Your Library Card lets you check-out, take home, and enjoy: books, movies, music, magazines, games, and more! Items returned on time and in good condition are FREE! A Library Card is also your key to Online Library access. Get a Library Card Now.
Item Limits
Number of Items that Can Be Checked out Per Library Card
- 100 items (max.) per card
- 10 console games per card
- 30 DVDs/Blu-rays per card
- 3 items (max.) for limited access cards
Note: Items with holds cannot be renewed.
Adult & Teen Items |
Loan Period |
Daily Fine Per Item |
Renewals |
| Most materials | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
| Console Games | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
| Non-Feature DVDs | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
| Bestseller Collection | see below | * | 0 |
| Magazines | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
| Feature DVDs | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
| Adult Book Club Kits | 6 weeks | * | 0 |
| Circulating Reference | 1 week | * | 0 |
| Interlibrary Loans | varies | $1 | varies |
| Laptops and Devices | 3 hours | $1/hour | 0 |
Children's Items |
Loan Period |
Daily Fine Per Item |
Renewals |
| All Materials | 3 weeks | * | 3 |
*There are no daily fines for most library materials. However, items overdue more than 4-weeks are considered lost, and the cost of the item plus a processing fee is charged. Returning lost materials in a timely manner will clear all charges, but processing fees are non-refundable once paid. Borrowing and renewing privileges are restricted if balance owed is $50 or more. Accounts may be referred to the rebilling service when the balance is $100 or more. A rebilling fee of $10 per account is assessed. Individuals sent to the Rebilling Agency may not check out items until a zero balance is reached.
Please Note: All existing late fines (except for lost materials that have not been returned) were removed in January 2021. You will not incur any new fines as of January 1, 2021. All late fines from before January 1, 2021 have been forgiven.
Bestsellers & Special Collections
Timely, popular, and immediately available items for checkout. These high-demand items include fiction and nonfiction books as well as audiobooks and DVDs. Special collections include but are not limited to titles listed as Silicon Valley Reads (SVR), Teen Read Week, Book Discussion, and MI Popup. These are browsing collections, so no holds are allowed.
Bestseller |
Loan Period |
Daily Fine Per Item |
Renewals |
| Books | 3 weeks | * | None |
| Audiobooks | 3 weeks | * | None |
| DVDs | 3 weeks | * | None |
*There are no daily fines for most library materials. However, items overdue more than 4-weeks are considered lost, and the cost of the item plus a processing fee is charged. Returning lost materials in a timely manner will clear all charges, but processing fees are non-refundable once paid. Borrowing and renewing privileges are restricted if balance owed is $50 or more. Accounts may be referred to the rebilling service when the balance is $100 or more. A rebilling fee of $10 per account is assessed. Individuals sent to the Rebilling Agency may not check out items until a zero balance is reached.
Please Note: All existing late fines (except for lost materials that have not been returned) were removed in January 2021. You will not incur any new fines as of January 1, 2021. All late fines from before January 1, 2021 have been forgiven.
Paying Your Fees
You may pay your fees using cash or check at any one of our libraries, or you may mail us your payment. In addition, credit card payment using PayPal is accepted through your account in the online catalog.
See the Santa Clara County Library District Fee Policy, opens a new window (PDF) for a complete listing of fees and other charges.
Key Borrowing & Accounts Pages
- Get a Library Card or eCard Now
- Account Questions: Contact Us
- Pay Fees Online
- Placing Holds
- Renewing Materials
- Log-In to Manage Your Account & Renewals
- Library Card FAQs
- Card Renewal and Address Changes
- Suggest a Purchase
- Interlibrary Loan
- Your PIN
- Policies
Digital Collections
View Lending Periods for the subset of Online Library collections that have time limits.
