Borrow

How to Get a Library Card

Kingston residents, as well as residents of non-Old Colony Library Network (OCLN) towns, can get a Kingston library card. Simply fill out an application at the Circulation Desk and provide proof of your current address and a picture ID. We require a parent or guardian signature for children aged 17 and under.

  • If you registered for a card online while the Library was closed, stop by and pick up your card! Bring your picture ID and proof of current address, and you'll have your card in a snap.

How to Replace a Library Card

If you need to replace your Library card, please visit the Circulation Desk. You will be requested to provide your name and address and pay a replacement fee of $1.

Email Notification

If your email address is included in your library account, the Library will send notices of overdues, fines, or availability of reserves to that address. Please be sure it is an address you check regularly and note that we will contact you either by phone or by email, but not both.

Text Notification

The Library can also send text messages in addition to calling or emailing you with information about your account. To sign up for this enhancement, log in to "My Account," select "Contact Information," choose "Update my text message address" and follow the directions.

Borrowing Policy

The Kingston Public Library is a member of the Old Colony Library Network. Anyone with an OCLN card may borrow materials. If you live in one of the 26 towns of the Old Colony Library Network, please register for your card at your hometown library. Please carry your library card for the fastest and smoothest service!

Loan Periods, Fees, & Fines

  • Books, CDs, and magazines circulate for 2 weeks and have an overdue fine of 5 cents per item per day. DVDs circulate for 2 weeks. Language kits (book and tape sets) circulate for 2 weeks.
  • Most Museum Passes circulate for 24 hours and have an overdue fine of $5 per pass per day.
  • Library of Things items circulate for 2 weeks and do not renew. An overdue charge of $1 per day will be charged up to a maximum of $10, unless later than 30 days patrons may be charged up to $100 in fines.

Renewing Material

Most items (except museum passes and Library of Things) are renewed in automatically as long as no one else is waiting for the same material. 

Automatic Renewal

If you have a Kingston Public Library card, your account is set up for automatic renewal. If you wish, you can opt out of this service by changing the preferences in your account.

How Does Automatic Renewal Work?

  • Most items (Books, DVDs, CDs, Magazines) will be automatically renewed
  • If you owe $15 or more your automatic renewal will be declined
  • You will receive an email to notify you of successful renewals
  • You will receive an email or text notice for items that were not renewed

What Items Are Excluded?

  • Electronic download items (ebooks, e-audiobooks, etc.)
  • Some new high-demand titles and items on hold for other patrons
  • Items that have reached their maximum renewal limit (usually 2)
  • Some physical objects (Rokus, Hotspots, etc.) and similar items
  • Materials borrowed through the Commonwealth Catalog
  • Library of Things items

Returning Material

All items should be returned at the Circulation Desk when the Library is open. When the Library is closed, use the book drop at the entrance.

You may return material from other OCLN libraries to the Kingston Public Library. These will be checked in on the day you return them. Items we have borrowed for you from other libraries must be returned to the Kingston Public Library.

How To Place A Hold

Items Held by Members of the Old Colony Library Network

You can place a request to transfer books and other items that you find in the online catalog to our library. You can do this from home, at one of the online catalogs in the library, or with the assistance of a librarian. To do this yourself, you will need your library card number, also referred to as the user ID, and a PIN. The PIN is 'OCLN,' unless you have changed it. You can find a link to our online catalog here and sign in at the top of the page. Once you have placed a hold on an item, the first available copy in the network will be sent to the library that you have selected in the holds process as your pickup library. When the library receives the item, you will be notified by either phone, email, or text. Please be aware that other libraries may have different loan periods or overdue fines than we do.

Items not held by members of the Old Colony Library Network

If the item you want is not in our network, you can still request it through the Commonwealth Catalog or our Inter-library loan (ILL) service. Please visit the Reference Desk for help, or call us at 781-585-0517, ext. 6272. Please be aware that other libraries may have different loan periods or overdue fines than we do.

Costs to Patrons

While patrons are not usually assessed charges for interlibrary loan material, if significant charges are involved with the acquisition of material, those charges will be passed on to the borrower. No charge will be levied without prior authorization from the borrower.

Patron Responsibilities

Patrons should provide a complete citation for the desired item. Materials must be returned by the due date; renewals may be requested before the due date. Patrons are liable for all fines accrued.

Limits to InterLibrary Loan

The Kingston Public Library reserves the right to limit the number of materials requested for one patron at any one time. Some items may be used only at the Reference Desk. Interlibrary Loan service will be limited or suspended for patrons who repeatedly fail to pick up requested interlibrary loan materials or return materials by the due date or who damage or deface interlibrary loan materials.

Purchase Suggestions

If you think the Library's collection would benefit from owning a particular item we encourage you to suggest a purchase. Your input is important to us. Please understand that funding is finite and we may not elect to purchase every suggestion.

If you have a purchase suggestion you can complete a form at the Circulation Desk. Please include the author's name and the title of the work. Supplying us with the publisher, date of publication, cost, ISBN, and format (book, tape, CD, etc.) will help us better identify an item.

If you don't have a specific title in mind, you can also suggest areas of the collection that you would like to see developed (books about yoga or digital photography, for example.) Please provide your name and phone number or email address so that we can let you know when the item arrives.