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Join the Library

Join the library in three easy steps

A BPL Library Card is available at no charge to people who live, work, or attend school in Burlington, pay property taxes here, or live in Halton Region.

How to get a card

Go in person to any Burlington Public Library location.
Complete the membership registration form. Parents need to sign forms for children up to and including grade 8.
Show your Ontario driver's license or two pieces of identification, one with your current address. If you work or go to school but don't live here, please bring proof of employment or enrollment. Students may present a student card, YMCA card, birth certificate, current report card, or Social Insurance Number (SIN) card.

What you need to know about your library card

Don’t leave home without it. Your privacy is important to us. Read more...

You may borrow up to 25 items on your card. Certain borrowing restrictions apply as follows:

10 DVDs are allowed on a card at one time
2 non-fiction books per subject are allowed
2 video games are allowed on a card at one time
5 Playaways are allowed on a card at one time

If your library card is lost or stolen, please contact your local branch as soon as possible to let them know. You are responsible for materials borrowed with your card, or your child's card, until it is reported missing.

Non-resident customers are welcome but must pay an annual fee of $49 to obtain a BPL card with full borrowing privileges, including the use of BPL electronic resources and the interlibrary loan service. This fee is equal to the annual per capita amount the City of Burlington contributes to support the Library's annual operating budget.

Reciprocal borrowing privileges allow holders of a valid Burlington Public Library or Hamilton Public Library card to use the other library system on a limited basis - at no extra cost - to borrow up to eight items and place two holds. Reciprocal borrowing occurs directly between the Hamilton and Burlington systems only.

Not included in these privileges:

borrowing downloadable audiobooks and ebooks
use of online databases outside of the library
interlibrary loan service
requests to purchase items for library collections
Talking Book & Daisy collection
Visiting Library Services

Using the Library

Loan Periods

Most library materials may be borrowed for 21 days, including CDs, Books on CD, Playaways, magazines and CD-ROMs.
The loan period on best-sellers and high demand items is shortened to 14 days if there are holds on the item.
DVD, video game and VHS loan periods are 7 days.

Renewals

Items borrowed from the library may be renewed twice.

If no other holds are outstanding on an item, most print and audio visual items may be renewed twice, i.e. for 21 days from the date of renewal, and then once again for another 21 day loan period.

Exceptions:

materials with outstanding holds
seasonal items
DVDs and video games may only be renewed once for 7 days
VHS videos may be renewed for 7 days twice (7 days x 2)
interlibrary loans may be renewed only once for a period of 21 days from the original assigned due date, and this is subject to the approval of the lending library

Materials may be renewed in the following ways:

in person at any of our library locations
through the library's online Catalogue
using the Touch-Tone Telephone Renewal Service: Call 905.333.3701 and have your library card and the item(s) you wish to renew within reach. Please note that items with outstanding holds and seasonal items cannot be renewed. If you have more than 5 items to renew, call the library at 905.639.3611, ext 138 and a staff member will assist you.

Returns

You can return whatever you borrow to any Burlington library location. After hours, please use our outside drop boxes. 24 hour drop boxes are available at all library locations except Kilbride.

If you've missed the due date for borrowed items by 7, 28 or 60 days, the telephone notification system will phone to remind you that late fees are accumulating daily. If you already receive email notification for holds, you will receive an email about overdue items.

Holds

You can place a hold on an item using our online catalogue, or by phoning us. The maximum number of holds allowed on a Library Card at one time is 50. When your hold item becomes available, you will be notified by telephone or email.

Holds notification by email: You will also receive a due date reminder two days before your items are due and overdue notices by email.

Holds notification by telephone: Our automated telephone notification system will call you to let you know that your hold item is ready for pick-up and at what location. Tip: with email notification, do not delete your message until you have picked up the item. That way you can keep track of your holds.

You can suspend your holds through the catalogue. When you're ready to read once again, simply return your holds to active status. More help with holds...

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