Library Cards

Chelmsford Residents
Please bring in some form of identification with your Chelmsford address. Examples of this are:

• driver's license
• utility bill addressed to you

Massachusetts Residents
If you reside in a town which is a member of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium you must obtain a card from your home town library. This card can then be used at the Chelmsford Public Library, along with any other MVLC library. List of Merrimack Valley Library Consortium members

All other Massachusetts residents can bring the card from their local library to the Chelmsford Library, and we will add that library card number to our system.

Out of State Residents
Out of state residents may obtain a Chelmsford Library card after paying a yearly, individual fee of $75.

Lost Library Cards
If you lose or damage your library card, it can be replaced free of charge. Please bring one of the forms of identification listed above.

Loan Terms

Materials for Loan and their Loan Terms

• Books (3 weeks)
• Fast Track books (1 week), with a limit of 1 per patron
• Periodicals (1 week)
• Videos (1 week)
• CD-Roms (1 week, limit 3 per patron)
• DVDs and VCDs (1 week)
• J DVDs (1 week) (J DVDs are located in the children's room)
• CDs (3 weeks)
• Video games (1 week, limit 1 per patron)
• LeapFrog kits (1 week, limit 1 per patron)
• Reference Materials may not be checked out

Renewals

You can renew materials using the MVLC online catalog, or by calling the circulation desk at 978-256-5521, ext. 2 - be sure to have your library card number ready.

Items that cannot be renewed:

• Items on reserve for another patron
• Museum passes
• Fast Track books
• CD-Roms
• LeapFrog Kits
• Video games

Fines

• The Library no longer charges fines for overdue materials.
• However, patrons are still responsible for returning overdue materials and are responsible for lost or damaged materials.
• For lost or damaged items, the Library must be reimbursed for the value of the item.

Using your library card number, you can place a reserve on library materials in the following ways:

• Reserve materials via the MVLC online catalog
• Call the circulation desk at 978-256-5521, ext. 2
• Visit the circulation desk

You will be notified when the item(s) arrive.

Interlibrary Loan

The Chelmsford Public Library can obtain items for you from other Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) libraries as well as books from other United States libraries.

• MVLC books usually arrive within a week to 10 days, while books not owned by MVLC libraries may take up to 6 weeks to arrive.
• Some university libraries charge fees.
• NOTE: recently released videos, genealogies and reference materials will not be loaned.