Library Card Rules for Library Users

Adult Library Patrons may sign up for a library card at any time the library is open to the public.  Please fill out your application online to expedite the process.
 

Adult Library Cards
Permanent Hoboken residents must present a photo ID along with proof of Hoboken residency in the applicants’ name. This card gives full borrowing privileges for Hoboken Public Library materials as well as allows for interlibrary loan privileges including JerseyCat and use of the BCCLS consortium. Cards are renewable every 3 years. Library card holders in good standing can request an Open Borrowing sticker be affixed to their cards to allow them in-person borrowing privileges at 150+ libraries through NJ. For more information visit www.openborrowing.org/participants.shtml

Hoboken Residents must present a photo ID and one of the following:
• Valid NJ driver's license with current Hoboken address
• Lease
• Recent utility bill
• Recent Bank Statement
• Recent Credit Card bill
• Medicare/Medicaid ID (with current address)
• Letter from school, confirming address (if under 18)

A P.O. Box is not acceptable as proof of Hoboken Residency

Courtesy Library Cards

Temporary Residents
Temporary Hoboken residents must present photo ID and proof of temporary residency in Hoboken. Residents will be entitled to a Temporary Courtesy account with a maximum term of one year (determined by duration of residency.) Also note patron may have only one BCCLS account in the system at any time. This card allows for borrowing privileges for Hoboken Public Library Items Only.

Hoboken Courtesy Card
If you work or attend school in Hoboken , live OUTSIDE of the BCCLS system and your library does not participate in Open Borrowing

A courtesy card is provided to applicants who work or go to school in Hoboken.
Applicants who work in Hoboken must show Photo ID, proof of home address and one of the following:

• Pay stub with business name and address
• Work ID Letter from employer (on business letterhead)
   confirming employment
• Letter from Bursar’s or Principal’s office confirming enrollment and address
• Latest report card (if in high school)

*This card allows interlibrary loan privileges. Cards are renewable every year.

Open Borrowing/Courtesy
If you live in a town that does participate in Open Borrowing and work or attend school in Hoboken
Applicants must show a valid library card from a participating library with an Open Borrowing sticker, Photo ID, proof of home address and one of the following:
• Pay stub with business name and address
• Work ID Letter from employer (on business letterhead) confirming employment
• Letter from Bursar’s or Principal’s office confirming enrollment and address
• Latest report card (if in high school)
*This card allows interlibrary loan privileges from those libraries honoring courtesy cards. Cards are renewable every year.
Open Borrowing
If you live in a town that does participate in Open Borrowing can apply for an Open Borrowing account.
Applicants must show a valid library card from a participating library with an Open Borrowing sticker, Photo ID, proof of home address.  
*This card is valid for in person borrowing only      
                             
Local Courtesy
Patrons living in Hudson County outside of the BCCLS system may apply for a Hudson County courtesy account.
Patrons must present a valid library card from their home library and be in good standing. A Hoboken Library barcode will be attached to their library card.  This card allows for borrowing privileges for Hoboken Public Library Items Only.
Applicants must show Photo ID and Valid Proof of Residency such as:
• Valid NJ driver's license with current address
• Lease
• Recent utility bill
• Recent Bank Statement
• Recent Credit Card bill
• Medicare/Medicaid ID (with address)
• Letter from school, confirming address (if under 18)

Teens Between the Ages of 13 and 17
Teens between the ages of 13-17 will be issued adult library cards based on the rules listed above for Adult Resident and Courtesy Cards.  If a teen between the ages of the 13-17 does not have photo ID then two other forms of ID such as a letter from their school, a parent’s lease or utility bill will be instead accepted.

Juvenile Library Cards
Hoboken Library Cards are issued to Hoboken resident children under 13 years of age. Proof of residency must be presented with the application. A parent or guardian with current photo i.d. and proof of residency must accompany a child between the ages
of birth and 5 when applying for a library card.  These cards expire in three years, after which proof of residency must be resubmitted. It is not necessary to submit another application. Please note: child must be present when library card is issued. 

Juvenile Courtesy Cards

Temporary Residents
Children under 13 years of age who are temporary Hoboken residents will be entitled to a Temporary Courtesy account with a maximum term of one year (determined by duration of residency.) Temporary proof of residency must be provided.  Also note children may have only one BCCLS account in the system at any time. This card allows for borrowing privileges for Hoboken Public Library Items Only.

Hoboken Courtesy Cards are issued to children under 13 years of age who live outside the BCCLS system but attend school in Hoboken.
A letter from the school stating they attend must be presented with the application along with their home address verified by the school. These cards expire in one year, after which proof of residency and a Hoboken School letter must be resubmitted. It is not necessary to submit another application. Please note: child must be present when library card is issued.
*This card allows interlibrary loan privileges.

Local Courtesy
Children under 13 years of age, living in HUDSON COUNTY, outside the BCCLS system and not schooled in Hoboken, may be issued a HOBOKEN COURTESY BARCODE on their hometown library card and be in good standing, providing they can show proof of Hudson County residence. These barcodes expire in one year, after which proof of residency must be resubmitted. It is not necessary to submit another application.

ALL OF THE ABOVE REQUIRE PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION TO BE FILLED OUT ON THE BACK OF THE APPLICATION. CARDS WILL NOT BE ISSUED WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION. 

LOST CARDS may be replaced by providing proper identification along with a $3.00 fee. It is not necessary to submit another application.

YOUR LIBRARY CARD allows you to review items you currently have checked out, outstanding fines, pending requests, and to renew items before they become overdue.

Loan periods and fines
Material Type Loan Period Limits Renewals Overdues / Fines *
Books 28 days
50 item general limit

1 $ .10 per item per day; $5.00 maximum for books
New Books / Bestsellers 14 days no limit 1, if there is no reserve list $ .10 per item per day. Magazines 14 days 5 per title 1 $ .10 per item per day, $5.00 maximum

Audiobooks Books on CD
14 days 10 1 $ .10 per item per day; maximum fine $5.00; $1.00 fine if returned in book drop.
Compact Discs 14 days 10 1 $ .25 per item per day; maximum fine $6.00; $1.00 fine if returned in book drop.

Videocassettes & DVDs
7 days. 5 of each (5 DVDs and 5 Videos)

1 $2.00 per item per day; $20.00 maximum; $.50 rewind fee; $1.00 if returned without plastic case; $5.00 if returned in the book drop.
CD-Roms 14 days 1 1 $2.00 per item per day (up to cost of product); $10.00 fine if returned in book drop.
* Fines are not charged for days the library is closed.

Interlibrary Loans
The Hoboken Public Library will obtain books and magazine articles from other BCCLS member libraries for our patrons. For items outside of the BCCLS network, patrons are welcome to place requests through Jersey Cat.

BCCLS Interlibrary Loan Rules

1. Library cardholders may request up to 5 loan items at a time. Once requested items have been received or the patron has been notified that they have arrived at the library, additional loans can be requested. New requests, together with materials still en-route, may not exceed our five item limit.

2.  Library cardholders can ask to be notified when a particular item owned by the Hoboken Public Library is returned. Also, items which are marked Hi-Demand or Rental cannot be requested from other libraries.

3. The policies of other BCCLS libraries vary as to how soon they circulate new items. For that reason, we cannot request a book from another library that has been in the system for less than one month nor DVDS and videos that have been in the system under three months.

4. Non-resident cardholders who work or go to school in Hoboken are entitled to a Hoboken courtesy card. This card allows patrons full borrowing privileges including the ability to request interlibrary loans. On rare occasions an item may not be available to courtesy card holders if it is only owned by libraries that do not honor those cards. Jersey City or other Hudson County residents are entitled to a courtesy card that allows patrons to borrow materials from The Hoboken Public Library.

5. Temporary residents able to prove temporary residency in Hoboken will be entitled to be temporary cardholders with borrowing privileges for Hoboken Public Library items only.

6. If a DVD, CD, or other item is a multi volume set, please list which volume(s) you would like to request.