Patrons can contact Library staff via chat from the Library’s homepage or by phoning 309.828.6091.
Patrons can contact the library via email if preferred.
Visit, Get a Card, for information about obtaining a library card from Bloomington Public Library (Illinois).
To keep patron accounts secure, a Password/PIN is assigned to each patron account. Passwords/PINs are set up at the time a library card is issued. If a patron doesn’t know their Password/PIN, a good rule of thumb is to try inputting the last 4 digits of their phone number.
A patron who need to reset their Password/PIN can visit My Account, enter their library card number in the appropriate field, and click Forgot Password. A link which will allow the patron to reset their Password will be sent to the email address on file for the associated card number.
All library cards are valid for three years.
Renew In Person:
If your library card has expired, please bring the card and proof of your current address with you to the Library or to any Bookmobile stop to renew your card.
Renew Online:
Snap a picture of your photo ID and current address after covering your license number. Email the image to getacard@bloomingtonlibrary.org. Staff will renew your card and reply with an updated expiration date. Please note: Online renewals will only be granted Monday-Friday. Renewal requests received after the library closes on Friday will be granted on Monday.
A replacement library card can be secured upon provision of a valid photo ID and proof of current address to staff at either the Library’s Circulation Desk or at any Bookmobile stop. There may be a minimal charge to replace a library card.
If your library card is lost or stolen, please report it immediately to 309.828.6091. You are responsible for any items checked out or fees accrued on your card until it has been reported to the Library as lost or stolen.
For more information, visit Cardholder Responsibilities.
To checkout library materials, a cardholder may visit the Library, may visit any Bookmobile stop, or may download and/or stream content from the Library’s online offerings.
Physical Materials
Patrons visiting the Library in person will find self-service checkout stations in the Adult Services Department, the Children’s Services Department, and near the Circulation Desk. To checkout using a self-service station, the patron will need their library card number and Password. Patrons without this information should visit the Circulation Desk for assistance.
Downloadable and Streaming Materials
With a Bloomington Public Library card, patrons can download eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eMusic. Patrons can also stream eMovies, eFilms, and eVideos. Visit Download and Stream to get started.
By visiting their library account online or using the MyLibrary! App, a patron can renew an item if it’s eligible for renewal and check an item’s renewal status.
Automatic renewals apply to all Bloomington Public Library items which are eligible for renewal.
Items are not eligible for renewal if another patron has placed the item on hold; if the item has already been renewed three times (the renewal limit); if the item is on loan from another library; if the item is in the Library’s 7-Day Loan collection; or if the item was downloaded and/or meant to be streamed from the Library’s eCollection.
If an item does not automatically renew, the patron will receive a reminder notification two days before the item is due. This reminder will arrive via either text or email, based on the notification method chosen by the patron.
Patrons can place Library materials on hold as a means of waiting in line for a particular item to be returned.
A patron is allowed a maximum of 15 hold requests on their account at one time.
Using the patron’s preferred method of notification — phone, text, or email — Library staff will attempt to notify patrons when hold items become available. Patrons can also visit their Library account to check the status of hold requests.
At the Main Library building and Drive-Up, holds will be reserved for a patron for a maximum of 7 days.
On the Bookmobile, holds are reserved for the patron until the patron’s next regularly scheduled stop.
Place a Hold Using the Website or App
Patrons can visit the Library’s catalog online or use the MyLibrary! App to place an item on hold. The patron will search the catalog for the desired item and then click the Place Hold button displayed on the screen. A patron placing an item on hold will need to designate if they would like to pick the item up at the Main Library, Drive-Up, or on the Bookmobile. Patrons placing items on hold using the online catalog will also need their library card number and Password. Patrons without this information can visit the Circulation Desk for assistance.
Place a Hold by Phone or In Person
Patrons can call the Library at 309.828.6091 and ask that an item be placed on hold, or they can visit the Library in person and ask a staff member to place an item on hold.
If a patron does not find an item they’re looking for in the Library’s catalog, they can request that the Library purchase the item. Library staff will either purchase the item and add it to the catalog, or they’ll request to borrow the item from another library (Interlibrary Loan).
When an item is borrowed using Interlibrary Loan, Bloomington Library requests the item from a partnering library and borrows it on the patron’s behalf. The patron picks the item up at Bloomington Library, and later returns the item to Bloomington Library. Bloomington Library staff then return the item to the owning library.
To request that materials be purchased or borrowed, visit Request an Item.
Bloomington Library cannot currently accept online payment for fees. For the foreseeable future, fees will need to be paid in person at the Check Out Desk on the library's first floor or at the Help Desk on the library's second floor. Fees may also be paid over the phone using a debit card or credit card. The number to call is 309.590.6120.
A Library on wheels, the Bookmobile makes 45-50 stops on a three-week rotation. At each stop, approximately 3,000 circulating items — bestselling fiction, nonfiction, large print books, audiobooks, CDs, movies on Blu-Ray and DVD, video games, and magazines — are available and can be borrowed by patrons.
More information about the Bookmobile and its schedule is available.
The Library's Community Rooms, Conference Room, Study Rooms, Recording Studios, and Innovation Stations are available to be reserved by individuals or groups and organizations for events and activities in accord with the mission of the library — To provide our diverse community with a helpful and welcoming place that offers equal access to the world of ideas and information and supports lifelong learning. The Library reserves the right to deny any reservation based on its compatibility with the Library’s mission.
To reserve any of the available rooms, please visit Reserve a Room.
To reserve an Innovation Station you must be certified to use some equipment.
Bloomington Library's Innovation Lab offers the community hands-on experiences working with innovative technologies. The Lab is equipped with 3D printers, a laser engraver, a Cricut cutting machine, sewing machines, an embroidery machine, a T-shirt press, a photography light box, a drawing tablet, and more. Computers in the Innovation Lab can access subscriptions to Adobe Creative Cloud and Fusion 360 (3D printer design software).
The 3D printers, sewing machines, embroidery machine, T-shirt press, Cricut cutting machine, and Laser Engraver require patrons to complete a certification class before reserving and using the equipment. Request an appointment to become certified. There are 4 certification courses and you need to submit a new form for each course you would like to take. If a piece of lab equipment is not listed on the certification class form, that means it does not require certification to use.
While visiting the Library, patrons can use the Library’s Wi-Fi, desktop computers, and laptop computers without charge. Those wishing to use the Library’s computers must have a valid library card or a valid eCard.
More information about using a Library computer or using the Library’s free Wi-Fi, is available online.
Self-serve copying, printing, scanning, and sending of faxes is available to patrons who visit the Adult Services Department.
For information about these services, visit Copy, Print, Scan, & Fax.
Patrons seeking help researching genealogy should visit Genealogy Assistance.
Patrons seeking assistance with other library resources should request a 1-on-1 appointment with a staff member.
The Library offers a variety of free and discounted passes to cultural venues throughout the state, including the local Miller Park Zoo. Visit Passes to Attractions for more information.
Thank you for your interest in donating to Bloomington Public Library.
More information about donating is available.