FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are a list of some of our more frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answers you are looking for or need clarification, please call 978-468-5577 or email [email protected].

What are the hours of the library?
When is the library closed?
What is the library phone number?
Where is the library located?
How do I get a Hamilton-Wenham Public Library card?
What is my Borrower ID number?
What is my PIN (Personal Identification Number)?
What are automatic renewals?
My item did not automatically renew. Can I renew it myself?
How do I renew items online?
How long can I keep materials?
Does the library charge fines?
Where can I return materials?
When did the new library open?
Is there a public fax machine that I can use?
Is there a public copier that I can use?
How do I go about getting my art work displayed at the library?
Does the library accept book donations?
Which newspapers does the library subscribe to?
How many books do you have?
Can I use my card at other libraries?
Can I book a library meeting room for an event?
Does the library offer 3D printing?

What are the hours of the library?

Monday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

When is the library closed?

Sundays and the following holidays:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents’ Day
  • Patriots Day
  • Saturday before Memorial Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Saturday before Labor Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day
  • *Election Day (*specific to 2024)
  • Veterans Day
  • Early closing: Day Before Thanksgiving at 1:00 p.m.
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve
  • Christmas Day
  • Early closing: New Year’s Eve at 4:00 p.m.

What is the library phone number?

(978) 468-5577.  Visit Contact Us for direct extensions within the library.

Where is the library located?

14 Union Street, South Hamilton, MA 01982.  Visit Directions for more information.

How do I get a Hamilton-Wenham Public Library card?

You need to be a resident of Hamilton or Wenham to get a Hamilton-Wenham Public Library card. You will also need to bring one form of I.D. with your name and current address on it.

If you have a valid MVLC (Merrimack Valley Library Consortium) library card it can be used at our library. Cards from towns with other networks (such as the NOBLE network, of which Beverly Public Library is a member) can be registered in our database. Click here to find out more about getting library card, or call the library at 978-468-5577.

What is my Borrower ID number?

Your Borrower ID number is the number on your library card that is directly under the barcode. If you are using the ID number to log into your account or to an electronic resource requiring the ID number, type the whole number in without any spaces or hyphens.

What is my PIN (Personal Identification Number)?

The PIN for your library account is usually either the last 4 digits of your phone number or, for newer cards, the last four digits of your library card number.  You have the option to change your PIN to a different PIN or to a password that is easy for you to remember.

What are automatic renewals?

All items eligible for renewal are automatically renewed three days prior to their due dates.  Items are eligible for renewal unless:

  • There is a wait list.
  • The item has reached its renewal limit.
  • Your account is blocked due to overdue items and/or bills owed.
  • The item belongs to a collection that does not allow auto renewals (examples include: non-renewable “Hot Titles”; digital content; items lent by libraries outside MVLC.)
  • The item was checked out from an MVLC library that does not participate in Automatic Renewals.

Items cannot be renewed before this three day period.  Click here to learn more about automatic renewals.

My item did not automatically renew. Can I renew it myself?

If an item does not automatically renew, it may be possible to manually renew it yourself within the three day period before its due date.  For example, if your item did not automatically renew because it was on hold for someone else but that hold was then filled by another copy, it could be eligible for a manual renewal.  Renew eligible items online, or call or email to have library staff renew them for you.  Please provide your library card number when calling or emailing.

How do I renew items online?

  1. Go to our Library Catalog.
  2. You will see a row of buttons that include “Log In,” “My Account,” and “My Lists.”  Click “Log In.”
  3. Enter your  “Library card number or username” followed by your “PIN number or password” and then click to Log In.
  4. Click “My Account.”  You will find yourself in the tab section for “Personal Information” by default.
  5. Click “Checkouts.”  You will find yourself in the tab section for “Library Checkouts” by default.
  6. In “Library Checkouts, all of the items that you have checked out will be listed, along with Times Renewed and Date Due, and preceded by a check box for selecting the item.  Check the box for the item that you want to renew, then click the green Renew button.
  7. Look to see what the new due date is.  If the item did not renew, the reason it did not renew will indicated in red font, such as “Renewal limit reached” or “Cannot renew at this time.”
  8. Once you have finished using your account, go to the upper part of the screen to “Log Out.”

How long can I keep materials?

Videos, DVDs, and magazines are checked out for 1 week. All other materials, including books, books on tape, CDs and cassettes are checked out for 3 weeks.

Does the library charge fines?

We do not charge fines on any of our materials other than museum passes. Late museum passes carry a $10.00 fine. There is a $25.00 fee for lost passes.  If the item is out for so long that we believe it is lost, we may charge a replacement fee.

Where can I return materials?

When the library is open please bring all materials to the Circulation Desk.

When the library is closed you may place materials in the book drop which is to the right of the entrance.

When did the new library open?

December 17th, 2001.

Is there a public fax machine that I can use?

Yes, we have a public fax machine. The charge to send a fax is $1.00 for the first page and .50 cents for each page after the first. The charge to receive a fax is .50 cents per page.  The library fax number is 978-468-5535.

Visit Fax, Copiers, Computers, etc. for more information about office equipment at the library.

Is there a public copier that I can use?

Yes, we have two public copiers. There is one on the first floor to the left of the circulation desk and there is a terminal for printing and copying on the second floor, next to Study Room 1. B&W copies are 20 cents per sheet; color copies are 30 cents per sheet.  Default is letter (8 1/2 x 11), with the option to print legal (8 1/2 x 14.)

How do I go about getting my art work displayed at the library?

Please contact Jessica Furtado at 978-468-5577 ext. 624.  See also our Guidelines for artists hanging their work.

Does the library accept book donations?

Our Friends of the Library group receives donations of new or gently used books and other materials for sale at the library.  Please see the Library Donation Guidelines for information about specific days and times to bring donations, and about what will or won’t be accepted.

Which newspapers does the library subscribe to?

  • Barron’s
  • The Boston Globe (kept for 3 months)
  • Chronicle and Transcript (back to 1958, also on microfilm)
  • Jewish Journal
  • Manchester Cricket
  • Morningstar (strictly digital; click here for information and access)
  • The New York Times
  • Salem News (kept for 3 months)
  • USA Today
  • Valueline (kept behind Reference Desk)
  • The Wall Street Journal

Visit Magazines and Newspapers for more information.

How many books do you have?

Library holdings change constantly, but as of July 1, 2019, we had:

– 110,547 books
– 7,555 audio (audio CDs and playaways)
– 10,879 DVDs
– 31,739 e-books
– 9,492 downloadable audio
– 575 other materials in electronic format (including CD ROMs)
– 107 materials in microforms (fiche, rolls, etc.)
– 307 miscellaneous (e.g. literacy and book club kits, Kill-A-Watt device, butter churn, telescope, games, etc.)

We also have:

– 141 print serial subscriptions
– 20 other subscriptions (e.g. museum passes)
– 20 database licenses (not including regional/statewide database licenses)

Can I use my card at other libraries?

Hamilton-Wenham is part of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC). Hamilton-Wenham patrons can use their cards at other MVLC libraries, or can request that items from other MVLC libraries be sent to Hamilton-Wenham for pickup. Patrons can search for and place their requests for these items through the regular Library Catalog.

The Commonwealth Catalog (ComCat) allows patrons to search for and request items owned by libraries across the state of Massachusetts. Requested items can be sent to Hamilton-Wenham for pickup.

Patrons can also search OCLC’s WorldCat, accessible through our Electronic Resources page, for any items not available via the Library Catalog, or through ComCat.  Please ask a librarian if you wish to request items from WorldCat, or request an Interlibrary Loan online.

Can I book a library meeting room for an event?

Get the details from our Meeting Rooms page.

Does the library offer 3D printing?

3D printing returned to the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library as of July 2023!  Visit our 3D Printer page for more information, including policy and request form.