All residents of Lower Macungie Township and the Borough of Alburtis may obtain a library card by filling out a membership application and providing identification (driver’s license, photo ID card, passport) and proof of residence.

Residents of other Pennsylvania townships/municipalities may also obtain library membership free of charge by showing their local public library card with an ACCESS PA sticker (card must be up-to-date) and providing identification as indicated above.

Pennsylvania residents outside Lower Macungie Township, the Borough of Alburtis and outside the service area of an ACCESS PA library will be charged $40.00 per household per year for library membership. Out-of-state residents will also be charged $40.00 per household per year for library membership. Identification is required for all applicants.

Patrons seventeen years of age and under are encouraged to obtain library cards, but the application form must be signed by both the child and the parent. Young children should be able to print at least their first name when obtaining a card.

To determine what library serves your hometown, click here to view the Library Service Locations help guide.  

Your online Library Account provides access to your library record, which includes a list of items currently checked out, any holds that you have requested, and/or blocks (fines, fees) on your account. It also provides access to the following services: “Review My Account”, “Renew My Materials”, “User PIN Change”, or “Change My Address”.

To access your account online, you will need to log into your account from the Library Catalog. Click on My Account  and then enter your USER ID (14-digit library barcode number, no spaces) and PIN (default = the last four digits of your library barcode number. Be sure to LOGOUT when you are finished with your session.

You can renew your items online, in person, or over the phone. To renew online, visit the Renew My Materials page in the Library Catalog (login required).

Please note the following about renewals:
-All items (excluding “New”) can be renewed one time (if there are requests placed on the item, it cannot be renewed)
-“New” items cannot be renewed
-Interlibrary Loans- you must call one week in advance of due date to request renewal
-Outstanding fines totaling $5.00 or more must be paid prior to renewal.
-Items that are late at time of renewal will have fines assessed for those items.
-Items that have been renewed must be checked in and available for loan for at least one business day before borrowing them again.
-Due dates for items that are renewed are calculated from the date of renewal, not the original due date.
-Items may not be renewed/transferred to another card

Your PIN is the last four digits of your library barcode number. You are welcome to change your PIN at anytime. You can do so by logging into My Account from the Library Catalog. Once logged in, select “User PIN Change”. You can also change your PIN at the Circulation Desk in the library).

Borrowing Limits Overdue, lost and damaged items are subject to fines.

Renewals
New Books = No Renewals
Interlibrary Loans = No Renewals

-Outstanding fines totaling $5.00 or more. must be paid prior to renewal.
-Items that are late at time of renewal will have fines assessed for those items.
-Items that have already been renewed must be returned & available for loan for at least one business day before borrowing them again.
-Due dates for items that are renewed are calculated from the date of renewal, not the original due date.

Reserves
Method:  In person, by phone, online*
Reservable:  All circulating items can be reserved

*Online reserves can only be made on items that are currently checked out. Patrons cannot have blocks on their accounts in order to do online reserves.
-Members may request any item that is in circulation; reserves will be fulfilled in order from the earliest to the latest request.
-Patrons will be notified by telephone when an item they have reserved has been returned to the library. After such notification, the item will be held for 3 working days, after which it will either be returned to the shelf, or checked out to the next person on the reserve list.

Yes, you can place your name on a reserve list for items that are currently checked out. When the item is ready for pickup, we will contact you by phone or email and the item will be held for 3 business days for pickup.

Reserves
Method:  In person, by phone, online*
Reservable:  All circulating items can be reserved

*Online reserves can only be made on items that are currently checked out. Patrons cannot have blocks (over $5.00 in fines) on their accounts in order to do online reserves.
-Members may request any item that is in circulation; reserves will be fulfilled in order from the earliest to the latest request.
-Patrons will be notified by telephone when an item they have reserved has been returned to the library. After such notification, the item will be held for 3 working days, after which it will either be returned to the shelf, or checked out to the next person on the reserve list.

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To find items in our collection, please visit our library catalog.

Basic searching: enter search term (title, author, subject, etc.) and select the “Search” button.  Results will appear, listing titles of library materials that match your search term. limited (by audio book, book, video, etc.) by clicking on “Limit Search” button above the results. Additional information: Clicking on “Details” will give you more information, including the call number (where in the library it is located) and status (checked out, item being held, etc.)

Power Search Power Search or Advanced Search combines search elements to refine a search or limit a search based on criteria configured by your library. You can also produce a browse list of specified items, or perform a call number search. Searches can include a single word or several words with operators and special punctuation.

To request items that are currently unavailable, click on Details button (next to the item information on the search results page) and click on Place Hold on the right side of the screen.  You will need to enter your USER ID (library barcode number- no spaces between digits) and PIN (last four digits of your library barcode number).

If you are looking for an item that the library does not own, an interlibrary loan or purchase request are possible options.

InterLibrary Loans:
InterLibrary Loans are items that can be borrowed from another library and sent to our location for pickup (items published in the past year cannot be requested via Interlibrary Loan). The request will be processed as soon as possible but receipt of your request is dependent on the availability and location of the lending library. Please submit your request using the electronic “InterLibrary Loan Request” form.  You can also place a request by phone or in person.  Lower Macungie Library InterLibrary Loan service is available to our home library patrons only.

You will be contacted if there are any delivery issues. Upon receipt of your request, you will be notified via phone or email. If item is not picked up, a $1.00 fee (per item) will be applied to your account. If you are unavailable for pickup, please notify us when making your request. Note: Due dates are at the discretion of the lending library.

*InterLibrary Loan renewals are subject to lending library. One week’s notice is required for renewal request.

There will be charges for photocopy requests. You will be notified for approval before your request is processed.

Purchase Requests:
Books requested to be added to the collection will be reviewed and ordered based on availability and Lower Macungie Library’s Materials Selection Policy. Fill out the “Purchase Request” form. If we are unable to purchase the requested item, your request will be handled as a InterLibrary Loan. Please allow four to six weeks for processing. You will be notified when your selection, if purchased, is available for checkout.

To learn about downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks, please visit the Help pages on our Carbon Lehigh Downloadable Library (OverDrive) site. 

Yes! We have 13 computers that offer high-speed Internet access as well as MS Office 2010 productivity suite. Staff will provide assistance as necessary and as time permits. You will need a Lower Macungie Library card to use the computers. A guest pass can be issued for temporary visitors. For more information on how to use the public PCs, visit our Computer Use FAQ and our Computer and Internet Use Policy. All users are responsible for damage to library hardware or software and for compliance with the library use policy.

Yes! Lower Macungie Library provides free wireless Internet access for users with portable computers/devices capable of receiving wireless signals throughout the library. Please refer to our Wireless Access Policy for rules and guidelines.

As a handicapped accessible facility, the Lower Macungie Library welcomes all patrons.

For The Visually Impaired:

• We offer a popular selection of large print fiction and non-fiction titles.
• The Reader’s Digest large print edition can be found in our periodical section. Back issues, representing the last 6 months, may be checked out for your reading convenience.
• Our large selection of Audio Books include all the popular fiction and non-fiction titles including the works of Shakespeare, the Bible and many foreign languages. eAudiobooks are available for download from our website and NetLibrary. Our librarians are available to help you with your downloads.
• The Lower Macungie Library has installed the ClearView Video Magnifier (also known as a CCTV), to help the visually impaired read, write, view photos and enjoy other sight dependent activities. Consisting of a special digital camera, and high contrast CRT monitor, the ClearView magnifies any material that is placed under it from 3.5 to over 50 times its original size. The magnified material is then displayed on the CRT monitor in color, black and white, or 16 other color combinations, offering users the ability to customize the screen to meet their individual viewing needs. With relatively few buttons operating the system, almost any individual can quickly learn to use the ClearView and start enjoying all the wonderful books that Lower Macungie Library has to offer.

For the Hearing Impaired:

• Our collection includes books and DVD’s that teach sign language skills to both adults and children.