Frequently Asked Questions

You are eligible for membership at any age if you live, work, teach or go to school in any participating Burlington County municipality. BCLS defines membership based upon residency or affiliation. The library operates via a dedicated county library tax collected from Burlington County households in its 37 participating communities. Cards are offered to residents of the participating communities. In addition, many county residents who are ineligible via residency but who work, teach or attend school in participating communities may apply for membership. For more information see below for types of memberships.

• Non-participating municipalities are: Moorestown, Mount Laurel and Willingboro.* 

To get a card, you may apply for membership at any library location or by submitting an online application. Applicants submitting an online application must provide identification and proof of residency within 60 days of the application date at a branch. Learn more.

*Non-residents and members of exempt communities (Mount Laurel, Moorestown and Willingboro) may apply for a library card in person. Payment must be made when application is submitted. A paid membership cover's everyone currently living in the household & provides full access to library services, including borrowing materials, use of public computers, access to online databases and digital collections, and participation in library programs and events.

Yes, our libraries are open to the general public.  You are free to browse our collection, attend events, and even use a computer with a guest pass. 

BCLS also participates in Reciprocal Agreements with several other counties in New Jersey. 

Libby is an easy-to-use reading app from OverDrive, our partner for digital books and audiobooks. This user-friendly app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

To create a Libby account, follow these steps: 

1. You can either download the app (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) or go to the website.
2. Follow the prompts to locate BCLS.
3. Sign in with your library card number and your PIN number. 

For more help with Libby, click here.

No!

Overdue fines for most library items, including books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, movies, video games and technology-on-loan do not accrue overdue fines.* We want you to read more and worry less, so if you keep a book out for longer than its due date, you will not see daily fines on your account.

However, we encourage you to be courteous to your fellow library user and return your items on time. Others may be waiting to borrow them and we want to make sure they enjoy library materials as much as you do!

Borrowed items are still due back on a set date and we expect items to be returned on time.** 

How It Works

• Item is borrowed and a due date is established.
• If there are no holds, the item is renewed automatically, establishing a new due date after each renewal.
• Item reaches the maximum number of auto-renewals (this varies by item) and enters a 7-day grace period.
• At end of the grace period, the item is set to “lost” status and a replacement fee is added to the account.
• Account-holder is ineligible to borrow items until the outstanding item is returned or the lost fee is paid.

*Overdue fines will continue to accrue for select library items, such as Museum Passes, Borrow-A-Book-Club sets, Interlibrary Loan items and Classroom Kits.

**Accounts with unreturned items that go into a lost status will be locked until the items are returned or replacement fees are paid. Cardholders will be unable to borrow more items or download books or magazines in Overdrive/Libby.

Yes. Borrowed material can be returned to any library location. Book returns are available at each library location when libraries are closed. A community book return is also available in the entrance lobby of the Marlton ShopRite.

Items borrowed on Libby are automatically returned at the end of the checkout period.

Movies - 48 or 72 hours

Kanopy Kids - 1 month of access (no credits required)

Great Courses - 30 days (one course per month - no credits required)

We welcome suggestions for purchase as we strive to craft a well-rounded and representative collection to meet the needs of our diverse community. Your suggestion for purchase will be reviewed and if warranted the item purchased upon review by our team of librarians. However, we cannot guarantee the title will be added to our collection. As an alternative to purchasing the item for you, you may consider obtaining it via our interlibrary loan service.

To learn more about our approach to managing our collection, visit Collection Management.

We offer multiple options to obtain books from other libraries, whether local, state or around the country. We have reciprocal borrowing agreements with many of New Jersey's county libraries and also participate in the statewide and national interlibrary loan network. Visit our Borrow from Other Libraries page to discover more.

BCLS also offers Automatic Renewals (up to two times) on most items (physical and on Libby). 

There are several ways to renew your library items:

1. Log in to your account. You will either need your barcode number and PIN or a username and password. If you've never signed into your account, you'll need to register for an account. 
2. Call our TeleCirc line: 609-267-6703 (Barcode Number and PIN required)
3. Call or visit a location.

Customers who are 18 years old and older can borrow a free mobile WiFi hotspot by visiting the Circulation Desk at any location with your library card or ID. Up to three devices can be checked out at a time. Learn More

You can check out a total of 35 items total on your card!  This may be a combination of books, DVDs, video games, CDs and museum passes. In addition, you may download up to ten items on your Libby account. For more information on the limit of items as well as their borrowing period, click here.

This service enables patrons to easily organize a book discussion group for two or more people. We'll provide all of the materials to run a book club easily and at no cost to the club’s members. The bags contain several copies of the book selection, including large print copies. They can be checked out for 8 weeks. Learn more on the Borrow a Book Club page.