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Borrowing Items
Borrowing | Circulation Desk | Self Checkout | Item Limits | Returning Library Materials | Loan Periods, Fines and Fees | Refundable and Nonrefundable Materials
Borrowing
The King County Library System may not own certain items you want to check out. If you have already looked in the KCLS catalog to confirm that we don’t own a particular item, you have two options for requesting the item:
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) KCLS will request the item from another library in the United States. Depending on the number of libraries that own the item and its availability, this typically takes 2-4 weeks.
NOTE: The following items are not available through ILL: CDs, DVDs, Audiobooks and eBooks.
Request an Interlibrary Loan |
Learn more about interlibrary loans.
Purchase Suggestions
We welcome your suggestions regarding items that you would like to see included in the King County Library System’s collection. Due to the large volume of suggestions received, we are unable to purchase all materials.
Submit a Purchase Suggestion |
Learn more about Purchase Suggestions
Circulation (Checkout) Desk
- Bring your items to the circulation (or checkout) desk.
- Have your library card ready. Or, if you forgot or lost your library card, have your photo ID handy.
- Once your library card has been scanned or your identification verified, the library assistant will check out your items.
- When your transaction is completed, you will be given a receipt.
Self-Checkout
To avoid the checkout desk line, consider checking out library materials yourself.
Loan Periods
Here’s a guide to how long you can keep various items you have checked
out. Please keep in mind that some materials may be available for use only
in the library. For more information, please ask a library staff member.
- Books, audiocassettes, CDs, CD-ROMs, eAudio: 28 days; two 28-day renewals allowed.
- eBooks: 21 days
- “Books to grow on” kits: 28 days; two 28-day renewals allowed.
- Magazines, videos, DVDs: 7 days, two 7-day renewals allowed.
- Media equipment: 1 day (in-library use).
Item Limits
Here is a guide to the total number and types of items patrons can reserve (hold) or checkout using their KCLS library card:
- Holds: 25 items; Holds which are available for pick-up, but not yet checked out, count towards this limit.
- OverDrive Checkouts (Digital Downloads): Maximum 20 items
- OverDrive Holds (Digital Downloads): 10 items
- Checkouts: Maximum 100 items
- Special Materials: five (5) children’s holiday books (due to demand)
Returning Library Materials
When your borrowed materials are due, you may return them to any KCLS community library. External book drops are conveniently located at each library and are available for returning materials after regular library hours. Check here for a list of library locations and hours
Fines and Fees
Information about library material loan periods & overdue fines.
Refundable and Nonrefundable Materials Refunds are not available for parts and pieces, overdue fines, or items that do not display a specific title in My Account. For a full list of refundable and nonrefundable items, visit
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Last Updated:
August 2, 2011






