FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 


Questions About Your Account:

FREE borrowers cards are available to anyone who owns property or permanently resides in Mobile County, has a Mobile County business license, or is a student living in Mobile County to attend a college or university.

Mobile Public Library offers free library cards to our neighbors in Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Escambia and Conecuh counties. A $20 per year fee is charged for residents outside this area.

Temporary cards are also issued for those in special circumstances residing temporarily in the area - shipboard, group home or military base residents, evacuees, relief workers.

Complete an application form and present one piece of positive ID and proof of your current permanent home address at the check-out desk of any Mobile Public Library location or on the Bookmobile.

Temporary cards can be issued to area residents online. Find the link to the online form on the Library Cards page.

To see a list of acceptable IDs and Proof of Addresses go to our Library Cards page.

Your PIN is given to you when you get a library card and is used to login to your library account online.

Forgot you PIN?

  • If you have your library card number (the barcode number on your library card) you can go to My Account in the online Library Catalog and select "Forgot my PIN" on the login window. Enter your library card number and an email will be sent to the email address on file for that library card's record. Follow the link in the email to reset your PIN.
  • Also, with your library card number, you can call any Mobile Public Library location and we will give you your PIN. We will ask some basic questions to make sure we are talking to the person responsible for the library card.
  • If you have lost your card, you can come to any Mobile Public Library Location and, with a photo ID, we will give you a new library card and your PIN.

Once a year we will ask you to confirm your contact information and we will renew your account for another year. If your account has reached its expire date without that confirmation being done, your account's status will change to expired and you will not be able to renew, download or request holds.

You can call any of the library locations and ask us to renew your account or you can ask the next time you visit.

If you have given us your email, we will send you a notice 30 days before you privilege expires, so you will be able to contact us at your convenience.

A hold may be placed on most items in the library’s collection (except Launchpads, Hotspots, Chromebooks and Toys).

Holds may be placed in person at any Mobile Public Library location, by phone, and through the online catalog.

For detailed instructions on how to place and edit a hold online go to our Placing Holds page.

You can suggest we purchase an item we don't have in our collection or you can request we borrow materials for you from other libraries in the country (Interlibrary Loan).
  • Fill out the Material Purchase Suggestion form online or at any library location.
  • Fill out the Interlibrary Loan Request form online or at any library location.

Go to our Loan Periods page for a complete list of the loan periods for the various items the library offers.

You can renewal most physical items up to 10 times, unless the item has been requested by another library patron. Launchpads can only be renewed once. Chromebooks and Hotspots are not available for renewal.

There are three ways to renew:

  • Request in person at any Mobile Public Library location
  • By phone
  • Log in to My Account online.

Every renewal of an item with a checkout fee will apply that fee to your library account and can be paid on My Account online the next time you visit any library location.

You can return Mobile Public Library materials to any of the Mobile Public Library locations. We will get the item to its home location for you.

There are multiple ways to pay charges on your library account:

  • Pay Online by logging in to My Account (only if your fines and fees total $1 or more.)
  • Visit any Mobile Public Library location
  • Send a check or money order for the exact amount and your Library Card number to:
    Ben May Main Library
    Circulation
    701 Government St.
    Mobile, AL 36602

To see a list of possible library charges go to the Library Fines & Fees page


Questions About the Library:

All the Mobile Public Library locations have computers with internet access and printers for public use. The Library also provides wireless internet at all locations. No library card is required.

Color printing is available at most locations. Go to your location's page to see what services are available at that location.

Internet and computer access is free.
Printing is $.10 per black and white page and $.50 per color page.

Patrons can request 3D prints from the Mobile Public Library's 3D printer.

The printer can be used to make three-dimensional objects using plastic filament.

The library will charge a small amount for every gram of filament used.

Go the Maker Lab page to learn more.

Most of the library locations can send faxes. Go to your location's page to see what services are available at that location.

Sending a fax to local, long distance and toll-free numbers is $1 per page. Cover pages are free.

The library will not receive faxes for the public.

The library welcomes the use of its meeting rooms by nonprofit businesses, groups, and organizations.

Most locations have a meeting room which is available for public use. Arrangements must be made directly with the location whose room you wish to use. You are welcome to come in and look at the facility to determine whether or not it is appropriate for your meeting.

Go to the Library Meeting Rooms page for more information.

We offer free proctoring by Librarians and reference staff at some of our library locations.

Please contact, in advance, the Reference Staff at your chosen location to schedule a time convenient for you.

All of the library locations have scanning available, either from their fax machine or the copier, for free.

All employees of the Library are hired from lists provided by the Mobile County Personnel Board.

Go to our Work For Us page to learn more and see if applications are currently being accepted.