If your requested material is not picked up, it will automatically go to the next person on the waiting list or back to the owning library.
Lost or Damaged Items
| Items lost or damaged beyond use | List price + $6 processing fee |
| Lost or damaged part of multi-part audio set | $10 per disc |
| Replace CD and DVD cases | $3 |
The library generally does not accept personally purchased replacements.
Please note that replacement fees for LINK+ items are $115.
Paying Fines & Fees
Fines & fees can be paid:
- Online by credit card. Log in to “My Account” using your library card number and PIN.
Select “Unpaid Fees”, then “Pay Online”. (Get more help). - In person by cash, check or credit card.
Fees and loan periods effective 07/01/12.
