Your Library Card Can Do…

Click here to find out if you can get a Waukegan Public Library Card today!

You can use your library card to: check out materials from the library, access and change your library account information, find out online what you have checked out and their due dates, renew online, place holds online, find out if you owe any fines, receive email notices on new arrivals, access our online databases, use computers in the library, and print or make photocopies.

Is the loan free?
How long can I keep the book (CD, DVD, etc.)?
How do I access my library account information?
Can I change my personal information in my library account?
How do I know what I have checked out?
I want to keep a book past the due date. How do I do renew the loan?
If I have something already overdue, can I still renew it?
Why can't I renew my loans for certain things?
How can I place a hold on something that's checked out?
How do I find out what I already have on hold?
Can I cancel a hold?
How do I find out if I owe any fines?
What kind of email notices does the Library send me?
How can I receive email notices about new arrivals that I am interested in?
What's this online database thing and how can I access them from home?
What do you mean by using library computers with my library card?
What other uses do I have with my library card?

Is the loan free?
With the exception of entertainment DVDs, everything from the library is a free loan. A handful of books will require a refundable security deposit.

How long can I keep the book (CD, DVD, etc.)?
Most materials check out for 3 weeks but some have a shorter loan period. Click here to find out the exact loan period for different types of materials.

How do I access my library account information?
Go to My Card page and type in your name and barcode number as shown on your library card.

Can I change my personal information in my library account?
If you want to change your address because you have moved, you will need to come to the library and bring proof of your new address. You can, however, change your preference of contact from the Library, whether by email or by regular mail. To do that, log in and click on button. If you want the library to send you notices through email, please choose Email and enter your email address.

How do I know what I have checked out?
After you log in by typing in your name and barcode number, click the button and you will get a list of everything you currently have from the library, with their due dates.

I want to keep a book past the due date. How do I do renew the loan?
You have one renewal on most loans. When you log in and display your checked out list, you can click to renew everything at once or click to renew only the things you want to keep longer. You will need to select them by checking the boxes in front of the titles first with this option.

If I have something already overdue, can I still renew it?
Yes. If you forget to renew the loan before it is due, you can still renew it after the due date. However, overdue fines you have already accrued will not be waived. For example, if you renew a book 2 days after its due date, you will get an extended loan period, but you will still have the $0.20 fine recorded on your account.

Why can't I renew my loans for certain things?
There are several reasons. Certain materials are not allowed a renewal, such as entertainment DVDs and Interlibrary Loans. If there is a waiting list on that book (CD, DVD, etc.), you won't be able to keep it longer than the original due date. If you have accrued more than $5.00 in fine, you won't be able to renew any more. Lastly, items can only be renewed starting from 7 days before the due date.

How can I place a hold on something that's checked out?
After you look up the item you want, click on the button. Type in your name and library card barcode number, choose a pickup location from the drop-down box; and click the button. You will be notified as soon as it is ready for you to pick up. If you have a list of things to put hold on, log in through the My Card page and search the catalog and place holds. That way you don't have to type in your name and library card barcode number every time.

How do I find out what I already have on hold?
After you log in by typing your name and library card barcode number, click on button to see the list. If a "READY FOR PICKUP" message is showing, it means you can come to the library or the Hinkston Branch or bookmobile to pick it up. If it shows "3 OF 7 HOLDS" (the numbers may vary), it means you are number 3 on the waiting list of 7 people.

Can I cancel a hold?
You sure can. After bringing up the holds list, you can either click on to cancel all the holds or click on by checking the boxes in front of holds you want to cancel.

How do I find out if I owe any fines?
After logging in, click on the button. If you don't owe any fines, you won't see the button.

What kind of email notices does the Library send me?
If you made email the preferred contact means, the Library will send you notices about holds, new arrivals according to your own reading interest, overdue things and fines.

How can I receive email notices about new arrivals that I am interested in?
In order to receive such notices, you need to first save some Preferred Searches and then mark them for email notices of new arrivals on such topics. Here's how:

1. Log in from My Card page by typing in your name and library card barcode number.

2. Click and do a search on a topic you are interested in. You must first log in and then do the searches in order for the system to remember who you are and save your Preferred Searches.

3. Click on the grey SAVE THIS SEARCH button.

4. To do another search, click on or . You can repeat steps 2 through 4 for as many times as you want.

5. Click on .

6. Click on Preferred Searches and bring up the list of all your saved searches.

7. Check the box in the Mark for Email column in front of the searches and click UPDATE LIST.

You will then receive email notices every time the Library adds something new on your saved searches. You can also remove your saved searches simply by going to your Preferred Searches and removing the topics you no longer need.

What's this online database thing and how can I access them from home?
The Library pays subscriptions to a range of online resources including encyclopedias, collection of magazine and newspaper articles, test preparation, and downloadable audio books, etc. You will NOT find those on the free Internet. To access them from home, go to our Online Resources page and have your library card ready. The authentication needs your library card number and your name.

What do you mean by using library computers with my library card?
The Library has over 60 computers, most of them Internet ready, for public use. If you need to access those computers, just bring in your library card, type in the barcode number and your last name at any available computer. You have 2 one-hour sessions per day.

What other uses do I have with my library card?
Your library card also serves as a value card for you to print from computers or make photocopies when you are in the Library.

Your library card is accepted in most other libraries in the area. You can check out their materials but some restrictions may apply according to other libraries' policies.