You may renew your items online unless they are overdue. Overdue items may be renewed over the phone.

The following items may not be renewed:

• • An item requested by another person

• • An item that has already been renewed twice

• • Interlibrary loan material

As of September 1, 2023, if an item is due and has not yet been returned, the item’s checkout will automatically be renewed. The standard rules apply—if the item is on hold for someone else, or has already been renewed the maximum number of times, it will not be renewed. Most library items are allowed to be renewed twice. When a patron’s item has been auto-renewed, the patron will receive a notification via email or text message, depending on their preference.

Here are the maximum number of items you can check out by type, per card:

• • Board Games: 2

• • Entertainment Equipment: 1

• • Learning Kits: 2

• • Mobile Hotspots: 1

• • Preloaded Tablets: 1

• • DVDs: 10

• • Video Games: 2

• • Wellness Kits: 1

eLibrary:

• • Libby: 5 at a time/7 holds at a time

• • Overdrive: 5 at a time/7 holds at a time

• • Kanopy: 10/month

• • Hoopla: 10/month

If an item is checked out, you may reserve it. This is called placing a hold. Holds are made by using the website, calling or requesting help from a staff member.

We will notify you when the item becomes available either email, Text, or call. The item will be held for 7 days.

After 3 days, it will move to the next person on the list, or be placed back on the shelf.

Interlibrary loans are available on items not owned by Saline County Library or another Mid-Arkansas affiliated library and are/or 6 months old or older (sometimes we can’t get a book even if it’s not 6 months. You must have a valid Saline County Library card and be in good standing.

To see if your requested material qualifies for an Interlibrary loan, complete the Suggest Material form. The form needs to be filled out as completely as possible, especially for special formats such as large print or audio. There is a $1.00 fee charged per filled request for interlibrary loan materials.

In order to continue offering interlibrary loan services, it is necessary to maintain good relations with cooperating libraries. Library materials should be returned promptly. The loaned materials are due according to the owner library’s due dates.

Sometimes the library lending the book will put special restrictions on the materials, such as use within the library. The Saline County Library, in fairness, must insist on compliance with such restrictions. You will be contacted when the requested material has been received. If you fail to pick up an interlibrary loan that has been ordered, the library may refuse to order for you in the future. You will still owe the $1.00 fee.

You may suggest material for the library to purchase for the collection. If the item is purchased, you will be placed on hold for it. While the library will attempt to order as many suggested materials as possible, we will evaluate purchase requests based on price, reviews, publication date and availability.

The Saline County Library is now fine-free. However, you will still be charged for damaged or lost items.

If an item is claimed lost by a patron or by the library, the patron will be responsible for replacing the item either by paying the cost of the item or giving the library a replacement copy. A replacement copy is defined as a brand new, exact copy of the item with the same ISBN and format.

Users who return damaged items to the library will be assessed a fee.

Damage includes, but is not limited to, items which have had barcodes and other library markings removed, water damage, torn pages, writing, chewed edges or excessively dirty.

If the damage cannot be repaired, you will be charged the replacement cost. If you pay for a damaged item, you may keep it. If damage is due to a disaster, such as a fire or a tornado, there will be no cost for damages; however, proof must be provided that this disaster occurred. Examples of proof are: insurance paperwork, police report or a newspaper clipping with details.

It is both the library staff and the patron’s responsibility to note any condition problem at the time of check out and not after the item has been returned. The last person to have the item will be charged for the damage.

Patrons are still allowed borrowing privileges in the library with up to $5.00 in fines. This only includes physical materials.

A fine of any amount will block you from borrowing eBooks on Overdrive.

Borrow eBooks from Overdrive. You will now select “Mid-Ark Regional Library System” as your library. When you log in, it will ask for your library card number and PIN, which is the last 4 digits of your phone number or your 4 digit birth year. Search for the title you are looking for, tap or click the cover, and choose “Borrow.”

With the Libby App, open the app and select the Libby icon in the top right corner. Then select “Add A Library” and enter “Arkansas” in the search bar. Next, select “Saline County Library” and click “Sign In With My Library Card.”  From here, you will follow steps similar to the Overdrive App. Click the drop down arrow and select “Mid-Ark Regional Library System” and enter your library card number and PIN. Now click “Enter The Library” to begin searching through all of the eLibrary materials.

If you need help, see the Overdrive help page.

It doesn’t matter which location you checked the item out from, you can return it to Bob Herzfeld Library in Benton or Mable Boswell Library in Bryant.

Books by mail is a service designed to meet the needs of the homebound and those residents of Saline County who live farther than 15 miles from a branch and who are deemed capable of independent responsibility. Books and other formats are selected individually for each patron according to the patron’s interests or the patron’s specific requests. Materials will be sent on a regular schedule. Library materials are delivered by mail in zippered pouches with reversible address labels for easy mail return. A patron may have 4 items at a time.

These services are available to those who cannot utilize traditional library services or it would cause an undo hardship to do so including: elderly, physically impaired, injured, critically ill, long term care facilities residents, retirement center residents and rehabilitation center residents.

These book boxes allow the people of Saline County to have free access to reading materials 24/7, 365 days a year, whether the library is open or not. Our mission is to provide reading material to our community free of charge without ever having to come to the library.

Book boxes are stationed at the following locations:

Bryant Center: 6401 Boone Rd, Bryant

Healing Waters: 14032 Sardis Rd, Shannon Hills

Lance’s Convenience Store: 3821 Edison Ave, Benton

Riverside Grocery: 4444 AR-5, Benton

Harrison Family Pharmacy: 2323 Arkansas-229 Suite A, Haskell

JJ’s Diner: 6106 Interstate 30, Malvern

Alexander Outreach Center: 15202 W Azalea Dr., Alexander

Lonsdale Cutoff SQRL: 7209 E Grand Ave, Lonsdale

Book Club Kits include a tote bag, luggage tag (with barcode), its numbered books, and a Sign-out sheet. Each Book Club Kit is checked out for 60 days.

If there is a lost or damaged book, the book must be replaced or paid for by either the patron that checked out the Book Club Kit, or the patron that signed out the book. If the entire Book Club Kit is lost, there will be a fine that equals the entire price of the contents of that particular Book Club Kit. The fine will go to the patron that checked out the Book Club Kit.