Library Closing at 1pm on December 20

Broome County Public Library will close at 1pm on Friday, December 20. We will reopen Saturday, December 21 at 9am.

How Do I?

Borrowing

Our library offers books, both regular and large print, audiobooks on CD, Playaway audiobooks for young adults, read-along books for children, DVDs, and music CDs.

We also offer audiobooks and ebooks through Libby and Hoopla. Hoopla also has movies and music available to borrow. To learn more about these click here.

You can search for items in our online catalog. This offers you access to all items in the Four County Library System. If you need help finding an item you can contact us.

Items can be put on hold online through your library account, or by calling us.

You will be contacted by the phone number or email address that is listed on your account. if you have an email address on file, you will be contacted by email. If you just have a phone number listed, you will get a phone call.

Books and magazines: unlimited 

Audiobooks on CD and Playaways: 5 items per card

Music CDs: 5 items per card 

DVDs: 5 items per card

Books and magazines: 3 weeks 

Audiobooks on CD or Plaways: 3 weeks 

Music CDs: 3 weeks 

DVDs: 3 weeks

If an item is able to be renewed, we will automatically renew it before its due date. You can also renew an item through your account or by contacting us.

Items can be renewed twice unless they are on hold for someone else. If you want to renew an item for a second time you will need to contact us. Items cannot be renewed for a second time through your account.

Items can be returned to any of the libraries in the Four County Library System. BCPL provides return boxes outside our building and an area for returns at our circulation desk. 

We are fine free! You will not be charged for an overdue item. We will only charge you if an item is lost or damaged. 

Any book that is not returned will eventually be labeled as lost. This means your account will be charged and you will lose access to borrowing privileges. However, that fine will disappear once you return the item. 

Sometimes you might receive a letter about your account being sent to collections due to fines. Don't panic! Once you return the item, all fines will be removed. 

Fines can be paid in the library at the Circulation Desk. You can pay with a check or cash. We cannot accept debit or credit cards. 

You can also pay your fines through your account. You can access your account here.

You can sign into your account using the ‘My Account’ button at the top of the website's homepage or the ‘Log In’ button on the top of the library catalog page.

You will need to enter your library card number and your pin number. Your library card number is the 13-digit number on the back of your library card. This is the number you will enter in the User ID box. Your pin number, for most people, is the last four digits of your phone number. 

If you need help accessing your account, you can contact us.

Your account allows you to place a hold on items, renew items, check the due dates of items you have out, review your holds, change your pin number, and pay fines. You can only pay fines online with a credit or debit card. To pay for fines with cash or a check, come into the library.  

We offer Interlibrary Loan, ILL, for items we do not have in our system. ILL borrows items from libraries around the country. We cannot guarantee we can get an item. 

To request an item fill out this form or contact the Information Services Desk.

We will contact you to let you know if we can process your request. 

You need a BCPL library card to be able to request items through ILL. 

ILL costs $5 per item. You can pay when you pick up the item. We can only accept cash or checks. 

Borrowing times depend on the item. 

Items cannot be renewed. 

You can also request that we purchase an item for our collection.

Technology

Desktop computers are available to the public. They all come equipped with internet, Microsoft Office software, and access to some of our in-library use-only resources. No reservation is required to use the computers.

If you have a library card, you can use the computer for 5 hours a day. If you do not have a library card, you can get a guest pass and use the computer for 90 minutes. You will need to show ID to obtain a guest pass.

We have free Wi-Fi available. It is not protected Wi-Fi. You can access it under the name bclibrary when you go to connect your device. It cannot be used outside of the building.

All public computers offer printing. You can print directly from the computer and it will be sent to one of our two printers; we have one printer across from the Circulation Desk and one printer next to the Information Services Desk. You will need either your library card or a guest pass to access these print jobs. 

We also have wireless printing. You can print from any of your own devices, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets. You can do this both inside and outside of our building. You will need to come to the building to pick up your print jobs. 

There are two ways to print wirelessly:

  1. Using this URL: www.printeron.net/thebcpl/ml
    Choose black and white or color printing. Enter your email address. Attach the file you wish to print. 
     
  2. By emailing your print jobs to either:

    thebcpl-ml-bw@printspots.com- for black and white printing 
    thebcpl-ml-cl@printspots.com- for color printing

    Attach your file to the email you wish to send. Email it to one of the above email addresses, based on which type of printing you want. This will print both the email itself and all attachments. You can also just print an email without any attachments. 

You do not need a library card or guest pass to access wireless printing print jobs. You will use your email address to access them. 

Both types of printing, from a desktop computer or wireless, cost $0.15 a page for black and white and $0.50 a page for color. You can only pay for printing with bills or coins. 

Our printers cannot print two-sided documents. You cannot bring your own paper to put into the printer. 

We have two copy machines available for use. One is located across from the Circulation Desk and one is located in the Information Services area. Copies cost $0.25 a page. You can only make copies in black and white. You can only pay for copies with coins. 

We have both a regular fax machine and an internet fax machine available for use. Our regular fax machine is located across from the Circulation Desk. Our internet fax machine is located next to the Information Services Desk. You can send faxes, but you cannot receive them.

For regular faxing, it costs $2 for the first page and $1 for every page after that. Internet faxing is free. You can only pay for faxing with bills or coins.

We have a scanner available next to our Information Services Desk. You can scan in color and black and white. Scans can be saved as PNGs, PDFs, and Word documents. Saving documents as Word documents allows you to edit them. Scans can be saved to a USB, printed directly from the printer, transferred to your Google Drive, or emailed to you. Scanning is free, but if you choose to print your scans you will need to pay for your print jobs. See above for printing costs. Printing can only be paid for with bills or coins. 

Get a Card

In order to get a library card, you need a form of ID or paperwork with your full name. The library will also ask for address information. The address does not need to be a  permanent address. It can include addresses like dorms, friends' houses, or a local shelter. You do not need to present proof of address. See below for acceptable forms of identification. To print out a paper copy of the application, click here. You can also pick up an application at the circulation desk. Once your application is complete, bring it to the Circulation desk.

Acceptable forms of identification:

Picture ID:

  • Driver’s license (any state ID, whether it’s NY or not)
  • Sheriffs ID
  • Prison discharge ID
  • Passport
  • School ID
  • Green card
  • Military ID
  • EBT card

Non-picture ID:

  • Credit card
  • Checkbook
  • Report card
  • Lease agreement (paper or on phone)
  • Social security card
  • Birth certificate
  • Pay stub
  • Interim license
  • Non-picture EBT card
  • Insurance card

*MaiI is NOT acceptable as ID, even if it's official business mail. 

To renew your library card, you will need one of the above forms of ID and your library card. To replace your library card, you will need one of the above forms of ID. 

Library card information:

  • Library cards expire after 3 years and then need to be renewed. 
  • People ages 13+ can get a library card on their own. For children under 13, they need to sign-up with a grown-up. The grown-up will need to present one of the above forms of ID.
  • There is a $1.50 replacement fee for lost cards. 

Email bcpltempcard@gmail.com with your full name, address, phone number, and birth date to receive a temporary electronic card that can be used for electronic media, including databases and digital content providers, such as Hoopla and Libby. To change a temporary card to a physical card, you'll need to come into the library with an acceptable form of ID and sign a registration form.