Library Cards & Borrowing

Library Cards

New cards are available at no charge to all residents of the Acorn Public Library District. The District includes Oak Forest and segments of Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Midlothian, Orland Park, and Tinley Park. Please visit the Circulation Desk or Contact Us with any questions.

Sign up for a temporary card today! You can now register for an online-only library card that will grant you access to our eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming services, and research databases. For more information visit this link.

To provide proof of residency within the District, you will need to bring either:

• A valid government issued photo ID with current address
  -or-
• A valid government issued photo ID and a document bearing your name and current address (e.g, utility bill, mortgage, lease, property deed, most recent property tax bill, voter registration card, or vehicle registration).

Photo IDs and documents proving residency must be originals; photocopies will not be accepted.

Library cards will be issued to individuals ages 17 and younger with the signature of the parent or legal guardian with whom they reside and who meets the residency requirement.

Owners and officers of local businesses within the District are entitled to one library card at no cost. Please access the policy for details.

Library cards will not be issued later than 30 minutes before closing.

Lost or Expired Cards

Proof of residency is required to replace both lost and expired cards. Expired cards are renewed at no charge. The replacement fee for lost cards is $1.00.

Borrowing

• You may use your Acorn Public Library card at all SWAN libraries—including most public libraries in the south and west suburbs.
• You may borrow up to 100 items total at one time.
• Only 3 video games per card may be checked out at a time.
• Only 10 DVDs and TV Series may be checked out at a time.
• Items can be renewed at the Library, by telephone, or through the online catalog. When renewing by phone, please have your Library card available.

We honor all SWAN library cards in good standing. Any Illinois resident may create a reciprocal card for use at the Acorn Public Library.

Loan Periods

The library is fine free. Fines still apply for Hotspots, Tablets, Streaming Media Devices, and the Library of Things.

Reserves & Interlibrary Loan

• If a book or other item is checked out, we can reserve it for you. Please ask at the Reference Desk or Contact Us for assistance.
• If Acorn does not own a particular item, we may be able to borrow it for you from another library. Magazine issues and articles can also be requested from other libraries. Please ask at the Reference Desk or Contact Us for assistance.
• Only Acorn Public Library Cardholders may reserve new fiction DVDs, Streaming Media Devices, and video games. There are no reserves for items classified as Hot Copy.
• You can search the online catalog and place your own holds at the Library and at home through our online catalog. To cancel a hold, please contact the Library.
• Reference materials, current issues of periodicals, new fiction DVDs, video games, and streaming media devices are not available through ILL requests both inside and outside the SWAN consortium.
• View the Interlibrary Loan Policy.

Returning Materials

Materials may be returned to the Circulation Desk or the Youth Services Desk during business hours. The drive-up book drop is located in the south parking lot, and can be accessed at any time. Streaming media devices can only be checked out from and returned directly to the Acorn Public Library District. Returning streaming media devices or WiFi Hotspots to any other library but Acorn Public Library District will result in a $10.00 charge.

eBooks

The Library’s eBooks and eAudiobooks can be downloaded to your tablet, smartphone, or computer. Visit our eBooks & eMagazines page for more information and instructions. Please stop by the Reference Desk or Contact Us with any questions.

Lost or Damaged Library Materials

If an item is reported lost, the patron will be charged the cost of the item, plus technical services processing fee ($1.00 for periodicals, $5.00 for all other items). The cost of lost material will be determined by the cost listed in the owning Library’s database or by the price charged by the Library’s primary collection development service. Replacement items are not accepted. If the item is subsequently returned within one month, the amount paid will be refunded upon presentation of a valid receipt. The patron, however, is responsible for all overdue fines incurred from the original date the item was due until the date on which he/she paid for it, or the date on which it was reported lost.

If there is damage to library material cases or barcodes, the patron will be charged $1.00 per CD case, DVD/videogame case, and barcode; $2.00 per audiobook case; and $10.00 per streaming media device case.

If library material is judged by a department supervisor to be damaged beyond repair and unsuitable for further circulation, the patron shall be charged the price of the item as listed in the owning Library’s database or by the Library’s primary collection development service, plus the technical services processing fee. Replacement items may be accepted with the approval of the Library Director.