All residents of Lower Macungie Township and the Borough of Alburtis may obtain a Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative 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. The minimum age required to obtain a card is five years old.

Apply for a Library Card Online

You can now apply for a library card online! Fill out the online form (please enter an email address). Your application will be reviewed and processed within 1-2 business days. Once the application process is complete, you will receive a welcome email providing you with your library information. Please note: if you’ve had a card in the past or have an expired card, please call or email the library to update your 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.

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 homephone number (or cellphone if no homephone).

Yes, you will need to renew your library card annually. To renew, please visit the library and bring your library card along with valid photo ID that includes your current address. Any balance on your account will need to be paid in order to renew your card.

You can renew your items online, in person, or over the phone. To renew online, click on My Account on the Library Catalog page (login required).

Please note the following about renewals:
-All items (including NEW) can be renewed one time (if there are requests placed on the item, it 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

New for 2021…Auto Renewals
We’ll attempt to automatically renew your eligible items on the due date.
-You’ll receive an email notice informing you of the new due date or if the item was unable to be renewed (must be signed up to receive email notifications).
-You’ll still receive the reminder courtesy notice three days prior to your items being due.
-This will begin with any items checked out starting December 14, 2020. Items checked out before will not automatically renew.

Your PIN is the last four digits of your home phone number (cellphone if no home phone). You are welcome to change your PIN at anytime. You can do so by logging into My Account from the Library Catalog. 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
All items (except Museum Passes) can be renewed one time (if there are requests placed on the item, it cannot be renewed)
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.

Auto Renewals
We’ll attempt to automatically renew your eligible items on the due date.
-You’ll receive an email notice informing you of the new due date or if the item was unable to be renewed (must be signed up to receive email notifications).
-You’ll still receive the reminder courtesy notice three days prior to your items being due.
-This will begin with any items checked out starting December 14, 2020. Items checked out before will not automatically renew.

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

-Patrons 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.
-In order to place online reserves, patrons cannot have fines over $5.00 on their accounts.

Yes, you can place a hold on an item in the catalog by clicking the Place Hold option on the item information page. When the item is ready for pickup, we will contact you by phone, email or text (according to the option selected) and the item will be held for 4 business days for pickup.

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

*Online reserves can be made on our items. 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 phone, email or text (according to the option selected) when an item on reserve has been returned to the library. After such notification, the item will be held for 4 working days, after which it will either be returned to the shelf, or checked out to the next person on the reserve list.

.

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. You can also limit results by audiobook, book, DVD, etc. by clicking on “Format” button in the search bar (select and then click “Search”).  Results will appear, listing titles of library materials that match your search term.  Additional information: Clicking on the title will give you more information, including the call number (where in the library it is located) and status (checked out, item being held, etc.).

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, click on “Place Hold” option for the selected item (right side of the screen).  You will need to enter your Library Card Number (library barcode number- no spaces between digits) and PIN (last four digits of your homephone number, cellphone if no homephone).

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 11 computers that offer high-speed Internet access as well as MS Office 2016 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 audiobooks include all the popular fiction and nonfiction titles. eBooks (font size can be increased on devices) & eAudiobooks are available for download from our website through our Carbon Lehigh Downloadable Library (OverDrive) collection. Our librarians are available to help you with your downloads.

For the Hearing Impaired:

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