About Borrowing

Registration Requirements
Warren County Library cards are available to:

• All Warren County residents and property owners. (A child may receive his/her library card upon entering Kindergarten).

• Monmouth College students

Persons owning other Illinois Public Library cards will be allowed to check out materials. Non-residents may purchase a family card.

An adult wishing to register for a borrower’s card, renew an expired borrower’s card, or replace a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed borrower’s card at the Warren County Public Library must bring with him/her two forms of identification, at least one of which bears his/her name and address.  These forms of identification include, but are not limited to, driver’s license, utility bills, mail, or voter’s registration card. 

A child may receive her/his first library card upon entering kindergarten.  Children under the age of 16 must have a parent’s signature on any initial application for a library card.  The application must be completed with both the child and adult present in the Library.  Children under the age of 14 may use the proof of residency provided by a parent.  Children 16 and over may choose to provide their own proof of residency, or to use that of a parent.

Your Account
Log in to see what you have checked out, to renew, and to see if requested items are ready for pick up. More details...

Loan and Renewals
The following terms of loan are applicable as indicated:

• Books:  two weeks; no renewal limit unless the item is on hold for another patron; checkout limit for a five-item limit on special occasion books (e.g., specific holiday books).

• Books on cassette or CD:  two weeks; no renewal limit unless the item is on hold for another patron.

• Videos and DVDs:  one week; no renewals; limit of six movies per household with a maximum of three DVDs at one time.

• Music CDs:  one week; no renewal limit unless the item is on hold for another patron.

• Magazines:  one week for magazines in the adult section; two weeks for children’s magazines; no renewal limit unless the item is on hold for another patron.

• Reference materials:  certain reference materials may be checked out under special circumstances, for a period not to exceed two weeks.

There are three ways to "renew" items to keep it longer:
give us a call at 309-734-3166 during our hours of operation
renew online through your Account
send us an Email

Holds
A patron may request any library item which is not immediately available for patron use, but which is in the collection of the Warren County Public Library.  When the reserved item becomes available, the Library will notify the patron via telephone.  If the patron is not available to answer the telephone, a message will be left.  The date of the message will be noted and the material will be held for the patron for a period of one week.  After one week, if another patron is also waiting for the item, that patron will be notified of its availability.  If no one else is waiting, and a week has passed since the initial notification of availability, the initial patron will be notified again. After one more week, if the reserved item has still not been picked up, the item will be reshelved. 

A library patron may have up to five items on hold at a time. 

Overdue Materials
There is a 10-cent/day fine for overdue materials.  Fines can accumulate up to a maximum of $5.00/item. Patrons with responsibility for material in any format which is more than six months overdue are also responsible for any and all collection and/or court costs incurred by the Library in its efforts to secure the return of the material.

Lost or Damaged Items
The charge to replace a lost library card is $1.00. All library materials borrowed are the responsibility of the library patron. The purchase price showing in the circulation program will be charged to any patron who borrows and loses or damages beyond repair any library item. If the item is found by the patron after payment, the Library will refund the price that was charged for the item, but only with presentation of the receipt received at time of payment. In the case of children under the age of 18, it is the parent’s responsibility to pay for lost or damaged items. Materials borrowed through interlibrary loan which are lost or damaged are charged to the patron according to the bill provided by the lending agency. 

In the event that any person’s failure to return any book or library item in an undamaged condition is determined to be willful, the Director shall report such violation to the State’s Attorney for prosecution pursuant to the applicable terms of the Illinois Criminal Code and shall exclude such person from further use of the Library or any privileges attendant thereto until full restitution to the Library has been made.

Damaged material will be repaired, if possible.  Otherwise, the patron responsible for the damage will be charged the replacement cost shown in the Cataloging Program. All fines and penalties for the commission of injury upon the Library, its grounds, or the property thereof, shall be paid into the general fund of the Library or the body enforcing this ordinance.