Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. When reserving an item, you can specify that you would like to pick it up on the bookmobile. Be sure to enter your pick-up stop.
Materials checked out at the Library can be returned to the bookmobile and vice versa.
No. The bookmobile has an extended checkout period for DVD borrowing. In addition, if the bookmobile misses a scheduled stop due to mechanical difficulty or severe weather, overdue fines will not be charged. For information about missed stops or schedule changes, please contact the library at 847-392-0100.
The bookmobile carries a wide variety of the latest materials for all ages, including audiobooks, paperbacks, CDs, DVDs, large print books, magazines, and best sellers. Children's materials also include picture books, sights and sounds, and puzzles.
If you are an Arlington Heights cardholder, you can borrow items from other libraries.
- First try searching our LinkIn catalog for items in local libraries. LinkIn is a combined catalog of local libraries. You can request items and have them delivered here.
- When you find the item, click on it
- Click Request This Item
- Provide the required information
- If you can't find it in LinkIn, try searching using My Requests, an electronic system you use to request nationwide.
Items can be delivered from other libraries.
- First try searching our LinkIn catalog for items in local libraries. LinkIn is a combined catalog of local libraries. You can request items and have them delivered here.
- If you can't find it in LinkIn, try searching using My Requests, an electronic system you use to request nationwide.
- You can also Suggest an Item for Purchase.
- If you are in the Library, any public service desk staff will be happy to help you.
- If you are at home, you can use the Quick Chat box to chat with a staff member. Just click Help at the top left side of any screen.
- Select the item you want
- Click the place a hold button
- Enter your last name
- Enter your library barcode
- Choose your pickup location
- Click submit
- Login to My Account using your last name and library card number
- Click on items currently checked out
(you’ll see a list of items and their due dates)
- Click on the boxes of the items you wish to renew
- click the selected items button
You may also renew items at the Checkout Desk or by calling 847-506-2626.
Yes, by using the "cart" feature of the catalog:
- Click on add to cart as often as you'd like
- Click View bookcart
- Click Place holds
- Enter your last name
- Enter your library barcode
- Choose your pickup location
- Click submit
- Click the box next to each item for which you want to place a hold
- Click Request selected
Going on vacation? Do you have items on hold? Use Freeze to keep your place in the hold queue. When you return from vacation, simply remove the freeze from those items to get back in queue. To Freeze a hold item, do the following:
- Log in to My Account
- Click the link under Library Materials indicating how many holds you have
- Scroll down in the window to view all items on hold
- Click the Freeze check box next to each item you wish to freeze
- (The Freeze check box is on the right of the display)
- Click the Update List button
To remove a Freeze from a hold item, do the following:
- Log in to My Account
- Click the link under Library Materials indicating how many holds you have
- Scroll down in the window to view all items on hold
- Uncheck the Freeze check box next to each item you wish to unfreeze
- (The Freeze check box is on the right of the display)
- Click the Update List button
Keyword Searching
Unless you choose the advanced search functions, you are searching by keyword. What you type in the search box is searched for exactly as you typed it. Unsure about spelling? Use an asterisk. If you type "wom*n," the catalog finds women or woman. You may use "and," "or," and "not" to further refine your search: - soviet and Russian (finds records where both words appear) - soviet or Russia (finds records where either word appears) - Mexico not new (finds records including Mexico but not New Mexico)
Searching by Subject
Type as much or as little of the subject as you want: - sports medicine - sports med - sports. If your subject search is for a person, type the last name first - Lincoln, Abraham.
Searching by Title
For this search to work, you must know the first word of the title. Type as much or as little of the title as you want: - Merchant of Venice - Merchant of V - Merchant. Note: If you do not know the first word, try Keyword searching.
Searching by Call Number
Type the first character of the call number, followed by as many characters of the call number that you want. Call number search results will display only those items beginning with the first character typed. Dvd/comedy will not bring up han/dvd/comedy.
Searching by Author
Type the author's or artist's last name first: - Shakespeare - Shakespeare, William - Sinatra, Frank - Beethoven. You may also type the name of an organization or governmental body: - American Medical Association - United States Congress.
- There are over 60 desktop computers you can use
- In addition, there are laptop computers for you to use in the Library
- Adults can sign in at the Welcome Desk
- Kids can sign in at the Kids' World Desk
- Kids' World computers have filtered Internet access
- Five black and white printers and one color printer are available for public printing
- There is a fee for printing
- 5 cents/black and white page
- $1/color page
- You can get a print card from the Welcome Desk
- You can add funds to your library card to use for printing
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
- See our computer class schedule.
- Computer classes are taught by subject matter experts
- A fee may be charged for courses taught by outside professionals
- Sign up online, at the Reception Desk on the second level, or by calling 847-392-0100.
Sure!
- Text 265010
- Start your first message with ahmlq:[your message]
For example:
ahmlq: weather in denver
ahmlq: motorola closing price 7/25/2007
From that point on, send and receive messages as you normally would (you won't need the "ahmlq:" part)
While we're used to dealing with almost any topic, the message-length restrictions for text messaging means that it is best suited for "quick" answers.
2G2BT? NW! (Need a text message shorthand translator? Check out netlingo.com.)
If you have recently changed your email address, we may not have the current address for you. Some
Internet service providers may identify email coming from the Library as bulk
or "spam" email. If you are able to set personalized settings for
your email "bulk mail" preferences, you need to be sure you can
receive mail coming from: circadm@iii.ahml.info. It is your responsibility to ensure
that email notices from the Library can be delivered to you. The Library is committed to maintaining the highest privacy standards for its patrons. Your email address will be used only as a means of communicating with you regarding your account.
If an email sent to you is returned to the Library as undeliverable, the Library will remove your email address from your patron account. At that time, until a new, valid email address is provided, Date Due Reminders will be discontinued and the Library will resume notifying you of reserve pick-up availability by telephone and overdue items by postal mail. Your personal email account
If you share an email address with others, please be aware that notices sent to this email address may be read by anyone using the account. - Date Due Reminders will be sent to your email address 2 days before an item is
due.
- Reserve Pick-Up Notices will be sent via email and will replace telephone
calls to notify you when a reserved item is ready for pick-up.
- First and second Overdue Notices will
be sent to your email address.
Final Notices for non-returned, billed items
will NOT be sent via email. They will continue to be sent as mailed notices to
your home street address. Date Due Reminders, Reserve
Pick-Up Notices, and Overdue Notices can be delivered to your email address. - Simply enter your email address when applying for your card.
- If you have a card but are not receiving reminders, log into My Account, click the modify email address button under the account information heading, and enter your email address.
If you have recently changed your email address, we may not have the current address for you. Some
Internet service providers may identify email coming from the Library as bulk
or "spam" email. If you are able to set personalized settings for
your email "bulk mail" preferences, you need to be sure you can
receive mail coming from: circadm@iii.ahml.info. It is your responsibility to ensure
that email notices from the Library can be delivered to you. - Date Due Reminders will be sent to your email address 2 days before an item is
due.
- Reserve Pick-Up Notices will be sent via email and will replace telephone
calls to notify you when a reserved item is ready for pick-up.
- First and second Overdue Notices will
be sent to your email address.
Final Notices for non-returned, billed items
will NOT be sent via email. They will continue to be sent as mailed notices to
your home street address. Date Due Reminders, Reserve
Pick-Up Notices, and Overdue Notices can be delivered to your email address. - Simply enter your email address when applying for your card.
- If you have a card but are not receiving reminders, log into My Account, click the modify email address button under the account information heading, and enter your email address.
If you believe there is an error on your account, please call the Checkout Desk at 847-506-2626, where a Clerk will help you with your concern.
- Online – Log in under My Account, select your charges, and then click the "Pay" button We accept Mastercard or Visa for online payment
- In person at the Checkout or Returns Desks We accept cash, a personal check, Mastercard or Visa
- On the bookmobile We accept cash or a personal check
- You will be charged the cost of the item at the time it was acquired by us
- If the lost item is a part of a set, you will be charged for the cost of the entire set
- You will be charged for lost containers of borrowed items
- We will refund the money for a lost item if it is returned within 60 days of the item's due date. We will not refund the overdue fines incurred.
If you have recently changed your email address, we may not have the current address for you. Some
Internet service providers may identify email coming from the Library as bulk
or "spam" email. If you are able to set personalized settings for
your email "bulk mail" preferences, you need to be sure you can
receive mail coming from: circadm@iii.ahml.info. It is your responsibility to ensure
that email notices from the Library can be delivered to you. The Library is committed to maintaining the highest privacy standards for its patrons. Your email address will be used only as a means of communicating with you regarding your account.
If an email sent to you is returned to the Library as undeliverable, the Library will remove your email address from your patron account. At that time, until a new, valid email address is provided, Date Due Reminders will be discontinued and the Library will resume notifying you of reserve pick-up availability by telephone and overdue items by postal mail. Your personal email account
If you share an email address with others, please be aware that notices sent to this email address may be read by anyone using the account. - Date Due Reminders will be sent to your email address 2 days before an item is
due.
- Reserve Pick-Up Notices will be sent via email and will replace telephone
calls to notify you when a reserved item is ready for pick-up.
- First and second Overdue Notices will
be sent to your email address.
Final Notices for non-returned, billed items
will NOT be sent via email. They will continue to be sent as mailed notices to
your home street address. Date Due Reminders, Reserve
Pick-Up Notices, and Overdue Notices can be delivered to your email address. - Simply enter your email address when applying for your card.
- If you have a card but are not receiving reminders, log into My Account, click the modify email address button under the account information heading, and enter your email address.
- Apply online or in person at the Library Card Desk on the first floor
- Proof of residence is required
A card can be issued after you have shown a photo ID containing your current incorporated Arlington Heights address. For example:
- Illinois driver’s license
- Illinois ID card
If the address on the photo ID is not current, you must additionally show one of the following:
- mortgage papers/lease/renter's agreement verifying current residency
- a utility bill or first-class mail postmarked within the last two weeks
- Visitors to our library can use another Illinois public library card
- To register a card from another library, you'll need to show your current home library card and a photo ID verifying current home address
- Some services are available only to AHML cardholders
- You may also be eligible to purchase a dual service card
- Call us (847-506-2626) within 48 hours
We will stop all account activity
- If you find your card later, show your Illinois driver's license or Illinois ID card at the Checkout Desk and we'll reactivate it
- Yes. Bring Proof of residence to the Library Card Registration Desk on the first floor of the Library
- Children under the age of 18 must have a parent fill out and sign an application form to receive a replacement card
- A free replacement card will be issued once per calendar year. Additional replacement cards are $1 per card
The following services are available only to AHML cardholders:
- checking out Here & Now materials
- checking out materials in new, developing collections
- reserving library items
- requesting items through interlibrary loan
- using laptop computers
- You may be able to purchase a dual service card for our library at a rate determined by your most recent paid property tax bill or your monthly paid rent.
- A dual service card provides the same limits / privileges as any other cardholder at our library.
- Contact the Checkout Desk at 847-506-2626 for more information.
- Yes. Business cards provide access to library services and materials that support their business
- Up to three employees may be authorized to use the card
- To apply for a card, provide the following information on your business' letterhead:
the nature of your business
the names of the three employees authorized to use the business card
- Submit the request to: Circulation Services Department, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004
For children under age 18 a parent or guardian must indicate which borrowing option they want for their child. The options are:
- Full Service Card All library items and services are available to the child
- Under 17 Card All items and services, except for R-rated or unrated DVDs and videos, are available to the child This restricted option expires the month following his/her 17th birthday
- Under 12 Card Borrowing privileges are limited to the Kids' World collection Internet access is restricted to the filtered computers in Kids' World This restricted option expires the month following his/her 12th birthday
- Card holders can have 100 items checked out at any given time
- In addition, there is a borrowing limit for certain formats. See a the Loan Periods and Fines table for details.
- Visitors (people using a library card from another library) can check out 10 items at any one time.
Visitors cannot check out Here & Now items or items from developing collections
- We may set temporary limits on items from time to time
- You may place a hold on items if you are a cardholder.
- You may place up to 6 items on hold per day.
- All items, except for Here & Now items or items from other local libraries that are already checked out, can be put on hold
Arlington Heights cardholders may renew items twice, except for:
- Here & Now items
- Items that are on hold for someone else
- Book discussion sets
- Book discussion titles
- Renewal limits on items borrowed from other libraries are set by the lending library
Each renewal is for a one or two additional weeks period, depending on the item.
Visitors (people using a library card from another library) may not renew items.
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