More to Borrow

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Our library partners with other public libraries, so you have a wider selection of items to read, listen to, and watch.

Borrow from Local Libraries

Burlington Public Library members can borrow physical items from the public libraries in Hamilton, Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills using their BPL card. The only exception is access to online resources like LinkedIn Learning, PressReader, etc.

When you register your BPL card number with these nearby libraries, you become a reciprocal borrower. Once they link your BPL card number to a new account in their system, you will be able to borrow items and place holds from that library. Each library may have different reciprocal borrowing rules, so please contact them for more information. You will need to take your BPL card number and photo ID showing your home address when you go to sign up as a reciprocal borrower.

When borrowing from another library system, please remember to return the item to the system that owns it; BPL will not return items for you.

Borrow eBooks from Seven Ontario Libraries

As a BPL member, you can borrow nearly 375,000 shared titles in the OverDrive/Libby digital collections at seven public library systems, including ours: Hamilton, Mississauga, London, Ottawa, Kingston Frontenac, and Milton.

You can add these partner libraries to your OverDrive/Libby account and access their digital books. Though the OverDrive/Libby collections are linked, members of each system do not compete with non-residents for books in their home library collection. Instead, each library system gives first priority to its members if there is a waitlist for a book.

BPL members may borrow up to 10 eBooks for up to 21 days and place 20 holds from Burlington Public Library's OverDrive collection at any one time. Partner libraries set their own borrowing limits and loan periods.

The public library you borrow from sets the borrowing limits and loan period options. 

On the OverDrive Website

  1. Visit BPL's OverDrive collection main page on your computer or device. You will find a link to each partner library at the top of your screen in the "Partner libraries" drop-down menu or near the bottom of your screen.
  2. Select the library you want to visit: Hamilton Public Library (HPL), Mississauga Library (ML), London Public Library (LPL), Ottawa Public Library (OPL), Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL), and Milton Public Library (MPL).
  3. Browse the collection on the partner's OverDrive site as usual. When you are ready to borrow from a partner library, select BORROW to get to their OverDrive Welcome page, where you can sign in as a visitor.
  4. On the Welcome page, select your home library (Burlington Public Library) in the drop-down menu. Then, enter your BPL card number and 4-digit BPL PIN to access your visitor account at that partner library.

In OverDrive's Libby App

  1. Click the three horizontal lines at the bottom of your device screen.
  2. Click the "Add Library" button.
  3. In the Search field at the top of your device's screen, type the name of the partner library you would like to link to your OverDrive/Libby account, and select that library.
  4. Click "Sign In With My Card" and enter your 14-digit BPL card number and 4-digit PIN (the last four digits of your phone number on file unless you have changed it).
  5. Now you can toggle between your BPL and partner library cards in the Libby app. You will see all your holds and borrows from partner libraries on your "Shelf."

When you are ready to borrow a digital book from Burlington Public Library's OverDrive collection, on the BPL Welcome page, select your home library in the drop-down menu. You must sign in using your HPL, ML, LPL, OPL, KFPL, or MPL card number and PIN when checking out items from BPL's digital collection.