The loan period is 3 weeks for all library materials except videos, which circulate for one week. Longer vacation loans can be arranged through library staff for materials not in demand. For patrons enrolled in the Operation Homebound program, items can be checked out for 6 weeks. The overall limit for materials checked out on your card at any one time is seventy. The Palo Alto City Library is a public institution.
Membership is free, as are basic circulation and reference functions.
Patrons are, however, financially responsible for items checked out on their library cards. A patron may, at the discretion of the Circulation Supervisor, replace an unreturned or unrepairably damaged item. Any repair or replacement charges are based on the cost to the Library. In the absence of the original or actual replacement cost of a billed item, a default price based on the average cost for that type of material will be charged. Deliberate mutilation of library material is subject to higher fees and possible legal prosecution.