Borrowing & Returning Policies
Borrow books, DVDs, CDs, LPs and more from SPPL's collection.
Borrowing Items
Loan Periods
Most library items are checked out for 21 days (3 weeks).
Wi-Fi hotspots are checked out for 14 days (2 weeks).
Lucky Day DVDs are checked out for 3 days.
Book Club Kits are checked out for 6 weeks.
Limits
Up to 100 items may be checked out per library card.
Up to 2 "Lucky Day" items may be checked out per library card.
1 hotspot may be checked out per person.
Limit for OverDrive/Libby e-books and e-audiobooks: 15
Returning Items
Items can be returned to any Saint Paul Public Library location.
When a library is closed, please return items to after-hours book returns.
Returning to Libraries Outside of Saint Paul
You can return most items to any Twin Cities metropolitan area public library. The library will note the return date and send the items back to the Saint Paul Public Library. When they are received in Saint Paul, we will back-date the check-in to date noted by the other library. The items will still appear on your card until they are checked in at the Saint Paul Public Library.
Exceptions
Lucky Day books, DVDs, and hotspots must be returned to the library from which they were checked out.
Items borrowed through Interlibrary Loan must be returned to a Saint Paul Public Library.
Renewing Items
Most items can be renewed up to three times if no one else has placed a hold on the item.
Items will automatically renew when they are due if they are not on hold for someone else.
To renew items manually, log in to your account or call 651-292-6002.
Automatic Renewal
When an item is coming due, we will attempt to renew it automatically three days before its due date.
If your email address is on file, you will receive courtesy notice that will tell you if items have been renewed and the new due date. If items cannot be renewed, the courtesy notice will remind you to return items by their due date.
Exceptions
These items cannot be renewed:
- Wi-Fi hotspots
- Lucky Day items
- Book club kits
- Interlibrary loan items (borrowed from another library system)
- Items someone else has requested
- E-books and e-audiobooks
Lost or Damaged Items
Saint Paul Public Library does not charge daily late fines.
If an item you checked out is lost, damaged, or returned incomplete, you will be billed the replacement cost.
Items that are overdue by 35 days are considered lost (14 days for Lucky Day items, hotspots, and Book Club Kits).
If you return items that you were billed for, the charge will be cleared from your account.
Fees can be paid in person by cash or check or online using a credit card. To pay online, please visit https://sppl.org/pay, opens a new window and log in using your library card number and password.
The replacement fee is non-refundable. The Saint Paul Public Library does not accept customer-purchased replacements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Borrowing
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The Saint Paul Public Library does not keep track of your borrowing history.
Once an item is returned to the library, it is no longer attached to your record.
You can keep track of items you have read, watched, or listened to using your "Completed" Shelf.
More information about using your account's Shelves, opens a new window.
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Saint Paul residents can check out a wireless hotspot for free, high-speed internet service.
Read all the details on the Wi-Fi Hotspots page.
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Lucky Day book and DVD collections have many of the newest and most popular titles. They are not available for holds, so they are on the shelf waiting for you to check them out.
Lucky Day items should be returned to the library where they were checked out.
Loan periods are 21 days for books, 3 days for DVDs, 14 days for Wi-Fi hotspots.
There is a limit of 2 Lucky Day items per library card.
Lucky Day items cannot be held or renewed.
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Most library items can be checked out for 21 days (3 weeks).
Wi-Fi hotspots are checked out for 14 days (2 weeks).
Lucky Day DVDs are checked out for 3 days.
Book Club in a Bag kits are checked out for 6 weeks.
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Up to 100 items may be checked out per library card.
Up to 2 Lucky Day items may be checked out per library card,
1 hotspot may be checked out per person.
Up to 15 items may be checked out in OverDrive/Libby. Digital magazines do not count toward your checkout limit.
Renewals and Returns
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Most items can be renewed for 3 additional loan periods.
To renew items, log in to your account or call 651-292-6002.
Automatic Renewal
When an item is coming due, we will attempt to renew it automatically three days before its due date.
If your email address is on file, you will receive courtesy notice that will tell you if items have been renewed and the new due date. If items cannot be renewed, the courtesy notice will remind you to return items by their due date.
Exceptions
These items cannot be renewed:
- Wi-Fi hotspots
- Lucky Day items
- Items borrowed from other library systems through interlibrary loan services
- Any item someone else has requested
- E-books and e-audiobooks
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To renew your items:
- Log in to your account, opens a new window.
- View your checked out items (My Borrowing --> Checked Out, opens a new window).
- Click Renew for each item you would like to renew OR
- Click the checkboxes for each item to be renewed and then click "Renew Selected".
To renew your items by telephone, call 651-292-6002.
Automatic Renewal
When an item is coming due, we will attempt to renew it automatically three days before its due date.
If your email address is on file, you will receive courtesy notice that will tell you if items have been renewed and the new due date. If items cannot be renewed, the courtesy notice will remind you to return items by their due date.
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You can return most items to any Twin Cities metropolitan area public library, opens a new window.
The library will note the return date and send the items back to the Saint Paul Public Library.
When they are received in Saint Paul, we will back-date the check-in to date noted by the other library.
The items will still appear on your card until they are checked in at the Saint Paul Public Library.
Exceptions:
- Items borrowed through interlibrary loan cannot be returned to other libraries.
- "Lucky Day" items must be returned to the library from which they were checked out.
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You may return items to any Saint Paul Public Library location. When a library is closed, please return items to after-hours book returns.
Exceptions
- "Lucky Day" books, DVDs, and hotspots must be returned to the library from which they were checked out.
Returning to Libraries Outside of Saint Paul
You can return most items to any Twin Cities metropolitan area public library. The library will note the return date and send the items back to the Saint Paul Public Library. When they are received in Saint Paul, we will back-date the check-in to date noted by the other library. The items will still appear on your card until they are checked in at the Saint Paul Public Library.
Exceptions:
- Items borrowed through interlibrary loan cannot be returned to other libraries.
- "Lucky Day" items must be returned to the library from which they were checked out.
Holds
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To place a hold:
- Log in to your account.
- Enter your search terms.
- Find the title you want.
- Click the Place hold button.
- Select the library where you’d like to pick up the title.
- The default location is your home library, or the one you specified as your preferred location in your account settings, opens a new window.
- Click the Place hold button.
Notes:
- You can skip the step of choosing a pickup location every time if you enable single-click holds.
- Placing a hold on an electronic item such as an e-book is slightly different. If the item is available now, the button is labelled Check out. If it is not currently available, the button is labelled Place hold.
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You can place up to 30 holds on items in the library catalog.
You can have up to 10 active interlibrary loan requests (including items waiting to be picked up).
You can have up to 15 e-books or e-audiobooks on hold at a time.
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If you have requested an item but want to delay it, you can pause the hold request on that item.
Pausing a hold request means that your position in the hold queue is skipped over until the hold is resumed. You will stay in the hold queue and not lose your place there while holds are filled for other patrons.
Please note that a hold request cannot be "paused" if:
- An item that can fill the request is available.
- The item is already IN TRANSIT or ON THE HOLDSHELF for you.
- The hold request is more than 255 days old.
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Holds are held at your pickup location for 1 week.
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You’ll receive an email when your hold is ready for pickup. If you haven’t added your email address to your account, you’ll receive notification by phone.
Fees
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To pay your fees online by credit card, log in to your account using the classic catalog, opens a new window.
- Log in with your library card barcode (not your username) and password.
- Select "unpaid fines and bills".
- Click Pay Online.
- Enter your payment details.
Payment problems:
If you get the message:
"Online fine payments cannot be processed. Please try again later."
OR
"Fine payment is temporarily unavailable. Please try again or see a staff member for assistance."
This means your record is open in two places and the system is preventing the possibility of duplicate payments. Please try again later or contact library staff for assistance.
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You will be charged a fee for replacement of lost or damaged items.
Bills are sent for the replacement cost of items that are long overdue.
The replacement fee is non-refundable. The Saint Paul Public Library does not accept customer-purchased replacements.
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The the Saint Paul Public Library does not charge overdue fines.
Replacement fees are charged for items that are long overdue.