Get a Library Card
You can get a Charlotte County Public Library card by visiting any of our four locations. A Charlotte County Public Library card will enable you to do the following:
- Check out books
- Place holds on books
- Log into your online account, where you can place holds or renew your items
- Use Libby to read ebooks or listen to audiobooks
Who can get a Charlotte County Public Library card?
- All Charlotte County residents
- Residents of counties that border Charlotte County:
- Prince Edward County
- Lunenburg County
- Mecklenburg County
- Halifax County
- Campbell County
- Appomattox County
- Anyone outside of these locations may also get a Charlotte County Public Library card for a $25 annual fee.
- Eligible minors can get a card with the permission of parents or guardians, who must be present to sign the card application. Minors can get a card as soon as they are able to sign their name.
Proof of residency is required to obtain a Charlotte County Public Library card. All applicants must show a valid photo ID and proof of current address. If the photo ID does not have the applicant’s current address, one of the following can be used as proof of current address:
- lease or mortgage statement
- utility bill
- bank statement
- car registration
- voter registration card
To ensure the library always has your current contact information, your card will expire every year. At that time, library staff will need to confirm your current address and phone number to renew your card.
Expired library accounts will not be able to do the following:
- Place holds
- Check out or renew items
- Access Libby ebooks and audiobooks
Upon getting your new library card, you may check out up to 2 items the first time you use it. Once those two items are returned, you may check out up to 5 DVDs and 25 books at a time.
All books may be checked out for 2 weeks at a time, and you can renew them 2 more times (for a total of 6 weeks) as long as there are no holds on the book.
All DVDs may be checked out for 1 week at a time, and you can renew them 2 more times (for a total of 3 weeks) as long as there are no holds on the DVD.
You can renew your items three different ways:
- In person at any of our locations
- By calling any of our locations
- Online, by logging into your online library account from our library catalog page. You will need your library card number and your PIN to log in.
Once you have renewed your items for the maximum amount of time, you will need to bring the items into any of our locations if you still want to keep them. If the items are in good condition and there are no holds on them, you may check them out again. Otherwise, you must return the items at that time.
Any of our items can be returned to any of our locations. All locations have after-hours book drops available for your convenience.
Each library card may have a maximum of 10 holds. You can place a hold in person, over the phone, or by logging into your library account on our library catalog page. You will need your library card and PIN number to log in so you can place the hold.
Once your hold arrives, we will call you. Then you have one week to visit the library and check it out before we either put it back or give it to the next person waiting for the item.
- Charlotte County Public Library does not charge overdue fees, but if your item(s) is/are overdue by 30 days or more, you will be charged a Lost Item Fee equivalent to the full cost of the item. This fee will also prevent you from being able to use your card to check out items, use Libby ebooks and audiobooks, and place holds.
- Parents and guardians are responsible for the Lost Item Fees on the accounts of their minors.
- If you return the item(s) associated with these fees, all fees are forgiven.
- Items that are damaged beyond repair or lost while checked out to you or your minor will incur a Lost Item Fee, equivalent to the full cost of the item.
- Providing a replacement copy of the item in lieu of paying the fee must be approved in advance by the Library Director.
- Partial payments are accepted, but borrowing privileges will not be restored until all fees are paid.
- Lost library cards cost $1 to replace, except during the month of September, when the fee is waived for National Library Card Month.
- Overdue fees for Interlibrary Loan items are $1 per day.
- Library fees must be paid in cash only, and they can be paid at any location.