How can I contact a Marin County Free Library branch?
Go to our Library Branches page and click on the branch name. The branch address and phone numbers will be listed, along with information about story times, events, computer classes and tutors, book clubs, etc.
How do I find out where a Marin County Free Library branch is located?
Go to our Library Branches page and click on the branch name. The branch address will be listed, along with a link to “Directions” with detailed driving directions.
Your Library Account
How can I get a Library card? Replace a Library card?
See our How to get a Library Card page for information on obtaining and replacing Library cards.
You can now view your library record, change your PIN, request notification via e-mail, see items that you currently have checked out, renew those items, view your holds, pay your fees online, view “My Reading History” or your preferred searches, and search the catalog.
Remember to click on the Log out button when you finish!
How do I get a PIN? What do I do when I forget my PIN?
Please see the MARINet page, All About PINs, for more information.
Getting Materials
How can the Library help me get the specific items
(books, videos, DVD's, CDs, audio books) that I want?
HOW TO GET LIBRARY MATERIALS
There are a lot of ways to get Library materials!
Check it out: You can go to any MARINet Library and check out an
item that is on the shelf. Call ahead and we’ll put that item on our hold
shelf, for at least 3 days, so you know it is waiting for you.
Place a hold: If the item you want isn’t available (e.g. checked
out or not owned by your local branch), you can place
a hold on the item to have it delivered to the branch of your choice.
The Library will send you a postcard or e-mail when the item arrives. Holds
typically cost $.50.
Use SuperSearch: If an item is not owned by a MARINet
Library, you can use SuperSearch,
that lets you borrow materials from other North Bay libraries. Please note
that there is a small, $.50 fee, for using SuperSearch..
Use the California Libraries Catalog: The California
Libraries Catalog will help you find items in California libraries. If
you find an item in the California Libraries Catalog, please contact the Reference
Desk of your local branch for information about placing an InterLibrary Loan
request (see below).
Use InterLibrary Loan: If you are unable to get an item through MARINet
or SuperSearch, you can place an InterLibrary Loan Request for the item. There
is a non-refundable search fee of $1.00 for periodical articles and $5.00
for books. Please call the Reference Desk of your local branch
for more information.
We also have special services for those unable to visit our Library branches.
The Bookmobile: Our Bookmobile service brings books and other materials all around Marin County! The Bookmobile’s schedule of stops is available online.
Books on Wheels: If you receive meals from Whistlestop in San Rafael, you may also be eligible to for the Marin County Free Library's Books On Wheels program. You can request Library materials free of charge and they will be delivered with your meals. To inquire about Books on Wheels, please call Mobile Library Services at 415-499-7544, or print and fill out the Books on Wheels form.
Library Beyond Walls: If you have a disability that prevents you from visiting one of our Library branches, you may be eligible for our Library Beyond Walls program. To find out more about this program, call your nearest Marin County Free Library branch. Ask to speak to the Library Beyond Walls representative at the branch about the homebound delivery program. Or fill out the Library Beyond Walls form online, and someone will get back to you!
How do I place a hold on material that I want?
Delivery of items that are on the shelf can take up to 1 week. If an item is on the shelf at a nearby library or you need an item sooner, phone and ask the library to hold the item for you. Libraries will hold most items for at least 3 days, if you phone to request this service. Holds cannot be placed on some Library materials such as reference books or rental items.
Once you have located the item you want, click on the Request button.
Enter your last name, barcode, PIN, and the library where you want to pick up the item.
Click on the Submit button.
You will receive a postcard (or email if you have requested that method of notification) when the item has arrived at the library you selected as the pick up location.
How do I place a hold on a magazine or single volume of
a set?
This is the process for placing a hold on a single issue of a magazine, a single
volume of a multi-volume set, or an annual, such as a travel book:
If necessary, click on “View additional copies or search for a specific
volume/copy”, to be certain the issue you require is available. Note: at this point you will not be able
to specify an issue or volume.
Click on Request.
Enter your name, library card number and PIN.
Click on the Submit button.
Now you will be able to select the specific magazine issue or volume that
you wish to request (provided the system permits holds on it).
To place the hold, click on the circle, in the
left column for the correct issue, then return to the top of the page and
click on Request Selected Item.
Why can’t I place a hold on some items?
If you are unable to place a hold on a circulating item that has “Check Shelf” status, the item is classified as
nonholdable by the owning library as follows:
“Bestsellers”: Belvedere Tiburon
Books on CD: Belvedere Tiburon, Larkspur, Mill Valley and San Rafael
Books on Cassette: Belvedere Tiburon, rentals at San Rafael
Compact discs: Belvedere Tiburon
CD ROMs: Belvedere Tiburon
DVDs: Belvedere Tiburon, Larkspur Mill Valley and San Rafael
“In Demand”: Mill Valley
Magazines- latest issue: all MARINet libraries
*Magazines- back issues: Belvedere Tiburon, Civic Center branch, Larkspur, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, San Rafael and Sausalito
In the case of magazines, you may place a hold on a back issue from any Marin County Free Library branch except Civic Center.
“Playaway”/Digital books: Belvedere Tiburon
Reference/Library Use Only items: all MARINet libraries
Rental items (most Books on Cassette, Books on CD, DVDs): San Rafael
Videos: Belvedere Tiburon and Larkspur
Zoe’s Picks (DVDs): Mill Valley
NOTE: Upon request (and excluding Reference/Library Use Only or the latest issue of magazines):
Belvedere-Tiburon and Mill Valley will hold these items 2 hours for pickup.
Upon request, Larkspur and San Rafael will hold these items for same day pickup.
What is SuperSearch?
When a MARINet Library does not own an item, you may be able to borrow a copy
from libraries outside MARINet that are members of the North Bay Cooperative Library
System (after verifying that MARINet libraries do not own an item) by clicking
click on the SuperSearch
button at the bottom of the search results screen. For more information about
SuperSearch, see MARINet’s All
About SuperSearch page. It can take several weeks for delivery of a SuperSearch
item, and there is a $.50 fee for this service.
How do I place an InterLibrary Loan request?
If we are unable to find a book, periodical article, or microform item that is
not available through any of our local borrowing services (such as SuperSearch),
you can submit an InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Request for a book, periodical article,
or microform. Library staff will attempt to locate the item for you from another
library system.
For books and microform items, there is a non-refundable $5.00 search fee. For periodical articles, there is a non-refundable $1.00 search fee. This fee does not guarantee receipt of an item.
The Library does not accept ILL requests for videos, audio books, music cassettes,
DVD's, CDs, CD-ROMs, or items only available outside the U.S.
The ILL process can take from 6 to 8 weeks, and sometimes longer, depending on how difficult it is to find the item.
For more information on placing an InterLibrary Loan, please call the Reference Desk of your local branch.
Books, magazines, (with the exception of Civic Center Library periodicals, which do not circulate), audio tapes, and CDs can be checked out for 3 weeks.
Language instruction videos and DVD's can be checked out for 3 weeks.
Other videos and DVD's can be checked out for 1 week.
The Library also offers a “Vacation Loan Period” for 6 weeks. The Vacation
Loan does not permit renewals and does not extend to videos, DVD's, new and
high-demand materials.
What are the overdue fees for different types of items?
The fees listed below are per day, per item:
Adult books, magazines, and audio materials
$ .30
Children's books, magazines, and audio materials
$ .15
Videos and DVD's
$1.00
Super Search Items(North Bay Cooperative Library System)
$ .25
Note: Bookmobile patrons are charged by the scheduled stop rather than by the day that the items are overdue.
Maximum Overdue Fees:
Adult books and materials
$9.00 per item
Children's books and materials
$3.00 per item
Uncataloged paperback books/magazines
List price
Children's videos and DVD's
$6.00 per item
All other videos and DVD's
$14.00 per item
Where can I find a complete list of all other Library fees?
Library Cards
Regular Library Cards
Free
Replacement Cards
$1.00
Out-of-state visitor cards(valid 3 months)
$10.00
Reserve Requests
Adults (at branches with 30,000 volumes or more)
$.50 per request
Adults (at branches with fewer than 30,000 volumes)
1 free per day, $.50 per request thereafter
Children under 16
1 free per day, $.50 per request thereafter
InterLibrary Loan Services
Inside North Bay Region
$.50 per request
Outside North Bay Region
$5.00 per search*
Magazine articles
$1.00 per search*
*Fee is non-refundable and applies to SEARCHES, even if requested items
are not provided. Additional lending charges plus charges for lost, damaged, or overdue materials may be assessed
by the lending library.
Other Services & Fees
Meeting Room rental
$25.00 per use
Photocopies (black and white)
$.15 per page
Printing (black and white)
$.15 per page
Printing (color)
$1.00 per page
Microform copies
$.25 per page
Newspaper search and photocopy made by Library Staff
$5.00
Digital services from the Anne T. Kent California Room
please inquire
Bank returned check
$25.00 per check service fee
Damage & Replacement Fees
All materials lost or damaged beyond use
List price plus $8.00 processing fee*
Lost or damaged part of multi-part audio set
$10.00 per cassette or CD
Minor damage
$4.00
Replace audio, video, CD, and DVD cases
$3.00
*When replacement costs of lost or damaged items exceed the cost of the list price plus the processing fee, then the charge will be the list price plus a processing fee
No one owing $10.00 or more for fines and/or fees or the equivalent in overdue materials may borrow any materials from any MARINet Library.
How do I renew a book or other material I have out?
Two renewals are allowed on all circulating Marin County materials except reserved items. When you renew an item, the due date is set for 3 weeks from the day it was renewed. If you renew a book today, then renew the same book again tomorrow, you only get one extra day for the second renewal period. Remember--items can only be renewed twice, so wait to renew items close to the due date so you can get the full renewal period.
Once your record appears, click on the Checked Out Items button.
Click on the Renew All button to renew all items checked out or check the box next to the items you wish to renew and click on the Renew Selected button.
Scroll down to verify that all the items you selected were renewed. Items cannot be renewed if another person has a hold on the item or if you have exceeded the maximum number of renewals allowed for the item.
Super Search items and most interlibrary loans are not renewable.
Why does the library limit the number of items I can have checked out at one time?
Limits on the number of items that may be checked out at one time on a library card provide several advantages. More materials that are in high demand will be available on library shelves. People who prefer to browse the shelves for items that are immediately available instead of placing holds will find a better selection. Also, the limits protect libraries from major losses caused by people who borrow items and never return them.
In cases where the borrowing limits create significant hardship you may discuss your situation with library staff and request an exception.
Online Resources
How do I get access from home to the Library’s online subscription databases and Electronic Books?
The Library provides a broad range of electronic resources for our residents, including a selection of databases and Electronic Books. Most of these resources are accessible from outside the Library (home, work, school) by logging in with your Library card number and PIN.
Each patron must use his or her own Library card to log in to one of our resources from outside the Library. Using one card to log in multiple users (such as a classroom of students or two friends in a computer lab) violates our contracts with the companies who provide these resources. A violation of this sort could result in the company canceling the contract with the Library and prevent the Library from being able to offer that resource in the future.
Instructions and an application for obtaining a Library card can be found on our Library Card webpage.
Why can I use some of the library's databases from home, and not others?
Different libraries in Marin County subscribe to different databases. Home access to the library's databases is determined by your home library, which is based on tax codes according to place of residence. Please see our page Who can access the Marin County Free Library’s Databases from Home.
Public Access Computers, Wireless Access and Other Equipment
Where can I find a library that offers wireless access?
The Marin County Free Library offers free wireless network access at all of its branches.
How do I find a library that offers word processing or a typewriter?
No typewriters are available at our branches, although word processing PCs are available at all branches of the Marin County Free Library.
Do any of the libraries offer CD players, book magnifiers, or other special equipment?
For a complete list of audio visual and other equipment offered by MARINet member libraries, please see MARINet’s Special Equipment page.
Policies and Laws
What are the Library’s policies?
You can see a complete list of the Library’s policies on our Policies page.
Where can I find out more about the Library’s Public Use Computers and the Public Use Computer Policy?
Please refer to our Public
Use Computer Instructions page. If you have additional questions, please ask
a reference librarian.
Where can I find out about the USA PATRIOT Act?
Please refer to the Library’s USA PATRIOT Act FAQ.
Volunteering and Working for the Library
How can I volunteer at the Library?
Please see the Volunteering @ the Library page for information about volunteering at the Library.
How can I get a job at the Library? Click here to get a complete list of current openings at the Library. You can apply online right now!
Supporting the Library
How can I become a Friend of the Library?
There are 9 different Friends groups for the Library—one general Friends of the Marin County Free Library group, and 8 groups dedicated to particular locations or branches. Links to all these groups with details about joining are listed on our Friends page.
Are there other ways I can support my local branch?
Yes! You can make monetary or materials donations directly to the Library. For more information, see our Donations page.
You can also donate funds to the Library Foundation, whose goal is to “increase and improve the services and information resources provided by the Marin County Free Library to all Marin residents.”
