Internet Policy
Our Internet Policy is listed separately.
Policy on Appropriate Library Behavior
Our Policy on Appropriate Library Behavior is listed separately.
Unattended Children
We strive to make the library a safe, clean and inviting place to visit, but please remember: the Library
is a public area! The staff cannot be responsible for individual children, groups of children, or personal property.
- Children under the age of six (6) must be accompanied by an adult at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- All children must be accompanied by an adult in the library after 6pm.
If the parent or caregiver of an unattended child cannot be located within a reasonable amount of time, the police may be called to supervise the
child until the responsible adult can be located.
Library Cards
To obtain a library card, bring identification with your name and address. This card is
free for anyone who lives works or goes to school in Bloomfield. To register, it is
necessary for you to prove you are a resident of Bloomfield. The registration form for
children between the ages of 4 and 18 years requires the signature of a parent or guardian.
Acceptable forms of I.D. are driver's license, utility bill, or a rental agreement. Credit
cards, bank statements or social security cards are not acceptable I.D.
Reserves
Bloomfield residents with valid Bloomfield Library cards may place reserves on
books that are on order or checked out. Reserve books have a shorter
loan period of two weeks. A reserve card is filled out by a Reference Librarian at
the Information Desk. Any delinquency notes on the patron's library card must be
resolved before the material may be reserved.
BCCLS Libraries
Now that Bloomfield Public Library has joined the BCCLS system, patrons who have registered
their BPL cards with the new system can borrow items from any of the 75 libraries in BCCLS.
All you have to do is go to the BCCLS home page (www.bccls.org) and go to the box marked
“Search the Library Catalog.” There are over 700,000 titles in the system and a total of
over 5 million individual items available. Patrons need to enter their library card number
and PIN in order to request an item. If the item is available at a BCCLS library, it usually
will arrive at BPL in two to three days. Patrons are automatically sent an email when the
item arrives here.
New patrons or patrons who have not yet registered their BPL card on the BCCLS system
can do so at the Library or the BCCLS home page, going to the list of member libraries
on the upper left, clicking on “Bloomfield,” then on “Apply Online for a Library Card.”
Patrons who need a PIN can get one at the Library or by clicking on “Your Library Card”
on the BCCLS home page.
ReBL Borrowing
ReBL Borrowing is an alternative to Interlibrary Loan and BCCLS. Obtain a free ReBL sticker for your
Bloomfield Public Library card at your local library and use it to
borrow materials directly from 25 libraries in Essex County.
Most of these libraries can be searched via the
JerseyCat statewide Catalog system or individually from each library's website.
ReBL Libraries include:
Belleville Public Library,
Bloomfield College Library,
Bloomfield Public Library,
Caldwell Public Library,
Cedar Grove Public Library,
East Orange Public Library,
Essex County College Library,
Fairfield Public Library,
Glen Ridge Public Library,
Irvington Public Library,
Livingston Public Library,
Maplewood Memorial Library,
Millburn Public Library,
Montclair Public Library,
Newark Public Library,
Nutley Public Library,
Orange Public Library,
Roseland Public Library,
Rutgers-Newark (Dana Library),
Seton Hall University Library,
South Orange Public Library,
Verona Public Library,
and
West Orange Public Library.
Interlibrary Loans
Bloomfield residents may request books and photocopies of materials owned
by other libraries. Interlibrary Loan requests are to be filled out by a
Reference Librarian at the Information Desk. There is a charge of $.10 per
page for interlibrary loaned articles. For Lending Policies to other
Libraries, please contact the ILL department.
Book Donations
We appreciate the special place that books
have in people's lives and the reluctance to discard them. However, limitations
of time and space make it impossible for the library to accept all the books it
is offered. Our purpose in accepting books as donations is to either add them to the
collection or generate revenue for the library by offering them for sale to other patrons
in our Library Booksales
or in one of our booksales. Donated books must
be clean, with binding and covers intact, and nonfiction should be up-to-date.
We do not accept:Old reference sets (Encyclopedias, etc.),
Reader's Digest Condensed books, old magazines, materials whose subject matter is clearly out of date, books in poor physical condition, textbooks, mass market paperbacks.
Please phone us prior to dropping off books so that we can go over our
policy and discuss the nature and amount of materials you would like to donate.
Anyone wishing to drop off books should inquire at the Circulation Desk between 9:30am and 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday. The library be happy to
provide you with a letter acknowledging receipt of the books.
Audio-Visual Policies
The Bloomfield Public Library has an extensive audiovisual collection of
materials in non-book formats which can be rented for a fee (please call the
library for details). We carry audiobooks, also known as books-on-tape,
which are available on cassette or compact disc. Titles include various genres,
classics and best sellers. Non-fiction titles are available as well. The CD
music collection include many classic composers such as Beethoven and Mozart.
The library also carries a wide variety of videos, Adult and Childrens, including
subjects ranging from biographies, travel, documentaries to popular movies. The DVD
collection includes many popular movies and much more!
Check the Library Catalog for specific holdings.
Loan Periods
Loan periods vary by material. New books circulate for 14 days, older books for 28 days.
Audio-Visual material circulate as above.
Children's books are loaned for 4 weeks (Summer
Reading List books and some new books may be due after 14 days).
Up to 25 picture books may be taken out at a time. You may check out
up to 10 books in any other category (Non-Fiction, Young Readers, Easy Readers and Juvenile Fiction). The Librarian may restrict borrowing in a subject, series, or by
a particular author, when those items are in great demand. Children's magazines can be borrowed, too, except for the latest issue.
