Ask-a-Librarian

A photo ID and proof of address are required to open a library account: 

Identification supplied by an accompanying adult is sufficient for a child under 18. For 13 to 18 year olds, photo identification is required if a parent is not present.

Identification that satisfies both requirements

• Maryland Driver’s License
• Maryland Identification card

Examples of Photo ID

• Valid US passport
• Valid US military identification card or discharge record (DD-214)
• Out-of-State driver’s license, with translation into English, if required
• Valid Out-of-Country passport
• School ID
• Employee or contractor photo ID card issued by a local, state or US government agency

Examples of Proof of Address

• Selective service card
• Vehicle registration card or title
• Voter registration card
• Utility or telephone bill
• Checking or savings account statement
• Property tax bill or receipt
• Mortgage account or proof of home ownership
• Residential rental contract (apartment lease or other rental of real property)
• Check with printed name and address

Some materials cannot be renewed, including:

• Items for which others have placed hold requests.
• Items that have already been renewed three times (twice for MARINA items).
• Lucky Day Collection books. These current bestsellers are not eligible for renewal after the 3-week borrowing period.
• Interlibrary loan items from OCLC are not eligible for renewal.
• Items borrowed on an Educator account.

Interlibrary loan materials from Marina may be renewed 2 times.

You can renew items by:

• Bringing them to any MCPL library check-out desk; or
• By logging in to your account on our catalog.

You will not be able to renew items if you owe $25.00 or more in outstanding fees or lost charges. See Paying Fees and the interlibrary loan page.

If you have lost a book or other library item, or if the item is damaged, the library will charge you the original retail price of the item.

A staff member can tell you how much the item costs. If you prefer to provide a replacement copy yourself, you may, but it must be an identical item in new condition. The replacement copy must be the same edition of the title as the lost book, and it must be the same format (hardback for hardback, for example).

Please note, you cannot provide a replacement copy for books with red B & T label, sometimes referred to as Lucky Day Collection books. If this type of book is lost, you must pay the original retail price of the item.

You can pay for a lost item by cash or check in any branch. If you want to pay online by credit card, you may not see charges for the lost item until you let a circulation staff member know that an item has been lost.

Save the receipt for the payment of a lost item. Then, if the item turns up later, you can return it to any branch within six months and receive a refund.

• EZproxy Authentication - We use EZproxy to authenticate our cardholders to our subscription services. If you are outside the libraries and follow a link to one of our online resources, you should see a log-in page that asks for your library card number and password.
• You must have a library card registered with Montgomery County Public Libraries to use online resources from home or work. Enter your 14-digit library card number without any spaces. Read about registering for a library card.
• You will also need the password associated with your card. The default password the library sets is the 4 digits of your birth year. We encourage you to customize your password, which can be 4 to 10 characters long, to protect your library account.
• We recommend you use a current version of your web browser. Some features may not be available with older browsers.
• Cookies and Javascript must be enabled in your web browser settings.
• Security settings in your web browser should be set no higher than Medium.
• If you experience a problem, please delete your browser's Temporary Internet Files (also called "cache") before trying again.