Books & Things

For how long can I borrow a book?
I’m going away for the summer – can I still take out books from the library?
What else, besides books, can I borrow?
How many books can I take out at a time?
Can I renew my books?
Can I renew my books more than once?
Can I renew online?
How get I get a book that you don’t have in your collection?
How do I reserve books from home?
Can I reserve magazines from home?
Can I be notified by email?
How can I look up new books?
My child is doing a school report – is there a limit to the number of books I can take out for this?
If I call for information about my account, do I need my card?
Does the library have a book drop? If so, when is it open and what can I put in it?
When does the library empty the book drop
Do I have to return books at the library I took them out from?
Do you accept book donations?
Can I get books in languages other than English?
If I return books late, is there a fine?
I found a really overdue book when I was cleaning and I’m afraid to return it because the fines will be too high.
What should I do if I lose a book?
What if I damage a book?

For how long can I borrow a book?

Most books can be borrowed for three weeks and renewed twice in three week increments if there are no holds (for a total of nine weeks). If there are no holds, your book (and all other renewable items) will automatically renew).

I’m going away for the summer – can I still take out books from the library?

If you’ll be out of town during the summer for an extended period, you can still take free reading material with you. Books that are older than 6 months are eligible for Summer Loan; they won’t be due back until after Labor Day.  Just let us know at checkout.

What else, besides books, can I borrow?

Magazines, audio books on CD, DVDs, music CDs and large print books are all available for borrowing. Additionally, you can access digital content from home including movies, ebooks, eaudiobooks, comics, music, and more, using Hoopla, Kanopy, and Libby.

How many books can I take out at a time?

There’s no limit to the number of books or other materials that you can take out at any given time. We ask that you take good care of them and return them on time to avoid replacement fines. Can’t find what you need?  You can also place reserves on books in other libraries in the Mid-Hudson service area.

Can I renew my books?

Anything you borrow from the library may be renewed twice as long as there are no reserves on that item. The renewal period is identical to the initial borrowing period, so if it’s a DVD that is borrowed for one week, the renewal period is also one week.  If there are no holds on the item, it will renew automatically giving you one less thing to worry about.  Materials with no holds will renew automatically.

Can I renew my books more than once?

Two renewals is the limit at the East Fishkill Library. For a standard book, that will give you nine weeks. After the renewal period is over, the book has to come back to the library for at least 24 hours before it goes out to the same patron again. This is allows library resources to be available to everyone on an equitable basis.

Can I renew online?

Yes you can, but know that if you do nothing, all books without holds will renew automatically.  However, you can always go to your account and take a look.

How get I get a book that you don’t have in your collection?

You can place a reserve on almost any item in the catalog. If we don’t own it, one of the libraries that does will send it to us and we’ll contact you when it gets here. If no other library in the system has the item, let us know and we’ll look into buying it or borrowing from outside the MHLS.

How do I reserve books from home?

You can reserve books, DVDs, music, audio books and more from home. Go to “Log In” from the online catalog or “My Account” from the library home page and follow the instructions. You won’t be able to place a hold if you owe more than $10 in fines, however, you can pay online using a credit card. This will clear your record and allow you to place your hold. If you dispute the charge, please contact the library.

Can I reserve magazines from home?

Unfortunately, no; you can’t place a reserve on a specific magazine issue from home. However, you can ask a librarian to do that for you. If you’re looking for a specific article, you can check the databases to see if the full text or image is available online.  And you have many digital magazines to choose through OverDrive.  You can find them in the catalog or you can search here:

Can I be notified by email?

You can choose to be notified by email, text, or phone. Just let us know your preference or, you can log into your account and change the notification preference yourself.

How can I look up new books?

You can create very specific searches by using “Advanced Search” right under the search bar. The search feature of the catalog is a very powerful tool and it takes some practice to master it. If you run into any problems, call us and we’ll help you.

My child is doing a school report – is there a limit to the number of books I can take out for this?

There’s no limit to how many books you or your child can take out on a specific topic.  If all of the books on your topic are in use, we can borrow what you need from other libraries in the MHLS service area.

If I call for information about my account, do I need my card?

In order to protect your privacy, we will always ask you for your library card number. We take your privacy very seriously and go to great lengths to protect your right to read anything without anyone else knowing specifics. This even extends to your family members.

Does the library have a book drop? If so, when is it open and what can I put in it?

The East Fishkill Community Library has a drive-up book drop in front of the south entrance. The book drop is always open because we understand that sometimes you just need to get your errands done as quickly and conveniently as possible. Every type of library material can be deposited into the book drop, including materials from other Mid-Hudson libraries.

When do you empty the book drop?

We empty the book drop every morning, but we always back date the return. So, for example, if your book is due Wednesday and you return it in the book drop on Wednesday after we close, it will be on time even though we don’t check your book back in until Thursday morning. Everything that we check in from the book drop on Thursday morning is back dated to Wednesday.

Do I have to return books at the library I took them out from?

No and yes.  You can return most materials to any library in the system.  But sometimes, specific items, such as Kindles or American Girl dolls, must be returned to the library from which you borrowed them.  These are clearly labeled.

Do you accept book donations?

The Friends of the Library accepts book donations on specific dates which are posted on the Library’s calendar, webpage and the Friends Facebook page.

Can I get books in languages other than English?

East Fishkill Community Library doesn’t carry books in other languages, except for foreign language dictionaries and tutorials. However, by using the “Advanced Search” feature in the catalog you can limit your search to specific languages that are held in the collection of other MHLS member libraries. You can then place a reserve on the items that interest you.

If I return books late, is there a fine?

Almost all of the libraries in the MHLS, including EFCL, do not charge overdue fines, however fees will be assessed to your account if items are lost, damaged, or are returned missing part.

I found a really overdue book when I was cleaning and I’m afraid to return it because the fines will be too high.

You won’t owe any overdue fines on the book, no matter how long you’ve kept it out.  However, if the book has been out for too long, we will charge you for its loss.  If you have financial difficulties, come talk to us.

What should I do if I lose a book?

Let us know as soon as possible that you may have lost or damaged a book. If it’s lost, we’ll extend the due date to give you additional time to try to locate it. If it turns up, no problem.  Once a book is lost, we will probably ask you to pay for it as well as some additional processing fees.

What if I damage a book?

If you damage a book our first approach will be to see if we can repair it. If not, we’ll most likely ask you to pay for the book as well as some additional processing fees.