Library Services and Collections

Frequently Asked Questions About Borrowing Library Materials

If your question isn't included, please call us! 608-266-6357

Library Cards

You may obtain a card at any Madison Public Library location. In addition to filling out an application form, we need to see:

photo I.D. AND proof of current residence
A driver’s license with current address is the easiest way to apply.

If you do not have that, we will accept a photo ID plus:

Checkbook with name and current address printed on it OR
A current lease with your name and address on it OR
A piece of current mail ONLY if the envelope has your name, current address AND a postmark dated within the last 30 days.

If your identification has a P.O. Box or business address, you still must show proof of your current home address. Pick up an application form (in English - en Español) in the library or print it out and take it to the library with you. The first card issued by Madison Public Library is free. Replacement cards cost $1.00. For other questions about getting a library card please email us or call 266-6357.

Yes, if you are a resident of a county in the South Central Library System (Columbia, Dane, Green, Sauk, Adams, Wood and Portage counties) and do not have a library card from your local library, you can apply for a card at Madison Public Library. If you have a card from another library in the South Central Library System, you can use that card at any of the Madison locations.

If you are not a resident of a SCLS county but are a resident of the state of Wisconsin (with the exception of Milwaukee County residents) you may be able to borrow materials from the Madison Public Library. To acquire a reciprocal borrowing card, you must present to us:

• Identification with your current address on it
• A valid library card from your local library

You may return borrowed items to any participating library.

If you have forgotten your card and wish to checkout materials you may show photo identification for a one-time temporary checkout.

If your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the Circulation Department at the Central Library, 266-6357 or your nearest local library. If someone presents your card before you report it lost or stolen, you are responsible for all the materials checked out on it. If a card has been lost or stolen and you wish to receive a replacement card you must show photo ID in person at any Madison branch and pay a fee of $1.00.

Yes. Please notify us of the change so your records can be updated. Call the Central Circulation Department at 266-6357 or your local branch to have your record updated.

Do you offer "organization cards" or temporary cards?

Yes. If you are checking items out for your organization and not for personal use, you may use an organization card. This works the same as a regular library card, but does not leave an individual responsible for items checked out to an entire organization.

Temporary cards are sometimes issued. Please call 608-266-6357 for more details.

Do you offer keychain cards?

Keychain cards are presently out of stock. We hope to have new and improved keychain cards available soon.

Access to Your Library Card Record

How can I find out about what I have on my card? (list overdues, list holds available, list items out)

Check your library record online or call our TeleCirc automated system at 261-9851.

TeleCirc is available 7 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 10:30 p.m.-7 a.m. Sunday.

What is a PIN and do I need one?

You must use a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) every time you check your record or place a hold. You may change your PIN any time you check your record online. For more information on PIN numbers, see Protecting Your Privacy in LINKcat

Borrowing & Returning Items

You may have up to 100 items on your card at any time. There is a limit of 10 videos, 10 DVDs, and 20 CDs per check out.

How long can I have items checked out?

How can I renew items?

Most materials may be renewed two times unless there are other requests for them or unless they are rental items (which can only be renewed in person by paying the appropriate charge.) Items may be renewed in person, over the phone at any location, or online. Items may also be renewed through our TeleCirc automated system (261-9851). If you are renewing materials that are due the day you are renewing them, items must be renewed by 10 p.m. to avoid overdue charges.

Can I place items on hold?

Yes! Placing a hold means you can request any item in our library catalog and we will ship it to you at the library of your choice at no cost to you. You may have up to 75 items on hold at any time. To cancel a hold, you may stop in, call, or cancel the hold online. You may also make your holds "Inactive" if you want to keep your place on the hold list but will be unavailable to pick up holds for a time due to vacation, etc. When you return, you may reactivate your holds. Some materials may not be held, including items in the reference collection and rental materials.

To request an item NOT in our catalog, you may request an interlibrary loan. There is a limit of five interlibrary loan requests per day, and 50 requests per year.

I placed a hold - when will I get it?

Our shared library system makes deliveries daily. Generally, if the item is in a library at the time you place a hold, you can expect delivery to your location within three working days. Sometimes delivery is faster, sometimes it is delayed by a variety of factors including backlogs of materials to be checked in, library items that can't be found or are found damaged, etc. If an item is out or is on a hold list, we can not guarantee when that item will be delivered. If you need an item within 24 hours, it is generally best to call the owning library to verify that the item is there and arrange to pick it up yourself.

How do I know when items I placed on hold are available?

You can receive notification one of three ways - by telephone, by email, or by U.S. mail. If you do not specify which you prefer, you will receive telephone notification.

I requested telephone notification - why am I still getting notices in the mail?

"Harriet," our automated telephone system, calls Monday-Saturday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. It will try a telephone number three times each on two consecutive days. If a connection is not made, a paper notice is mailed out. Connections aren't made for a variety of reasons - no one picks up the phone, an answering machine or voice mail service is not compatible with our automated system, a computer modem is in use when Harriet calls, etc. You may also want to verify your phone number with our circulation staff at 266-6357.

What is email notification?

With email notification, people may choose to be notified about Holds Available or Overdues via email instead of by phone or paper notices. If you check your email frequently and are interested in receiving email notification, you may ask staff to add your email address to your library card record.

I requested email notification but am not getting any notices.

Some people use free, web-based email accounts to receive their messages. These email providers sometimes employ sophisticated filtering technology to separate "spam" email from other email. Depending on the service you use, and the filtering you've specified, our messages to you may be automatically deleted before you ever see them. For more information and troubleshooting ideas, call the Web Librarian at 266-4953 or email madtech@scls.lib.wi.us.

It’s overdue -- how much do I owe?

Fines are based on material type, not on the type of card used for checking out.

There are "book drops" at all Madison Public Library locations for after-hours returns. Materials returned in the drop before the library opens in the morning are considered returned the previous open day. Materials returned in the drop while the library is open are checked in the same day.

Yes. You may return your items to any library in the SCLS delivery service area (Adams, Columbia, Dane, Green, Portage, Sauk, and Wood counties) on or before the date that they are due.