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Greenville Public Library

Your Library Card

General Information

Getting a Library Card
The Greenville Public Library is funded by taxes paid by the residents of the city of Greenville. Any resident, residing within the city limits of Greenville, may obtain a library card by filling out an application and providing proper identification and city address. As of August 1, 2014, all patron accounts require birthdate, driver's license number, and proof of residency. Patrons high school aged and under require the signature of a parent or guardian to obtain a card.

Non-resident Card
Non-resident patrons may obtain a card by filling out an application, providing proper identification, and paying an annual fee per family of $40. Residents who live outside of city limits, but own property within city limits may receive a card based on that property's tax assessment. Any college-attending, non-resident may obtain a card by filling out an application, providing proper identification and student identification, and paying an annual fee of $5. As of August 1, 2014, all non-resident patron accounts require birthdate and driver's license.

Cards for Kids Act
The Cards for Kids Act requires Illinois public libraries to allow children
  • who are students enrolled in grades Pre-K-12 in a public or private school, and
  • who live in an unincorporated area, and
  • who meet federal low-income eligibility guidelines

to get a free library card in order to have continued access to children’s reading materials.  This access includes various online learning resources such as e-books and e-audiobooks.  This card is subject to all Greenville Public Library policies for children. This policy states that parents are responsible for any fines and/or lost items accrued by their child. The policy also states that children may not check out DVDs and hotspots nor use the computer without direct parental supervision. All other Greenville Public Library policies, such as fines and checkout limits, apply. 

To apply, a parent with a qualifying child should bring the parent’s completed federal tax form for the previous year, the parent’s driver’s license or state ID, and a piece of mail such as a water bill addressed to the parent with the current address to the library. The child should accompany the parent when applying.

The Cards for Kids Act was sponsored by Illinois State Senator Laura Murphy after learning about students in her district who could not check out materials from the public library due to the inability to afford the non-resident fees.

Renewing Your Card

Starting in November 2021, everyone will need to provide a driver's license and a second proof of identity/residency to renew existing accounts. We will require all the primary account holders to show all required information. We will be ascertaining whether the address provided is in the library's service area, even if the cardholder has been a Greenville cardholder for several years. We ask that Nonresident patrons who own property in town, bring tax information for the owned property. We hope to have current, up-to-date information for all of our accounts. If there are any account charges at the time of renewal, regardless of amount, they will need to be paid in full.

Borrowing Limits
Books and audiobooks from the Greenville Public Library have a checkout period of three weeks. Magazines and DVDs have a checkout period of one week. Items checked out from other libraries may have different lending periods. Each family has a checkout limit of forty items. The number of items borrowed may be limited by the librarian. Electronic books and eAudiobooks are checked out for three weeks and are returned automatically, but may be returned earlier. Five electronic items may be checked out at one time. You may have five items on your electronic hold shelf as well.

Placing Holds
You may request an item from the library or a library in the system in several ways. You may call the library and request an item over the phone. You may come to the library and request an item in person. The online patron access catalog is also available for requesting items and managing your account at illshareit.com. Patrons may also access accounts through our new mobile app--Share Mobile Library. If you are interested in managing your account online, you will need your barcode and PIN. Please call the library if you require these numbers.

Renewing Your Borrowed Items
An item may be renewed by calling the library, coming in and asking for a renewal, or on your online account. New items and items borrowed through another library may not be able to be renewed because of the high demand for these items, or items may be sent with zero renewals. The library does not have permission to renew items with "zero renewals."

Library Fines
Books and audiobooks have a $0.15 a day late fine. Videos and DVDs have a $1.00 a day late fine. If your library fines total five dollars or higher, you will not be able to check out materials until it is paid in full. If an item is damaged or lost, there may be replacement fines and overdue fines associated with the item.