Borrowing Policy

Definitions

• Community cards are available to Hamilton daycare centres, institutions, schools, corporations, businesses, government agencies, associations, charitable and non-profit organizations or group homes.
• Discovery cards have full borrowing privileges and are issued to individuals who live, work, attend school or own property in Hamilton, or has a Six Nations address in Ontario, and have appropriate identification.
• Youth is the term used for library users up to the age of seventeen (17). Staff may refer to this library card as a Youth card.
• Non-residents are those who live outside Hamilton and do not qualify for a Discovery card.
• Inspire cards are designed for individuals who have limited identification. These cards have limited borrowing privileges and other parameters.
• Reciprocal borrowing is a service coordinated, by formal agreement, with surrounding library systems.

Policy Details

The public may visit any library location, use its in-house resources and access express computers and catalogue stations. A library card is required to borrow materials, access digital collections and resources, use Extended Access facilities and Makerspaces, and to log on to public computers. The Hamilton Public Library Board establishes who may obtain a Hamilton Public library card.
Free of Charge: Library cards are issued without charge to eligible individuals.

Types of Library Cards

Discovery Card (Adult)

Discovery cards are issued to individuals who are residents of Hamilton with identification containing name and address. This card is also extended to applicants who have related identification that indicates they: work, pay taxes in the City of Hamilton or are a student who attends a Hamilton educational institution. Discovery cards are also available to any person who has a Six Nations address in Ontario.

Discovery Card (Youth)

Youth cards are issued to individuals up to the age of seventeen (17) who live or go to school in Hamilton. The library card application form must be signed by a responsible party, if they are not present when the card is created for children under the age of 13.

In keeping with the Library’s Rights of Youth in the Library Policy Statement [1], there is no restriction on the material that may be borrowed by children. Parents and/or those responsible for the child are responsible for the selection, usage and safe return of materials borrowed by their children.

Inspire Cards

Inspire Cards are available to individuals that have limited identification or choose to have more basic borrowing privileges. These cards have limited borrowing privileges for physical materials but full access to digital resources.

Online Cards

Online cards allow anyone who lives or works or is a member of Six Nations to register for a card online. An online card allows library members to access online resources and place holds on library materials. Library members will be asked to verify their address with one piece of identification during their first visit to a local library when borrowing materials.

Non-Resident Cards

Non-residents can purchase an annual library membership:

• There is an annual non-refundable fee effective from the date of registration. Cardholders will be asked to verify their address and phone number at that time. (see Service Fees Policy [2])
• Non-resident cards have the same privileges as a Discovery card, except for Extended Access.
• It is noted that non-residents who are eligible for a reciprocal card may wish to pay the annual fee to obtain access to our full digital and physical collections.
• Expired cards will be removed from the system after 1 month.