Borrowing and renewing

Find out what you can borrow and how to renew items. We have some fees and charges for services which you can also find out about here.

Library staff explaining how the self-borrowing machines work at the library

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Borrowing items

You can borrow up to 50 items at once. Some specific collections have different limits on how many items you can borrow.

Digital collections have their own limits on what you can access. Digital loans do not count towards the 50 loan limit.

Please refer to our Loans Policy for further information.

Item type	Loan period	Loan item limits	Renewals allowed
Books, magazines, language kits,	21 days	50	4
ESL	21 days	50	4
ESL testing	21 days	10	4
CDs, DVDs	21 days	50	4
Hot Picks books	21 days	50	0
Console games	21 days	3	4
Accessible equipment	21 days	3	4
Cloud Library eBooks or eAudiobooks	21 days	10	Varies
Bolinda BorrowBox eBooks or eAudiobooks	21 days	10 eBooks 8 eAudiobooks	1
Libby eAudiobooks, eMagazines	21 days	10 eBooks or eAudiobooks (combined) Unlimited magazines	eAudiobooks and eBooks - yes, providing the item is not reserved eMagazines - unlimited renewals
Kanopy Film streaming	3 days	5 per month	Renewals are not supported
Beama Films streaming	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited - no need to renew
Freegal music streaming	Unlimited	Unlimited streaming 5 downloads per week 2 music videos per week (a video counts as 2 downloads)	Renewals are not supported
Reference, local history reference, newspapers and current issue magazines	Not for loan	Not applicable	Not applicable

Renewing loans and returning items

Renewing loans

You can have more time with an item you’ve borrowed as long as it is not reserved by another person, and you have not reached the limit on renewals. The limit for most physical items is 4 renewals.

Renew your loans by:

logging into your accountOpens in new tab online
using our Library app downloaded from the App StoreOpens in new tab or Google PlayOpens in new tab
Calling or visiting a library and speaking to our friendly staff

Renew loans onlineOpens in new tab

Automatic renewal of loans

Loans are automatically extended for a maximum of four additional loan periods.

This means that one day before the due date if:

The items are not reserved by another library member
The items have not already been renewed four times

Your item will be automatically renewed for another three weeks.

How do I know if an item hasn’t been automatically renewed?

You can check your account via the library app or catalogue, call us, or visit the library and chat with staff.

If you have email notices as your preference we will contact you by email to alert you to any item(s) that can’t be renewed so they can be returned for other members to borrow.

You are unable to borrow more items until overdue loans are renewed or returned.

Please do this without delay as overdue items impact other users of the library.

Returning items

Items can be returned to any City of Melbourne Library.

After-hours chutes are provided at each library.

Fees and charges

Our libraries do not charge fees for late return of items.

If you have kept an item later than its due date, you will not be able to borrow new items until items are renewed or returned.

We charge replacement costs for items if they are damaged, lost, or more than 42 days late.

Library bags	$7.10 per bag
Interlibrary loans	Free or cost charged by lender per item. Items from libraries other than Victorian public libraries attract a charge of $32 per item
Library branded marketing material	$12 max per item
Publications	$103.50 maximum per item
Library sales - junior books and magazines	50 cents per item
Library sales - books	$1 per item
Library sales - 10 items	$8.50 per 10 items
Makerspace materials	25 cents per unit
Activity kits and materials	$25 per item
Lost or damaged items	$103.50 maximum per item
Printing and photocopying	All formats B&W, colour, A4, A3 etc: 20 cents per side