How do I Get a Library Card?

• Library cards are free to any individual Adult applicant who shows identification that includes a picture I.D. and proof of a current Maricopa County residential address. A post office box number alone is not acceptable. Acceptable proofs of identification include: Driver’s license or state issued Identification Card, military identification, personalized checks, lease agreement, passport or utility bill. You can register for a library card online right now.

• Children under 18 years of age may be issued a library card if the parent or guardian and child are present during the registration process and provide the required identification. The parent or guardian may authorize or restrict access to audio-visual materials for the child at the time of registration. List parent’s name and source of ID, ID number and any restrictions they wish to require in the “Notes” field.
• Upon registration, customers are issued a permanent borrower card. Applicant agrees, by signing the back of the library card, to abide by all policies and regulations set forth by the Maricopa County Library District.
• Non-County resident annual fees are $40 per card ($50 beginning Sept. 1, 2008); however, if a Non-County resident shows proof of Maricopa County property ownership, the fees will not apply.
• All cards are valid for two years. To renew a borrower's card, an applicant must present identification showing current address. All outstanding fines and fees must be paid and/or overdue materials returned before a borrower's card may be renewed.
• Please notify Customer Service immediately if your card has been lost or stolen. Replacement cards cost $5 for a SmartCard (computer chip card for reserving computers and printing) and $2 for a regular card.
• Each borrower is responsible for items checked out on his/her card and for any associated fines. Only you can use your library card. It is recommended that you do not loan borrowed items to others and that you not depend on others to return items for you.

I don't live in Maricopa County. Can I Get a Library Card?

The Maricopa County Library District is funded primarily by a secondary property tax. Non-residents who live outside Maricopa County and who do not own property in Maricopa County must pay a fee of $50 per year to obtain a card because they do not pay the secondary property tax that supports the operations of the Library District.

Can I Reserve Materials?

Customers may place requests for Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) titles so that the next available copy is provided to them. A total of 10 DVDs per customer may be placed on reserve. There is no fee for this service.

With the exception of new books and media, any book unavailable at MCLD Libraries may be requested from other libraries, via an Interlibrary loan requests. Beginning September 1, 2008 there is a $5 fee per request. If the loaning library charges MCLD a fee to borrow, that fee must also be paid by the requesting customer. There are no refunds.

Materials checked out from MCLD libraries may be returned to any MCLD Library. Book and media drops are located inside the libraries. Also, some libraries provide drive-up and walk-up drops that may be used 24 hours a day.

How do I reserve materials online?

If you are interested in a title owned by the Maricopa County Library District at a branch other than your home branch, it is possible to reserve that title online and pick it up at whichever branch you desire.

• Once you have entered our online catalog and found the title you want, you will see the following statement: "Place Request".
• Click on this statement and you will be asked for your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN (personal identification number). To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Follow the instructions on the screen.
• When the item is available, you will be notified by phone, mail or email.
• A total of 10 DVDs per customer may be placed on reserve.
• Beginning Sept. 1, 2008 there will be a $2 reshelving fee for requested items that are not picked up within 7 days.

How do I renew items online?

You can access your account from our Web site: http://www.mcldaz.org.

• Click on the link: My Account
• You will then be prompted to type in your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Then click on “Log In”.
• Click on "Renew Items Out".
• Renew selected titles by marking in the box to the left of the title. At the bottom of the page, click on "Renew Selected Items" or "Renew all items".
• If you have any problems accessing your account, contact your home branch for help.
  

How do I access my library account from home?

You can access your account from our web site: http://www.mcldaz.org.

• Click on the link: My Account
• You will then be prompted to type in your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library. Then click on “Log In”.
• You may now view and renew the materials you have checked out, as well as change your PIN number, see the items you have on reserve and check on any fines.
• If you have any problems accessing your account, contact your home branch for help.

How do I access databases from home?

If you have a library card and internet access, you may access many of the library’s information databases from home. The Library District subscribes to these informational databases on behalf of their customers. They are available for free with a library card.

• To begin, go to our website http://www.mcldaz.org and click on "Online Research".
• You will then see a list of subjects. Select the subject your are interested in or choose "Alphabetical Listing of E-Sources" to view all the databases that can be accessed from home.
• Click on the database you wish to access and start searching.
• Enter your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library.

Where do I find Arizona Republic articles/obituaries?

Articles and obituaries from as far back as 1999 can be found by searching The Arizona Republic newspaper database located on our Web site.

• To begin, go to our website http://www.mcldaz.org and click on "Online Research" located in the center area of the page.
• Enter your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library.
• You will then see a list of subjects or choose "Alphabetical Listing of E-Sources" to view all the databases that can be accessed from home.

Obituaries can also be found by searching "America's Obituaries and Death Notices" database located on our Web site.

• To begin, go to our Web site http://www.mcldaz.org and click on "Online Research" located in the center area of the page.
• Next, click on the yellow button at the top of the page that says, "log on for access from home or office.”
• Enter your library card number (without any spaces between numbers) and PIN number. To verify your PIN contact the customer service desk at your local branch library.
• America's Obituaries and Death Notices " is located in "Newspapers and Magazines" as well as the "Genealogy" category.

Where do I find Genealogy information?

None of the Maricopa County libraries are genealogy libraries. We have some books on how to do genealogical research, but we don't have the primary source documents that most genealogical researchers use.

The library district does have "Ancestry Plus" which can be used within the library only. Library cardholders can access this database at any one of our branches.

Also, there are a couple different locations in the Phoenix area that have excellent genealogical collections.

The Church of Latter-Day Saints is well-known for its genealogical records. They have several of their Family History Centers in the Phoenix metro area, so if you go to the following link, www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp, you can locate the center closest to you.

The Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records also has both archival (www.lib.az.us/archives/famhistory.cfm) and genealogical (www.lib.az.us/is/genealogy/index.cfm) collections. Additional genealogical links can be found on the library's list of selected Web sites.