Library Card
Library cards are free to residents of Bay, Gulf, and Liberty counties and are good at any library location in the system. A photo ID and verification of address is required. A parent’s or guardian’s permission is required for children under age 16. Non-residents may have full borrowing privileges by purchasing a non-resident card for $20 per year. There is a $2 charge to replace lost cards.
Check-Outs
Patrons may have up to 20 physical items checked out at one time. Some library locations may have format limitations – please check with the circulation desk. The loan period for NWRLS materials is 3 weeks. Interlibrary Loan materials may have a different loan period.
Renewing
All materials may be renewed for two additional 3 week periods if they are not overdue and are not reserved for another patron. Materials can be renewed online by using the My Account feature of the online catalog, by phone, or in person.
Reserving (Hold Requests)
Materials that are in our catalog may be placed on reserve. The library will notify you when the material is available and hold it for a minimum of 3 days. Placing holds may be done from any library location, by phone, or via the web through our online catalog. You will need your library card number (Patron ID) and your PIN to request items. There is a limit of 10 reserves per account, whether made online or in person.
Returning
Library materials may be returned to any Northwest Regional Library System library. All libraries have book drops for use when the library is closed. Certain materials, however, must not be returned to book drops: DVDs, videotapes, and audiobooks. The exception is the Bay County Public Library where a special book drop does allow this. Please note that Interlibrary Loan materials must be returned inside the library to a staff member.
PIN (Personal Identification Number)
A PIN is needed to access your account online, renew books, place holds and download e-books and e-audiobooks. The Patron ID is the barcode number on the back of your card (type the 14 digits without spaces), and the PIN is a number you chose when you register for a library card. You can change your PIN via the online catalog’s My Account feature or by contacting any library location.
Overdue/Lost Materials
Overdue fines are charged to encourage the prompt return of materials. Fines are 10¢ per item per day to a maximum of $5 for all items except Interlibrary Loans. Fines for overdue Interlibrary Loans are 25¢ per day with no maximum.
Patrons also are responsible to pay the cost of materials that are damaged, lost, or never returned.
Activating your Loan History
The computerized catalog has the ability to keep a record of all items borrowed on a patron’s card. This is only activated after a patron requests this at the circulation desk. Once activated, a list of items borrowed can be viewed from the My Account feature of the online catalog. In order to deactivate this service, please see a circulation staff member.