Library Policies and Services

How to obtain a library card

A free library card may be issued by presenting some form of identification that has your name & current address.
Children who are under 18 years of age need their parent or guardian to be & present for a library card.
Lost or stolen library cards should be reported immediately; otherwise you will be held responsible for items checked out on your library card.

A replacement card is available for $5.00

Circulation and Fines - Fines will be increasing September 3rd, 2009.

The new fines are as follows:

21-Day Materials 25¢ per item per day; maximum fine $6.00.
14-Day Materials 25¢ per item per day; maximum fine $6.00.
7-Day Materials 25¢ per item per day; maximum fine $6.00.
Media (DVD, Video, CDROM) $1.00 per day with a maximum fine of $10.00 per video.
Overdue Notices: there is a $1.00 charge for the overdue notice mailed to a library patron who is delinquent.
Hold Request for items currently checked out: If a customer places a hold with the online library catalog it is free, if Staff Places a hold, there will be a .50 cent charge per item.
Older Adult Cardholders: exempt from overdue fines. However, if library materials are overdue, an older adult patron cannot check out materials until overdue items are returned.

Inter-Library Loan Policy

Our library will attempt to locate any book or periodical that you request. When your requested title is found, it will be sent to the Library, for your use.
The ILL Clerk will contact you by phone to pick up the item(s).
Interlibrary Loans—A fee of $2.00 per item will be charged for non pickup of ILL after 3 days.

Materials Provided

San Benito County Free Library provides more than 76,000 books, magazines, newspapers, videos and cassettes (in English, Japanese, and Spanish), compact discs, newsletters, college catalogs, CD-ROM computer programs, encyclopedias, and information brochures available for the public.

ADULT AND CHILDREN SERVICES: Information, Reference, and Reader's Guide services are provided by our public services staff. You may reserve materials or ask for interlibrary loans if we do not have the materials that you need. Our library provides special adult and juvenile programs, including summer reading programs and weekly story hours. We provide personal assistance to help children to find the right books. An informational brochure giving instructions and proper procedures to follow for class visits are available at the Library's Reference Desk.
CALIFORNIA / LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION: Books of all aspects of California and local history—some rare and out-of-print are housed in the California / Local History Collection.
SPANISH AND JAPANESE / MULTILINGUAL LANGUAGE MATERIALS: The library has adult and juvenile books, magazines, informational pamphlets, audio cassettes, compact discs, and video cassettes in Spanish. The Multilingual Collection also includes a Japanese collection and books in other languages.
MEDIA CENTER: The Media Center offers adult and juvenile recreational and educational audio and video cassettes, and compact discs are available.
THE INTERNET: The Internet is the world's largest depository of electronic information—a global network of networks that connects government, academic and business institutions. Millions of people "surf" the Internet daily to access information and resources or to connect with other people. Library card holders may sign up to use the Gates Computer Lab to access the Internet or use the word processor.
AUDIOBOOK LIBRARY: Audiobook cassettes are available to the general public. Cassette recorders are available for loan to those who are visually impaired or physically handicapped. The California State Library provides Braille and Talking Books to individuals who qualify for this service. Check with your Librarian for an application.
LARGE PRINT BOOKS: "Easy on the Eyes" books, printed in large type are available in English and Spanish languages. Please ask our staff for assistance.
ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM: Volunteer tutors teach adult learners who have some English-speaking skills to improve their ability to read and write English. Learners meet with tutors on a one-on-one basis in the library and other public buildings.
FRIEND'S LIBRARY: To become a Member of the Friends of the Library, please call the library and information will be sent to you.

How to renew

Most items may be renewed once.
Items with holds cannot be renewed.
Limitations may be placed on specific types of materials.
All feature videos, and CD materials cannot be renewed.
Items renewed after 12 midnight of the due date are subject to overdue fines.
An overdue item cannot be renewed.

Where can you renew items?

Select My Account tab
Enter your library card number and PIN and click on the login button.
Check the items you wish to renew and click on the renew button. If you have any questions, please call library staff at (831) 636-4107.

Class Visit Procedure

Make prior arrangements for class visits by contacting the Library Technician at least one week in advance. This will enable the library to schedule one class visit at a time so that we may better serve everyone's needs.
Parents or adults are needed to assist with supervision since the library is open to the public and noise levels must be kept to a minimum.
Students without valid library cards will not be able to check out library materials.
Teachers need to inform their students that they should visit the library with a parent or legal guardian at least two weeks prior to their class visit to obtain a library card if they want to check out any library materials on the day of their class visit.
Any student who has a library card may replace their lost or damaged card by paying a $5.00 replacement fee.
There is a limit of one book per child, with a valid library card, during the class visit.
Teachers are encouraged to provide the library tour and orientation to their students. Teachers need to come in advance to familiarize themselves with the on line Public Access Catalog (PAC) and the resources of the library. Regretfully, the library can no longer provide this valuable service at this time. The Librarian or the Library Technician will be more than happy to assist you in the use of the PAC and to point out some of the available resources. We look forward to seeing you and your class at the library. If you are unable to come at your scheduled time, please notify the library at least one day in advance. Thank you for your cooperation.