Borrowing

Auto Renew

Library items will be automatically renewed on their due date as long as no holds have been placed on them by other library customers. Items will be automatically renewed a maximum of two (2) times. (Please note, customers may manually renew one more time after that for a total of three (3) renewals.)

FAQ

Why didn't my item auto-renew?

• It has holds from other library customers.
• It was overdue. You may still manually renew the item at using the tab my account. If the item does not have holds on it and you have not used all your renewals already, you will be able to renew.
• You have an item that is not eligible for renewal. ILL items, laptops, hotspots, and kits are not eligible for renewal.
• You have already used all your renewals.

Will all my items be renewed?

Library items will be automatically renewed as long as no holds have been placed on them by other library customers. Items may be renewed a maximum of three (3) times. This includes automatic and manual renewals.



What items are eligible for auto renew?

Books, DVDs, and other items that are normally able to be renewed.



What items cannot be auto renewed?

ILLs, laptops, hotspots, and kits are not eligible for renewal. Items with holds, digital items and items that have reached their maximum number of renewals or are already overdue will not be auto renewed.



Will I receive a notification on what has been auto renewed?

You will be notified about what has been auto renewed if you receive email or SMS notifications. Change your preference for receiving library notices by calling your library or logging into your library account.



Will I be notified if an item can't be renewed?

If an item can't be renewed, you will be notified of its due date if you receive email or SMS notifications.

Can I still renew manually?

Yes. You will be able to renew online, by phone, or in person.

Can I opt out of auto-renew?

Auto renew is an automatic process that applies to all VCL cardholder accounts. If you don't wish to keep an item, please return it when you're finished.

As of April 2021, fines are no longer charged for any overdue Ventura County Library materials. Ventura County Library has gone fine free.

Fees are charged for lost or damaged items. Borrowers are legally responsible to pay for items lost or damaged beyond normal wear and tear. These charges cover the cost to the library for replacing the item, plus processing.

 - - - Have a balance due on your library account? Pay online here - - - 

What does it mean to be Fine Free? Fine Free FAQ

What does fine free mean?

Fine free means no fines will be assessed for overdue items.

Why did the Library decide to eliminate overdue fines?

Public libraries throughout the United States have been eliminating fines for many years and seeing positive results, such as:

• Increased access to materials and services
• Reduction of inequities resulting from overdue fines, especially for children
• Improved customer relationships with the library
• Increased staff time and efficiency

Research shows that small fines do not impact the return rates of materials.

What if I lost or damaged a book?

While the Library eliminated overdue fines, customers are still responsible for fees associated with the replacement of lost or damaged items they check out.

What is the difference between a fine and a fee?

Overdue fines are the daily charges applied to items not returned by their specified due date. These are the fines that will no longer be charged to patrons. Billed-item fees, or just fees, represent the charges applied for lost, damaged, or unreturned materials and are still in effect. In addition, fees are still charged for library services and products such as library cards, copying, printing.

How will the Library encourage people to return overdue items?

Customers are encouraged to return materials in a timely fashion to the Library so others may enjoy these shared resources. Items not returned within 30 days of their due date will go to lost status and customers will be billed for their replacement.

Customers will continue to be responsible for reconciling any lost items or fees on their library account by either returning the items or paying the replacement fee. Customers with an item with a billed status on their library account cannot check out additional physical materials from the library.



Will eliminating overdue fines have any negative impact on Library funding?

Overdue fines account for less than 1% of the library's overall income and this number has decreased over time. Moving forward, going fine free will not significantly impact the budget.

Are other Libraries Fine Free?

The movement to go fine free has enjoyed wide support. This map from the Urban Libraries Council shows other fine free libraries: https://www.urbanlibraries.org/member-resources/fine-free-map

Note: There are no fines or fees for downloadable or streaming e-content!

See also: 

• What is Auto Renew?
• How can I pay my fee?
• What happens if I lose or damage a library item?

Your library card is your key to borrowing books, cassettes, compact discs, etc., at any Ventura County Library. Just present your card and library materials to the staff at the customer service desk. (You may only check out books and materials on your own library card.)

• Circulating books, cassettes, compact discs, DVDs, pamphlets, and magazines are checked out to you from any Ventura County Library branch for three (3) weeks.
• Research materials as well as some magazines, newspapers, and government documents, are generally not available to be checked out but can be viewed at the branch.
• Parents or guardians are financially responsible for items checked out on cards of their children 17 years of age or younger.

See also: What is Auto Renew?

Each library location has a book drop - see the library's location page under "Services" to get the exact location of the drops.

• There is an additional book drop at Kimball Park (901 S. Kimball Rd.) in Ventura.

• To ensure that your library card is secure and in your possession.
• To make sure no one but you can access your library account.
• To ensure you are safe from any identity theft issues that may occur if someone else has access to your card and personal information.
• The information on your library record is personal and by law we are required to protect your privacy.
• We need to always be sure who checked out library materials in order to recover those materials if they are not returned to the library.   The books, CDs, DVDs and other materials in this library have been purchased with your tax dollars and we want to have them available for everyone.
• We want everyone to have equitable opportunity to use the library’s computers.  In order to provide that opportunity, we ask you to bring your card to the library.

The Ventura County Library asks you for your email address for the following reasons:

• The primary reason is: having your email address allows the Library to send notices by email, thereby enabling the Library to more efficiently serve you. In most cases, your Library Notice is delivered to your email address within minutes of its being produced.
• It's over four times as expensive to send a printed notice than to send a notice by email. The Library regularly sends several hundred notices each day.
• If you are having trouble receiving your email notices - please see our FAQ under "Catalog".