Fill out and print a library card application (in English or en Español) and bring it into your local branch or apply online for a temporary card and instant access to ebooks, audiobooks, databases, and more.
- All residents of and/or real property owners in the City of Charlottesville, and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Louisa and Nelson are eligible to obtain free library cards.
- An individual not meeting the above criteria may purchase a library card on an annual basis for $30. The annual fee must be paid with cash or check. These patrons are also welcome to apply for a free "Computer Use Only" card.
- Institutional cards are not issued.
- There are no age requirements for obtaining a library card. Materials charged out to minors are considered to be the responsibility of parents or guardians.
Please bring a photo ID that includes your name and current address. If you do not live in Charlottesville, Albemarle, Louisa, Greene, or Nelson there is an annual out-of-area fee of $30. To get a computer-use-only card, you must have a photo ID.
Lose your JMRL card? Please report it immediately to any branch location. It is $1 to replace your library card and may be done at any branch. Please bring a form of official photo identification with you when getting a new card.
You can check out and return materials (books, audiobooks, music, even knitting needles) from any branch, to any branch. You can also access the Digital Library, where you will find everything from ebooks to streaming video to comic books. Check the Services page for the full range of what's available from JMRL.
Most items check out for 3 weeks, including DVDs and audio books. The only exceptions to this are Best-sellers and VA Discovery Museum passes, which check out for 7 days.
If an item does not have holds, it may be renewed twice. If the patron wishes to have it for longer than 6 weeks, and has no holds, it may be checked in and back out to the record.
Patrons are welcome to place holds on items at any branch location; they are notified when the item is ready for pickup.
Every JMRL branch has computers for patron use. Please either bring your library card or photo ID to use the computers.
Returning Books
- Patrons may return materials to any JMRL branch.
- Fines are automatically calculated and stored by the computer system at time of check-in.
- Do not place MUSIC compact discs in a book depository. Please read the sign on a book depository for a listing of items that must be returned to the circulation desk inside the library.
- Most items: 25¢/day
- ILL: $1.00/day
- DVDs, audiobooks & 7-day loan bestsellers: 50¢/day
- Max fine per item: $10.00
- Max fine per item ILL: $30.00
- Max fine if paid in full: $35.00. It may be to your advantage to call your local branch library to have your balance confirmed before making an online payment.
- Juvenile cardholders (ages 0-15) do not accrue overdue fines or late renewal fines for items.
However, juvenile cardholders will be charged for lost or damaged items.
- Most in-print materials (include playaways, audio): List Price
- Magazines: $3:00
- Volumes, video cassettes or DVDs in sets: $15 per item
- Audiobook replacement parts: $7/item
- Most out-of-print materials: $15.00
- Out-of-print fiction paperbacks: $5.00
- Out-of-print music CDs or replacement part: $10 per disc
- Replacement of lost/damaged library card: $1
- An additional $5.00 nonrefundable service fee will be charged on lost or damaged items. If lost and paid items are returned in good condition within 3 months of payment, only the replacement fee will be refunded.
- Juvenile cardholders are charged the item replacement cost for any lost or damaged items checked out to the card.
- If the email address on file is current, patrons receive an automatic courtesy notice two (2) days in advance of the due date for checked-out items. Failure to receive a courtesy notice does not exempt the card-holder from any overdue charges.
- If library notices are not being received, patrons should check their junk mail folders and/or make sure the correct email address in on file.
- Overdue notices are sent out 3 days after items are past due.
- Bills are mailed for items that are 30 days past due.
- Accounts with fines in excess of $20.00 will be blocked until 50% of balance is paid.
In an effort to bring overdue items back to the library in a timely manner, the Library Board of Trustees has voted to use Unique Management Services, a collection agency that specializes in recovering long overdue library materials.
- Juvenile cardholders are not sent to collections.
- Accounts with items 60 days overdue, or fines of $35.00 or more, will be turned over to the collection agency. In addition a $10.00 collection fee will be added to the account.
- Accounts will remain in collections until the balance is paid in full.
