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Borrowing Policies

    Checkout Periods

    Books – 3 weeks (5 renewals on most books, no renewals on books from the Lucky Day Collection)

    DVDs and Blu-rays – 7 days (5 renewals)

    Music CDs – 3 weeks (5 renewals)

    Audiobooks on CD – 3 weeks (5 renewals)

    Magazines – 3 weeks (no renewals, most current issue from adult collection cannot be checked out)

    Games – 3 weeks (5 renewals)

    Kits – 3 weeks (5 renewals)

    Experience Passes – 7 days (no renewals)

    Gadgets – 7 days (no renewals)

    Note that an item may not be renewed if another patron has a hold on it.

    CCPL does not charge overdue fines for late returns. Please renew or return your checkouts to avoid being charged a replacement fee. Learn more about our fine-free policy.

    Checkout Limits

    At any given time, you may have this many items checked out—

    The Hoopla digital service allows 10 checkouts per calendar month. The Kanopy digital service allows 15 "ticket" credits per calendar month.

    There are no checkout limits on other library materials.

    Holds

    You may have up to 15 items on hold at a time. In addition, you may have up to 10 Libby/OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks on hold at a time.

    When you place a hold, you can choose if you’d like to pick it up at the Main Library, at the West Branch, or at either our Main Library or West Branch Holds Pickup Lockers. You will receive an email or text when your hold is ready to pick up.

    Curbside holds pickup is available at the West Branch during regular library hours. When you arrive at the branch to pick up your hold, park in one of the parking spots next to the branch on Horseferry Lane or Birdcage Walk and call 317.814.3965 to let us know you've arrived.

    If you are picking up holds for someone else (including a family member), you will need to have that person's library card number to check them out.

    Need to cancel or pause a hold? Log into your account here.

    Returns

    Items checked out from the Main Library may be returned to the West Branch and vice versa.

    Exterior Returns: Walk-up and drive-up returns slots are available on the south side of the Main Library and near the northeast corner of the West Branch.

    Interior Returns: Inside the Main Library, look for the Returns slot at the Ask Here desk in the first-floor lobby and the large Returns bin upstairs near the skybridge. At the West Branch, an interior Returns slot is located by the glass windows in front of the automated sorting machine.

    Countywide Borrowing

    Your Carmel Clay Public Library card can be used to check out materials from the other public libraries in Hamilton County. Just take your CCPL card, along with a photo ID, to the neighboring library to get registered in their system. (Note that some services and resources, including digital collections, may only be available to resident cardholders.)

    Other Hamilton County Libraries

    Interlibrary Loan

    Can't find the book you need at our library or at another one in Hamilton County? If you have a CCPL resident card and the book is at least 2 years old*, you can submit an interlibrary loan request. We will try to find another library who would be willing to lend us their copy for you to check out. (Only books—not audiovisual items—are eligible for interlibrary loan.) Submit an interlibrary loan request.

    * If the item was published or released in the past 2 years, you can submit a suggestion for purchase through your online account. Click the Log In/My CCPL link at the top of this page and log in. In the My Library Dashboard screen that appears, click on Submit a Suggestion.

    Accessing Your Account

    Click on the Log In/My CCPL link at the top of this page. Then enter your library card number (without spaces) and your PIN (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number, but give us a call at 317.814.3936 if that doesn't work).

    • Once you've logged in, you'll be able to see a list of your checkouts and renew items.
    • You'll also be able to see your holds and cancel or pause them.
    • If you have any overdue fines/fees, you can view them and pay them online.
    • If the library doesn't own a title you're interested in, you can use the Submit a Suggestion link to recommend it for purchase. You may suggest up to 5 titles/month.

    Learn more about setting up your online account for the first time.