Borrowing Materials

Checkout Limits

You can check out as many items as you want to be financially responsible for. New cardholders are provided with a schedule of damage / loss fees.

Loan Periods

Most materials may be borrowed for three weeks. CD-ROM software and some special materials may be borrowed for two months. The loan period for materials borrowed from other libraries or agencies is set by the loaning agency.

Checkout History

For your privacy, The Colony Public Library does not keep a record of previously checked out material on your account. If you would like to keep a history of items you have previously checked out, you must voluntarily opt into this option. To enable the checkout history, log into your library account through the online library catalog. Go to Your transactions from the drop down menu to your account, found in the upper right-hand corner of the page, and select Checkout History. Click on Activate History. The tracking begins the moment you activate and will not provide a history of items checked out before you activated this option. You may opt out at any time.

Reserves

You may place a reserve on any item in the Library, except Reference and Professional copies. Library staff will notify you when the item is available to be picked up. While eligible patrons can request an interlibrary loan book, no one can reserve one.  He or she would have to fill out their own interlibrary loan request form.     

The Reference Desk staff will place a reserve for you, or you may place a reserve yourself from the Library catalog. To do so, double click on the item you wish to reserve to get to the full record. Click on the button for "Place Hold." Log in with your Library card number and password. (The default password is userpass. You will be prompted to change this the first time you log in.) Then just submit the hold request.

Renewals

An item is automatically renewed two times, unless the item is on hold for someone else.  The renewal period is the same as the loan period for the item; the renewal limit is two renewals per item. Requests for renewal may be placed in person, you can email the circulation desk or request by phone at 972-625-1900 ext. 2.

You may also renew your items in the catalog by accessing your account online. Log in to the catalog with your Library card number and password. (The default password is userpass. You will be prompted to change this the first time you log in.) Go to your account by clicking on My Account. When you click on the phrase My Items Out you will see links to renew your items.

Fines & Fees

The Public Library is a shared resource and depends on the cooperation of its users to maximize the community's investment. The Library staff is dedicated to excellence in customer service and to cost-effective management of the community's resources.

Cardholders who return materials on time assist the Library in the avoidance of postage, material, and personnel costs involved in producing and sending overdue notices.

Cardholders will be notified of overdue items; their cooperation is urged to ensure that the overdue items are returned to the Library's collection so that they may be used by other members of the community. The final notice will include an invoice for the fees that will be charged if the materials are not returned.

Lost Items

Cardholders will be charged restitution and processing fees for materials that are lost or that are damaged beyond repair. The Library's schedule of fees is reviewed annually by the staff and Library Board with recommendations for revisions forwarded to the City Council for approval. New cardholders are provided with the list of current fees; a copy of the current list can be obtained at the Circulation Desk.

Refunds

It is always preferable to recover the overdue materials; many items go out of publication rapidly, making replacement difficult. If a cardholder who has paid restitution fees locates the missing material, returns it in good condition within one year, and presents the receipt for the fees paid, the cardholder may request a refund of the fees paid. If the material has suffered repairable damage, the refund will be reduced by the damage fee.

Other Fees

Other fees charged by the Library include fees for replacement library cards, damage to library materials, postage for return of materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, printing from the public access computers, FAX machine use, exam proctoring, 3-D printing, and material used with our vinyl cutter.