Library Cards FAQs

  • General Questions

    Any resident of the state of Ohio can receive a Dayton Metro Library Card for free. You can apply for a Library Card in person. When applying in person, please show valid photo identification, such as a driver's license, a state-issued identification card, a current student card, a Miami Valley Community ID card, or an armed forces identification card. If your ID does not have your current address, please bring verification of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement. You must bring the card in with identification for account verification before checking out library materials.

    There is no minimum age requirement to have a Library Card. A parent or legal guardian must sign the card application for anyone under the age of 18. Special Library Cards are available for children participating in our Summer Reading Club.

    All new Library Card users will have a ten-item limit for the first eight weeks of membership.

    Special cards are also available for teachers, businesses and organizations. Please ask at the Library for details.

    Need immediate access to our digital collection? Apply for an eCard, opens a new window. When you are ready to check out physical materials, you can get a Library Card by following the instructions above.

    eCards, opens a new window give you instant access to databases and digital borrowing without the need to visit one of our locations.

    • download or stream ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and magazines
    • access newspaper archives, genealogy resources, and scholarly journals
    • get ahead with online learning tools

    Physical materials at our library locations cannot be checked out with an eCard. However, eCards can be upgraded to a standard library card by showing valid photo ID and proof of address when you visit any of our libraries. You can signup for an eCard here, opens a new window.

    If you find you already have a Library Card number but do not remember your Library Card number or PIN, you can call our Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665 for help.

    Effective January 1, 2018, there are no overdue fines for Dayton Metro Library materials.

    Items checked out and not returned within 21 days past the due date are considered lost and the borrower will be charged the replacement cost of the item.

    If a library card account has $10 or more in charges, the account holder will be blocked from checkout until sufficient payment is made.

     

    If you have misplaced or forgotten your Library Card number or PIN, we can help. Please call our Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665 during open hours. Or, send us an email with your specific questions here.

    RETURNING ITEMS YOU BORROW

    You can return items to any Dayton Metro Library, regardless of which Library you checked them out from originally. Items can be returned (24/7) directly to book drops and to our automated material check in windows depending on the locations you use.

    AUTOMATIC RENEWALS

    We renew most items for you. Items you have checked out from the Library will automatically be renewed up to eight times. This means you don't have to access your account or call the Library when you want to renew. It also means you won't have overdue fines when you forget or don't have time to renew the items yourself.

    Two days prior to the due date, your items will automatically be renewed if no one else has requested them. If we have your email address, you'll get a message letting you know which items are due in two days, and which have been renewed, along with a list of any other materials you currently have checked out.

    Most items can be renewed up to eight times if there are no outstanding requests. Some items, including Fast Reads and Check Me Out, do not allow eight renewals. Materials checked out on classroom cards do not have automatic renewal.

    Items may be requested through SearchOhio, OhioLink, and our interlibrary loan service. If you search our online catalog and find no items are available,  you will see a link to SearchOhio. Clicking this link will take you directly to this resource. You can learn more about SearchOhio, OhioLink and Interlibrary Loan here.