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Florida residents ages 18 and older may get a library card in person at any Library location. Adults need a picture ID with current Florida address. Minors (17 and under) need a parent or guardian's signature. ACLD library cards are free to any resident of the state of Florida. Out-of-state residents may get a card by paying a non-refundable fee of $40 per year or $20 for 6 months. Check or cash only at any ACLD location.

Library cards "expire" every three years, so that the Library can do an address check and verify the information on your card is still correct.  If you get a message that you can not place holds or renew items because your card is expired, please call Circulation Services (352) 334-3950, and we will renew your card over the phone.

When applying for a library card, if the photo ID does not have the current Florida address, residency in Florida can be verified with: 
  • Voter's registration card.
  • Rent or utility receipt.
  • Personal checkbook with imprinted name and address.
  • Property tax notice.
  • Name and address on mail with canceled postage, including forwarded mail.
  • Telephone listing in current telephone directory.
Any of these, presented along with a picture ID, will verify your Florida residency and eligibility for an ACLD library card.

Yes. If you don’t currently have a card, an Internet card can be issued quickly without any paperwork to fill out. Your Internet card enables you to use the PC Reservation system to reserve computer time at a library branch. For more information, see Get a Library Card or call Circulation Services at (352) 334-3950.

Residents of Alachua County are eligible for free library cards from 11 surrounding counties: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, and Union.

The Library District does not charge fines. However, if your account is delinquent with over $50 worth of material overdue for more than 60 days, your account will be referred to an outside agency for "materials recovery" and a $10 fee will appear on your library account.

Users can suspend one or all of their holds online and then reactivate them later via the My Account page in the Alternate Search Catalog. This system keeps your place in line, so your hold continues to move up in the queue as other holds are filled for other library patrons.

When you are ready for your items, you can activate your holds all at once, or one at a time. Activating the holds individually allows you to control how many items are available for you at one time. For more information, see our tutorial.

If you need assistance, contact your branch, or call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950.

Go to the My Account page in the Alternate Search Catalog, log in with your library card number and PIN, click the Holds tab, select holds using the checkboxes at left, and then scroll down to "Activate or Suspend Selected Holds" near the bottom of the page. Use the radio button to choose whether you're suspending or activating the holds. You may select an end date for the suspensions to end automatically, or you may suspend your holds indefinitely by using NEVER for the end date.

For more information, see our tutorial. If you need assistance, contact your branch, or call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950.

Go to the My Account page in the Alternate Search Catalog, log in with your library card number and PIN and click the Holds tab. The Status column at right shows dates for any hold that has been suspended with an end date. If it says "Inactive" in this column, your hold has been suspended indefinitely. Active means the hold has not been suspended.

If you need assistance, contact your branch, or call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950.

The suspension dates can be changed online using the same steps as when you initially suspended the hold. Select your holds using the checkboxes next to your holds in My Account, click Suspend Selected, and then enter your new suspension end date in the box near the bottom.

When you first receive your library card, your PIN (personal identification number) is the last four digits of your 14-digit card number. For added security, library users are encouraged to change their PINs online. If you forget your PIN, or have any other trouble with your card number or PIN, please email Circulation Services or call (352) 334-3956 for assistance.

Here are some tips:

• Change the PIN associated with your library card number. When you originally get your card, your PIN is the same as the last four digits of your 14-digit library card number. Change your PIN another 4-digit number that you can remember. Do not write the number on your card.
• Alert library staff immediately if you think you lost your library card, by calling Circulation Services at (352) 334-3950. If you call, an alert can be placed on your account so no one else can use it. The next time you visit your library branch, a new card number can be issued, and any holds and checkouts can be transferred to the new card number.
• When using catalog and research computers in the library, be sure to close your web browser window if you access your account. That will log you out and end your catalog session and prevent anyone else from using your account. If you use a library Internet PC, never leave yourself logged in when you leave. Be sure to end your PC Reservation session, which will restart the computer and wipe your personal information.

Links to library account information are listed on the My Account webpage, or simply click Review My Account to view what you have checked out and on hold. You will need your library card number and PIN. If access is denied, please call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950 for assistance.

Items can be renewed online or at any library branch. To renew materials online, click Renew My Items. You will need your library card number and PIN. Most items can be renewed up to two times, as long as your account is in good standing and no one else has reserved the items. If you have trouble renewing an item online, call Circulation Services at (352) 334-3950 for assistance.

Please let us know if you have changed your address, phone number or email address. You may use the online form, or call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950 if you need assistance. We must have your library card number so we can process your request. Requests via the online form may take up to 48 hours to process.

To change your PIN online, click Change My PIN. If access is denied, please call Circulation Services at (352) 334-3956 for assistance.

The fastest and easiest way is via the AquaBrowser search. A Place Hold button appears next to every item in the search results list. Click the button and be prepared to enter your 14-digit library card number and PIN. Library staff also can assist you with placing holds. Call your branch, or Headquarters Reference at (352) 334-3934.

The library uses an automated phone system called SVA to alert patrons when they have available holds or items that are 2 weeks overdue. This system contacts users more quickly than mailed notices, and helps to save paper and postage. If you would prefer to be contacted by email instead of telephone, please call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950.

You can choose which mode you would like, whether by mail, email, or telephone. To conserve resources and cut costs, the library encourages the use of either email or telephone notification. Telephone and email notices also are delivered to you much more quickly than mailed notices. Contact your branch, or call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950 to change your notification method.

Library users may call (352) 334-3907 to use our SVA automated telephone system, which provides account access to basic account information. Follow the instructions to listen to your holds and checkouts. Before you call, be prepared to enter your 14-digit library card number and 4-digit PIN.

Items can be returned to any ACLD location, regardless of where they were checked out. Most locations have outside “book drops” accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need information about locations of book drops and returning items, call your branch, or the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950

You must pay for replacement of the item. The Library District no longer accepts replacement copies instead of payment. Patrons must either return the item itself, or pay for the item.

The Library District does not charge fines. However, if your account is delinquent with over $50 worth of material overdue for more than 60 days, your account will be referred to an outside agency for "materials recovery" and a $10 fee will appear on your library account.

When your overdue items total $50 or more, and you have at least one item that is 60 days or more overdue, your account will be referred to an outside agency, Unique Management Services, for recovery. This also will result in a $10 referral fee on your account. You can clear your account by returning your overdue items and paying the $10 fee at any Alachua County Library District location.

This procedure encourages library users to return materials in a timely manner, so that other library users can enjoy them. It also helps reduce library expenses by eliminating the need to purchase replacements for popular items that are never returned. Before referring accounts to Unique Management, the Library sends an overdue notice when items are two weeks overdue and a bill notice when items reach 28 days overdue.

You will receive a letter asking for the return of the items. The letter will ask you to contact the library. Patrons who do not respond to this initial letter will be contacted with follow-up letters and phone calls. Unique Management is only given your name, address, telephone number and the amount of money you owe the Library. Titles of items checked out to you will not be released.

If the account is in a child's name, the parent or guardian is responsible for the account. Letters from Unique Management are addressed to "The Parents of (your child’s name)."

Yes. Accounts are only turned over to Unique Management Services for recovery once they have been overdue for 60 days. If you return your materials after being notified by Unique Management, the $10 recovery fee remains on your account until paid. This fee helps the library defray some of the costs associated with the service. To ensure that you are not assessed recovery fees, you must return materials before they are 60 days overdue.

Call or visit the library and we can help you set up a payment plan. Collection via Unique Management Services can be suspended as long as regular payments are made. If the payment schedule is not met, Unique Management will resume collection activities.

You must pay for replacement of the item. The Library District no longer accepts replacement copies instead of payment. Patrons must either return the item itself, or pay for the item.

You may pay your bill on any Library Internet PC (but not Research PCs) or a home computer with Internet access. There are no additional fees for online payment. However there is a $5 minimal. Review your account to get started.

You may pay for bills in person with cash or check (or by mail with check or money order).

PayPal registration requires your name, email address and contact information. You may use debit/credit cards or e-checks for payment. An existing PayPal account may be used for payment of Library bills. (Google Chrome users, please note: Chrome has not been working well with PayPal lately. If you have trouble, please try another web browser.)

PayPal requires an email address for payments because your receipt is emailed to you. If your payment was made for a lost item, and you find the item, you will need the receipt to request a refund. Refund requests must be made within 90 days of payment. (Google Chrome users, please note: Chrome has not been working well with PayPal lately. If you have trouble, please try another web browser.)

You should be able to place holds and check out items within five minutes of paying your bill. If a paid bill is still on your account, refresh your session by logging out and into your library account.

You can call Circulation Services at (352) 334-3950 and request the creation of a bill for the item. You will then be able to pay for the item.

You may pay for all of your bills in one total payment or pay individual bills in single transactions.

You may request a refund if you find your item within 90 days of payment and it is in good condition. Bring your receipt with the item to any Library location. You will receive a check in the mail after processing. NOTE: For payments made April 1, 2011, and thereafter, requests for refunds are permitted only within 90 days of when the payment was made.

Librarians at your branch can make recommendations based on your tastes and show you tools to help find materials related to your interests. Also, our Books, Movies, Music… page highlights the best of our collection.

The library connects people with a wide variety of literacy classes and related programs. These include GED preparation, tutoring programs and classes on English as a second language. Please see our Literacy page for details.

Requests may be made online via the Request Materials page. Items requested will either be purchased for the Library or borrowed for you from another library via a service called Interlibrary Loan. If the item is purchased, a hold will be placed for you, and you will be notified when the item arrives at the location you select. If the Library cannot purchase or borrow the item, you will be notified.

The library provides information and research services in person at any branch, by phone at (352) 334-3939, or through our email a question form.

For most questions, it is best to start at your branch. Staff at your branch library can answer most questions, or direct you to the person who can answer your question most efficiently. Branch contacts are listed on each branch web page, which can be accessed via the LOCATIONS menu at top of page, or by clicking your branch name in this popup list. If you need to contact Administration, a list of library administrators is available on the Library Staff page.

Branch information, including maps, driving directions and hours, can be found on our Locations page, or by clicking your branch name in this popup list.

Library branches provide a variety of programs, from regularly scheduled storytimes for preschoolers to film series and special author appearances for adults. See our Events calendar for scheduled programs. To see a list of upcoming events at one branch, select EVENTS in the top menu on this page, then click on your branch's name.

Contact your local branch and ask to speak to the librarian in charge of displays.

Meeting space is available at most library locations. All meetings must be open to everyone. No attendance or entry fee may be charged. Commercial sales and business promotions are prohibited. Schedule in advance with the branch of your choice or use our online reservation system.

Schedule a library tour, storytime, classroom visit or other special program by calling the branch of your choice.

The library has 2 bookmobiles that make stops at locations in Gainesville and around Alachua County on a regular schedule. A map of stops and details about this service are on our Bookmobile page, or you may phone Bookmobile staff at (352) 334-3992.

The library will gladly provide accommodations for accessibility, and offers a variety of materials for people with disabilities. Please see the Special Needs Services web page for details.

Eldery and homebound residents can receive mail delivery of library materials. Those living in retirement or nursing homes also might have access to small collections the library provides. Please see the Special Needs Services web page for details.

OverDrive’s Advanced Search feature allows a user to search for items by format, subject, and more. Select the box stating “Only show titles with copies available” to find immediately available titles. 

Some publishers do not make their publications available to libraries as eBooks, even when they make them available as downloadable audiobooks.  Sometimes the library cannot purchase licenses to provide eBook content by certain publishers, even though an individual can.

One method that is used is a holds ratio. Whenever the ratio of holds to copies exceeds a set number, an additional copy is automatically purchased.  Placing holds tells us which titles need more copies.  We purchase additional copies based on direct user demand. 

OverDrive’s agreements with publishers require that the limit for library usage be one copy per user at one time, to be as similar as possible to the lending model for printed books. The library does purchase multiple copies of popular titles, and we have an “always available” collection of public domain titles listed under Additional eBooks – Always Available on the ACLD OverDrive site.

The page is now called Request Materials. Library users told us that they wanted holds to be placed on each item requested, so the Library has expanded this service to go beyond an anonymous online suggestion box. Now, when you ask for a title via the Request Materials page, Library staff will place your requested item on hold for you if it is purchased. In some cases, the item might be acquired for you via Interlibrary Loan. If the Library cannot acquire the item either way, you will be notified.

Some requests are not purchased due to lack of availability or cost, or because they don’t fall within the Library's purchasing guidelines, known as the Collection Development Policy. The library has limited resources and must satisfy the information needs of diverse communities throughout Alachua County. In some circumstances, these titles may be borrowed for you from another library via a system called Interlibrary Loan. If you fill out our online request form, you will be notified if the Library cannot purchase or borrow the item.

You must have an ACLD library card in good standing and a valid mailing address to register for ILL services.

Please contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at (352) 334-3938 to reset your password.

Library patrons with cards in good standing may have up to 15 active requests at one time.

You may request photocopies of pages from magazines, journals, or non-circulating books. The citation must include specific information and page numbers. You may request up to 30 pages per citation.

ILL materials are sent to the reserves desk of the library branch of your choice. The branch will notify you when items are available for pickup.

Interlibrary loans take an average of 10 days to come in, and the wait time depends on the availability of the materials at other libraries.

Your username is your library card number. If you replace your card, you must register for a new ILLiad account. Your password, or PIN, is the last four digits of your card number.

This is the system default showing that the item is checked out to the ACLD as an institution. ILLs will be checked out to your regular library account when you pick them up.

• Titles owned by the Alachua County Library District, including those overdue for less than three months.
• Books published in the last six months.
• Complete issues of magazines. (The ACLD will request up to 30 pages of photocopies.)
• Audiovisual material.
• Reference books owned by the ACLD.
• Dissertations and master theses.

The ILL services are typically free of charge. If free lenders aren't available, the cost will be passed on to library patrons who indicate a “Maximum Amount Willing to Pay” when submitting the request.

"Library Use Only" means that the item cannot leave the library and may only be viewed at a specific location.

Microfilm may only be viewed at the Headquarters Library. Depending on copyright, documents can be viewed, printed, and/or saved to a disk. There may be fees for borrowing microfilm.

The lending library determines if an item may be renewed. Renewal requests must be made three days before the due date and can only be submitted one time. To renew: Email illref@aclib.us, call 352-334-3938, or go online at http://ill.aclib.us/ If a renewal is approved, ILL staff will contact you. If you do not receive a response, please contact the ILL office at (352) 334-3938.

Overdue ILLs will block your library account and may cause you to lose ILL privileges. Lending libraries will charge based on their rules. ILL materials are more valuable than most library materials and must be returned on time.

The checkout period for ILL items is determined by the lending institution. Lending libraries may recall lent materials. In this case, the item should be returned immediately.

Please return ILLs in person to the staff at any ACLD check-in desk. Do not place items in library drop boxes. Please do not remove the label or paperwork attached to the loan.

Please contact the Interlibrary Loan office at (352) 334-3938 or email illref@aclib.us.

 

DVD video is the only item type that has a checkout limit. Each user may check out a limit of 8 DVDs at one time. There are no other limits to checkout of circulating materials.

• Books, audiobooks on cassette tape, and audiobooks on CD check out for 28 days.
• Music CDs, software CD-ROMs, and VHS videotapes check out for 14 days.
• DVDs check out for 7 days.
Please return materials on time so other library users can enjoy them!

Items may be renewed up to 2 times, as long as your library account is in good standing – unless the items are on hold, which means another library user is waiting for them. Please return materials on time, especially if someone else is waiting for them.

Digital media, such as downloadable audiobooks and eBooks, have different limits depending on the source and type of media. Most items remain checked out to you for a set time period regardless of when you are finished with them. Details are available on the web pages where those items are checked out.

The library’s digital and downloadable offerings are explained on our Digital Media page.

Additional information can be found in this blog post.

Never give up! The Library wants to help everyone find their materials. Never hesitate to ask for assistance in the Library. Often staff will be able to find the unfindable. If someone else is using the item, staff can help you place a “hold” on the item so you’ll be in line to get it when it’s returned. Staff can assist you with other alternatives, such as borrowing from other libraries (Interlibrary Loan) or submitting an online request.

Five or more overdue items or $50 or more worth of overdue materials will block your borrowing privileges and your ability to place holds. This will be cleared when the overdue items are returned and checked in. Also, you will be billed for any materials not returned when they are 28 days overdue. For more information call the Circulation Department at (352) 334-3950.

Children and young adults are welcome to seek homework help at the Library. Before coming in to the Library, you might want to see what's available on our Homework Help pages for Kids and Teens. These pages include links to the online "Help Now!" service. If you have questions about materials in the Library, call your branch or the Headquarters Youth Services Desk at (352) 334-3941.

Librarians are trained information seekers. Feel free to ask a question, via email or your branch librarian. Or begin your own search for answers at our main Research page, where you will find links to more than a dozen research pages geared to specific categories.

Reference staff at the Headquarters library have access to our entire Gainesville Sun Index and microfilm of local newspapers dating back to the 1800s. Please see our Genealogy page for details, or call Headquarters reference at (352) 334-3939.

If you’re looking for information on a specific person or subject, the best way is to use our PowerSearch, which can search through millions of articles in dozens of databases. To find out more about PowerSearch, see the Research page.

In general, a database is a collection of information organized for quick and easy access by computer. Think of a database as an electronic filing system. The databases on the library website give you free access to variety of premium information such as magazine articles and encyclopedias – and you can find exactly what you want much faster than looking through printed books.

The Web offers huge amounts of information but no guarantee that a site is accurate, complete, up to date or unbiased, especially if it is a commercial site. Library databases have high quality information compiled from researched sources, and are commercial free and accurate by current standards.

A very wide variety of information is available, everything from medical research reports to automobile repair instructions. Our Research page will help guide you to the information you need. One feature on that page is our PowerSearch, which searches dozens of databases that contain millions of articles.

• If you are not at the library:

1. The most likely cause is that a PC firewall program, such as Norton Internet Security, is not allowing the connection to the database. Disabling Norton’s ad blocker can help.
2. Always access the database from a web page in the library’s website. Don’t go directly to it by searching for the name of the database or using a URL address from your browser’s history. Start at our Research page or View All Databases page, and you should have success.
3. A few of our database providers do not allow access from outside the library. If the database listed indicates “In-library use only,” then you can’t access that information from a home PC or on any computer that’s not inside an ACLD library branch.

• If you are at the library using a library computer, ask a staff member to assist you.

 

Librarian-selected websites now appear on each of the topical "Research Category" pages. A list of the Research Categories can be found on the main Research page. Each Research Category has its own list of related websites. The collection of websites that was once called "Great Links" has been saved in a Delicious.com account.

You might want to consider the Alachua County Library District Foundation if considering a large donation. See the Support the Library page for additional information.

We encourage donations of used materials to the Friends of the Library. ACLD librarians periodically visit the Friends' Bookhouse to pull materials for the library. For your convenience, donations in good condition also are accepted at any branch. For more information, see Support the Library.

Volunteers are always welcome and needed. Please see our Volunteers page for details and contact information.

All branches have Internet access and computers available for public use. Details are on the Computers @ the Library page.

All branches have wireless access points, available to users of wireless-enabled laptops and other portable devices. Look for "ACLD_Hotspot" in your wireless settings. Wireless brochure.

Use the online reservation system via the Computers @ the Library page, or contact your branch for reservations by telephone.

Yes. If you don’t currently have a card, an Internet card can be issued quickly without any paperwork to fill out. Your Internet card enables you to use the PC Reservation system to reserve computer time at a library branch. For more information, see Get a Library Card or call Circulation Services at (352) 334-3950.

Software on public computers includes Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and an OpenOffice suite. Internet PCs have additional software, including media players. Files can be saved to your USB flash drive or CD-R/CD-RW disk. All PCs are connected to black & white laser printers, and printouts cost 10 cents a page. Some branches offer color printing for $1 per page.

Printing costs 10 cents per page for black and white, and $1 per page for color. Please bring change or $1 bills. Color printing is available only at the Headquarters, Millhopper and Tower Road locations.

Computer classes are offered at various Library locations. You may search for Computers and Technology classes on our Events Calendar.

Data and audio CDs may be burned on Library computers using the Internet PCs. Copyright restrictions apply to Library materials, so please be sure that the burning of a CD is in compliance with copyright regulation. 

Files may be saved in the Temporary Folder of Library computers during a session, but these files will be erased at the end of the session. Work may be permanently saved to a flash drive, CD, or emailed from the Temporary Folder. Google Docs and Dropbox are recommended free web-based services for saving documents. 

Maintenance on the OPAC, or online public access catalog, begins at 2:45 a.m. daily and lasts until about 6:30 or 7 a.m. During this time it is still possible to browse the main catalog at http://aqua.aclib.us, but the "alternate catalog" (OPAC) is not available and holds cannot be placed. OverDrive account access also is unavailable during the maintenance. The daily maintenance is necessary, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Due to the Library’s agreement with digital media providers, eBooks and audiobooks must be downloaded onto patrons’ personal computers.

When downloadable audiobooks were first released, some publishers had versions of their audiobooks already formatted for CD as one of the primary formats for audiobooks. These data files were already divided into 45-minute CD-length audio parts, so some publishers offered those files to OverDrive for licensing to libraries and burning by library users. Offering data in this format also discourages piracy.

eBooks are available for the Kindle. To get started, click the "Now Available" box on the left side of our OverDrive Digital Collection pages. It also is possible to limit searches in our OverDrive collection to “Kindle Book” using the Digital Media Search box dropdown menu near top-left of the OverDrive pages, or the Advanced Search in OverDrive.

The Digital Media page displays the Library services that offer downloadable eBooks and audiobooks. Please view the highlights for each service and the Tips for New Users to become acquainted with the Library’s digital media. 

Use the Search selections on the left of the calendar to sort programs by date range, locations, event types or age groups. You can use this and other features to set up your own personal library event calendar. See more information on the Events page.

Please email the eBranch, and we will reply within 48 hours. For immediate assistance, contact your local branch or call the Headquarters library at (352) 334-3939.

If you have a question or problem about the website, please check our Website Help page first. If you don’t find your answer there, email the eBranch, and we will reply within 48 hours. For immediate assistance, contact your local branch, or call the Headquarters library at (352) 334-3939.

Please call the Alachua County Human Resources Office at (352) 374-5219 or review the online listing of Library District job postings, which is updated weekly. General information is available on our Library Jobs page.

These paid internships are offered to high school juniors and seniors twice a year, with a goal of introducing students to careers in libraries. Information and applications are available online.

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