Borrowing

Getting a Card

If you live in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, or anywhere in Orange County, you’re eligible for a card at no cost. Same is true if you work for either the Town of Chapel Hill or the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School System. Everyone else can get one, too, for $65 per year, which is about $5 a month.

What you will need
  • Something with your address (Like a driver’s license, UNC ID, utility bill, or piece of mail) or an employee ID if you work for the Town or CHCCS.
  • A parent’s approval if under the age of 18
Sign Up!

Getting a Card

If you live in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, or anywhere in Orange County, you’re eligible for a card. Same is true if you work for either the Town of Chapel Hill or the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School System. Everyone else can get one, too, for $65.

Sign Up!
What you will need
  • Something with your address (Like a driver’s license, UNC ID, utility bill, or piece of mail) or an employee ID if you work for the Town or CHCCS.
  • A parent’s approval if under the age of 12

Borrowing Materials

Most of the materials in the library can be borrowed for 3 weeks at first, and renewed three times. A few exceptions:

Item Check out period Times you can renew
New books 2 weeks 3
DVDs 1 week 3
Friends’ books (marked with a blue tab) 2 weeks 0
Kids book kits 3 weeks 3
Adult book kits 6 weeks 0
Borrowers may have 50 items checked out at a time, with the following limits

Item Limit
DVDs 10
New Books 6
Friends’ books 2
Holds 15
We do charge fines when materials are late or lost. These are the late fees for each day when something is past due:

Item Fine per day Maximum
Most materials $0.25 $5/item
Book kits $2.50 None
Media Lab equipment $2.50 None
Lost library card First time free $1.00 per replacement

If you ever accumulate more than $25 in fines, you won’t be able to check out any more physical materials until you talk with us. Please understand that you are our top priority, and we want to work with you to find ways for you to keep using the library.

Grace Period
A grace period is in effect for three days after the due date for all items except Digital Media Lab equipment or Book Kits. For items returned on the fourth day past the due date, fines will start from the original due date.

Download the library app

Put the power of the library in your pocket with our app. It even has your barcode so you don’t need to carry your card with you!

  • Find books, music, movies, and more
  • Place holds
  • Manage your account

Download the App

Put the power of the library in your pocket with our app. It even has your barcode so you don’t need to carry your card with you!

  • Find books, music, movies, and more
  • Place holds
  • Manage your account