Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Basic Library Information
Go to our Contact Us Page for all our contact information.
Go to our Hours Page for all branch hours of operation.
If you do not have a library account with MCLS, but believe you are eligible for one, you have two options:
1. Visit the closest branch to complete an application. To do so, you will need an ID, proof of residency, and children under the age of 14 need the permission of a parent or guardian. Go to Part 5 of our System Policies, Applying for a Library Card, for more detailed information.
2. Submit an online request for a card. This will great you temporary access to all of our services, which will expire after three months. You will need to visit your home branch within that time to verify your library account information and show proof of eligibility. You will be given a physical library card and key tag barcode at that time. To register online, go to our Online Library Card Application.
Your library PIN is the last four digits of the telephone number you provided as your home phone. If that is not working, please contact us through the General and Technical Support form.
Yes. Go to Attachment A: Fines and Fees Schedule in our System Policies. This page includes information on the loan periods for each item.
Finding What You Need
The easiest way is to search our catalog, which you can do online on the MCLS Catalog Website or via MyMCLSNJ, our mobile application. If you don’t feel comfortable searching on your own, you can call the Reference Desk at any of our branches. The phone numbers can be found on our Contact Us Page. (Note: Our Reference Librarians can take only three searches/hold-requests per call.)
Go to the Catalog Help page for detailed instructions on how to use the MCLS Catalog Website.
For newly published/released items, use our Suggest for Purchase Form as we prefer to purchase new items rather than loaning them from another library. For specialized, expensive, or older books that a typical bookstore or library does not have, use our Interlibrary Loan Request Form to request older items from libraries outside our system. If you don’t feel comfortable submitting these forms on your own, you can call the Reference Desk at any of our branches. The phone numbers can be found on our Contact Us Page.
For eLibraryNJ help, go to the OverDrive Help website.
Events
Yes. In order to learn more, please go to our Community Rooms page.
Services
Yes. However, due to COVID-19, we are not offering this service at this time.
Yes we can! Go to our Remote Printing Services Page for more information.
Curbside Pick-Up Appointments
You may call your library location and schedule a day and time to pick up the items after you see or are notified that your holds are available for pick-up. You will have five business days to pick up your holds from the time you receive the email or phone call.
Yes, you will need your library barcode number to schedule a date and time to pick up materials on hold. If you do not have your library card, contact your library location and they will be able to assist you with this process. Go to our Contact Us Page for all our contact information.
If you do not have a library account with MCLS, but believe you are eligible for one, please submit an online request for an card. This will great you temporary access to all of our services, which will expire after three months. You will need to visit your home branch within that time to verify your library account information and show proof of eligibility. You will be given a physical library card and key tag barcode at that time. To register online, go to our Online Library Card Application.
Yes, you can call the library’s phone number between the hours specified above, and if possible, staff will bring out your reserved library materials.
At this time, we are not accepting direct returns to library staff members during curbside pick-up. However, you may return items in the book or AV drops. As a courtesy to our patrons, the library will not be assessing late fines at this time.
No, not at this time.
We are following the most recent information available from the CDC regarding the recommendations for safe handling of library materials. When library materials are returned they are quarantined for a period of 72 hour before they are either re-shelved or placed into transit.
The green plastic bags are #2 plastic and must be returned to participating drop-off locations such as retail stores for recycling. Download a helpful poster about what’s accepted Store Drop-off. Find a Store Drop-Off location near you.
Interlibrary Loans
Only those with a valid Mercer County Library card can borrow ILL items.
One to three weeks, depending on whether the item is held by a New Jersey library. If it is not, and is only held by a few libraries nationwide, it could take longer than three weeks.
Typically, if you want to request a newly published/released item, we prefer to purchase it rather than loan it from another library. In this case, please use our Suggest for Purchase Form. Otherwise, fill out the ILL Request Form below to request older items from libraries outside our system.
You can request articles, audiobooks on CD and cassette tapes, books, nonfiction blu-rays and DVDs, and microfilms. Be aware that we can only fulfill requests for physical items; audiobooks available at another New Jersey library; nonfiction audiovisual blu-rays and DVDs; and items that we do not already own.
You can request an ILL by filling out the ILL Request Form. Alternatively, you can request an ILL in person at any of our branches or by phone at 609-883-0245.
Typically, there is no charge beyond the $0.10 per page for black and white photocopying. However, some academic and special libraries charge to interlibrary loan items and may charge a higher per page fee for photocopies. We will get your consent before fulfilling a request that requires an additional cost.
There is a limit of three item requests and three copy/scan requests per patron.
Items can be checked out for four weeks. No item is automatically renewable. To determine if a one-time renewal of the item is possible, contact the ILL Office at 609-883-0245 or mclill@mcl.org no later than three days prior to the due date.
ILL requests may take up to four weeks to fully process before they become available.
Technology at the Library
Yes. Please be aware that you will need to log on to the computer. If you have a library card, the username is the barcode found on the back. If you are a visitor, guest passes are available at the reference desk which provides a temporary username. A guest pass allows for one hour of computer time.
Copier printing is ten cents per page. Printing from a public computer costs ten cents per page for black-and-white copies and fifty cents per page for color copies. Note: You can now request to print what you need via our Remote Printing Services. We can print what you need and you can pick it up outside the library. No need to come in!
Yes. Each Branch has a scanner connected to its quick-stop public PC.
Yes. Go to our Wi-Fi Access page for more information and instructions to connect. No library card, username, or password required
MyMCLSNJ App
1. Visit the app store on your device
2. Search for MyMCLSNJ
3. Click “Get” (iPhone) or “Install” (Android)
4. Click “Open” to get to the app
1. Click on the “≡” symbol
2. Click “Sign In”
3. Enter your library card barcode (no spaces)
4. Enter your PIN (last for digits of your phone number)
5. Click “Login”
First, refresh the app by clicking the three lines in the top right to get to your account information. Tap “Preferences”. Swipe to get to the bottom and there will be a button that says “Reload”. Tap it. This will refresh the information. Check to see if the problem was solved. If not, please contact us via the General and Technical Support Form.
