Getting a Library Card and Borrowing from Howard County Library System’s Collection

Access eContent immediately by signing up for a library card online. This temporary card is good for six months.

Maryland residents can apply online for a temporary library card to immediately access HCLS’ wide range of eContent, including eBooks and eAudiobooks; streaming TV, movies, and music; online classes; and digital subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. 

Register online for a library card.

Your library card gives you online access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, homework help, music, movies, and more. You may also use it to borrow physical items from any HCLS branch.

• Library Card Application
• Checking Out
• Loan Periods
• Lost and Damaged Items
• Fines
• Renewing Items
• Returning Items
• Requesting Items
• Other Library Systems’ Collections (Interlibrary Loan)
• DIY Collection
• Art Education Collection

Library Card Application

• Register online.
• If you are younger than 13 years of age, your parent or legal guardian will need to sign your card application. By signing, parents or guardians agree to pay all charges for overdue, lost, or damaged materials borrowed on their children’s cards. There is no charge to obtain a library card, or replace a lost card.
• To upgrade a library card obtained through online registration, please call your local branch to request pickup of your physical library card. Physical library cards do not have an expiration date and are eligible to request and check out artwork, DVDs, Children’s Launchpads, Chromebooks, hotspots, STEM Activity Kits, and sewing machines.

What You Need to Know About Your Library Card

• Keep your library card in a safe place. Let us know if you lose it. We will “block” your card to stop anyone else from using it.
• You may borrow 60 items each time you visit HCLS, with a maximum of 120 items checked out on one card.
• In cases of extremely high demand, some branches may limit borrowing for a particular type of item. Please check with a staff person if you have any questions.
• Any book marked “Research” may not be borrowed. We keep these books in the branches for everyone to use.
• You must be 13 to borrow DVDs, Launchpads, musical instruments, STEM Activity Kits, and sewing machines. You must be 18 years or older to borrow artwork, Chromebooks, and hotspots. You must be 21 years or older to borrow items from the DIY collection.
• You will receive a receipt when you borrow materials. The receipt lists the titles of everything you have just checked out. It also tells you when you must bring the materials back. This is known as the “due date.” Keep your receipt handy.
• You may view your library account online. You will need your library card barcode number and PIN (personal identification number).
• You may return most materials to the lobby or book drop of any HCLS branch.

Checking out

• You may borrow 60 items each time you visit HCLS, with a maximum of 120 items checked out on one card.
• If you forget your card, any identification with your name and address is an acceptable substitute.

Loan periods

• You must be at least 13 years of age to borrow DVDs, Launchpads, musical instruments, and sewing machines. We rely on parents or legal guardians to monitor the borrowing and viewing of DVDs by minors (13-17 years of age).
• You must be 18 years or older to borrow artwork, Chromebooks, and hotspots.
• You must be 21 years or older to borrow items from the DIY collection.
• When you borrow materials, we will give you a receipt that lists each title and its due date. Please use this receipt to remind yourself when the materials are due.
• Using your library card barcode number, you may also check your account by phone using TelAccount (410.313.7810) or online through the catalog.

HCLS is a member of the SAILOR Consortium and the Maryland State OverDrive Consortium (MSOC). Some of HCLS’s eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines are part of Maryland’s Digital Library. The MSOC establishes lending policies for OverDrive/Libby materials. Policies for the usage of SAILOR eMaterials are determined by the Maryland State Library Resource Center. Policies for all eResources outside of Maryland’s Digital Library and the SAILOR consortium are negotiated by Materials Management in partnership with vendors, subject to the approval of HCLS’s CEO. These policies are subject to change. HCLS customers may access current borrowing limits on the HCLS website. 

cloudLibrary 

• Borrowing limit: 8 eBooks and eAudiobooks (combined) at a time 
• Hold limit: 8 at a time 
• Lending period: 21 days 
• Renewal policy: No automatic renewals. A few days before the title is due, renew if no one else is waiting for it or the library’s title license hasn’t expired.
• Return policy: Items return automatically

Freegal Music 

• Borrowing limits: 
  • Unlimited streaming music 
  • 3 downloads per week 
• No lending periods, renewals, or return policies

• Borrowing limits: 10 titles within a calendar month 
• Lending periods: 
  • eAudiobooks: 21 days 
  • eComics: 21 days 
  • eBooks: 21 days 
  • Movies: 3 days 
  • Music albums: 7 days 
  • TV episodes: 3 days 
• Renewal policy: No automatic renewals 
• Hold limit: No holds. All titles are available to borrow immediately 
• Return policy: Items return automatically 

Kanopy 

• Borrowing limits: Watch 3 Great Courses per month and spend 8 play credits per calendar month on movies, documentaries, or TV series. Most titles cost 1 play credit, some cost more. For more info on play credits, click here.  
• Lending periods: 48 hours or 72 hours, depending on the title 
• No renewals 
• Hold limit: No holds. All titles are available to borrow immediately
• Return policy: Items return automatically

OverDrive/Libby 

• Borrowing limits: 
  • eBooks and eAudiobooks: 10 at a time (combined) 
  • eMagazines: Unlimited 
• Hold limit: 10 at a time 
• Lending period: Up to 21 days for all formats (eBook, eAudio, eMagazine) 
• Renewal policy: No automatic renewals. A few days before the title is due, log in and renew if no one else is waiting for it, the library’s title license hasn’t expired, and it is not part of a Lucky Day collection.
• Return policy: Items return automatically

Lost and damaged items

• Materials are to be returned in the condition in which they were borrowed. The full replacement cost and a processing fee will be charged for each item lost, damaged, or stolen.

Fines and fees

• HCLS is now fine free, with the exception of daily fines for artwork, DIY items, Chromebooks, hotspots, STEM Activity Kits, sewing machines, and video games.
  • For every day that artwork, a DIY item, Chromebook, hotspot, STEM Activity Kits, or sewing machine is late AND the Library is open, customers are charged $2 with a maximum of $30.
  • For every day that a video game is late AND the Library is open, customers are charged $1 with a maximum of $10.
  • No fines are charged on days HCLS is closed.
• If you owe $25 or more in fees or fines, you will not be able to borrow or renew materials until the fees or fines have been cleared from your account.

Renewing items

• All materials — except eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, eVideos, artwork, STEM Activity Kits, and sewing machines — automatically renew three days before their due date, unless another customer is waiting for them.
• An item may be renewed twice unless another borrower has reserved it or your account has an unpaid balance of $25 or more in fees or fines for a DIY item, artwork, Chromebook, hotspot, STEM Activity Kit, sewing machine, or video game
• Renew materials online or by phone using TelAccount (410.313.7810). When using TelAccount or the online catalog, please have your library card barcode number and PIN available.
• Fines for overdue DIY items, artwork, Chromebooks, hotspots, STEM Activity Kits, sewing machines, or video games renewed through TelAccount or the online catalog will be added to your account.

Returning items

• DVDs, Launchpads, and musical instruments must be returned to an HCLS branch.
• Return Chromebooks, hotspots, and STEM Activity Kits to the Customer Service Desk. They may not be returned to a book drop.
• Items from the DIY collection must be returned to the Elkridge Branch DIY side entrance (no appointment necessary).
• Artwork must be returned to the lending library, either Central Branch or Glenwood Branch.
• Sewing machines borrowed from the Elkridge Branch must be returned to the Elkridge Branch. Sewing machines borrowed from the Glenwood Branch must be returned to the Glenwood Branch.
• Books and other materials may be returned to any public library in Maryland.

Book drops, located at each branch, are open 24 hours.

• If a book drop is jammed or full, please do not force the materials into it or leave them unattended.
• Return Chromebooks and hotspots to the Customer Service Desk. Do not return to a book drop.
• Return STEM Activity Kits to the Customer Service Desk. Do not return to a book drop.
• You will not be charged fines if you return the materials to the Customer Service & Research Desk as soon as possible and inform staff of the problem.
• You will be charged $5 for each item left outside book drops or by the doors of HCLS buildings.

Requesting items

Transfers
Items available at any HCLS branch may be transferred between branches for free. To request this service, please call your branch.

Holds & Reserves

• If you are looking for a popular title, it is possible that all copies will already be on loan to other customers. In that case, your name can be placed on a “hold/reserve” list so that when copies are returned, one will be held for you at your local branch.
• Items can be reserved by calling your local branch or by finding the title in the catalog and then clicking on the “Place Request” button within the item’s catalog record.
• You may reserve up to 99 items.
• If we have your email address on record, we will notify you by email at no charge (you may also choose to receive your notice via the phone message or U.S. mail). You may add an email address to your record by logging into your online account or calling your local branch.

Borrowing from other library systems’ collections (Interlibrary Loan)

• If we do not own a specific item, it may be found via Marina (a system for requesting items from other Maryland public libraries). Items may also be located through Maryland university or out-of-state libraries.
• There may be fees associated with materials obtained outside the Marina network. Customers will be notified of any charges and asked to approve them before requests are completed. Fees, if any, are payable at the time of pick-up.
• Access Marina through our website, call your local branch, or call Interlibrary Loans at 410.313.7733 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Staff will respond to voicemail the next business day.