Circulation Policy
- Patrons need to present their library card or a scannable, digital representation to check out materials. (Please Note: The card should belong to the person presenting it.)
- Multimedia materials need to be checked out no later than 15 minutes before closing.
Circulation Periods, Item Limits, and Renewal Limits
The following items circulate for 2 days
- Museum Passes – 1 pass per family/ no renewals * (including American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Cooper-Hewitt , Frick, Guggenheim, Hoboken Historical Museum, Intrepid, Museum of the City of New York, Newark Museum, New York Historical Society and Storm King) *Passes may only be borrowed by Adult Hoboken cardholders, in good standing.
The following items circulate for 1 week, with up to 2 renewal, if not on hold for other patrons.
- Launchpads
The following items circulate for 2 weeks, with up to 2 renewals, if not on reserve.
- Games (limit 3)
- Magazines (latest issue does not circulate) C. Kindles (Fire, Paperwhite & Voyagers)
- CD’s (Music)
- E. DVD & BluRays
The following items circulate for 2 weeks, with up to 1 renewal, if not on reserve. A. New books
- iPads
The following items circulate for 4 weeks, with up to 2 renewals, if not on reserve.
- Audiobooks B. Playaways
- Children’s books (including Augmented Reality) D. Young Adult books
- E. Adult books (other than new books)
The following items circulate for 4 weeks, with no holds or renewals A. Hotspots
- Chromebooks
Please note: There is a general item limit of 50 items charged out to a patron’s account at one time.
Library Fees
We believe in providing free and open access to knowledge for all. Eliminating fines for overdue materials means more people in our community have greater access to the Library’s vital materials, resources, and services.
Late fines, no matter how small, discourage people who can’t afford them from using the Library in the first place, and present a real and significant burden to our most vulnerable populations. These kinds of financial barriers can discourage many people who rely on the Library from coming back, which means they can’t access books required for schoolwork, use public computers or job resources, or simply have a safe, open, welcoming space to visit.
We want to remove such obstacles so everyone in Hoboken has greater access to information and opportunity. Eliminating fines ensures that your access to the Library is not based on your ability to pay and ensures that all members of our community have equitable access to our programs, service, and collections.
Policy
Effective November 17, 2021 the Hoboken Public Library will no longer charge late fees for Hoboken-owned items returned late. This includes:
- All Books ● Magazines ● CDs
- DVDs/BluRays ● Console games ● Audiobooks
Fine-free does not apply to:
- items owned through BCCLS from other libraries ● Museum Passes
- Wi-Fi HotSpots ● iPads
- eReaders
- LaunchPads ● Chromebooks
- Other technology
All items will still have a due date, and we encourage patrons to bring back their items by the due date or renewal date. Please be respectful of your fellow library users who may be waiting for items to be returned. After 90 days, the item will be considered lost and a replacement fee will be added to the account.
If you have outstanding fines accrued on your library card for Hoboken items, stop in and we will waive them on the spot. No questions asked.
Renewals
In-Person renewals: Patrons need to present their library card or photo ID at the time of renewal.
Phone renewals: Patrons need to provide their 14-digit library card number when renewing by phone. Please note: Phone renewals need to be made during library hours, please do not leave your library card number on voicemail.
Online renewals: To renew online go to http://hobokenlibrary.org select the “How do I?” tab enter your Library barcode/User name and PIN/Password where prompted. Select Items Out, when your list appears check the boxes next to the titles you want to renew, scroll down and click Renew These Items. Wait until the list reloads with the new date due. Log Out.
Automatic Renewals: Eligible items will renew automatically 3 days before their due date for the full loan period.
You will receive a notification via email or text if an eligible item has been renewed. Notification is only via email or text, so be sure we have your current information in our system.
An item is not eligible for Auto-Renew if:
- The item has reached its renewal limit. ● The item is on hold for another patron. ● Your card has expired.
- You owe $10 or more in fines.
- You have 10 or more items overdue.
Approved 11/16/21 HPL Board of Trustees