Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can pay your library fines at any of the 34 library locations within the Riverside County Library System.

You may return any of the books you borrowed from your library to any of the 34 locations located in the Riverside County Library System.  (please note that Riverside City Library is not part of the county system)

DVD's can only be checked out once for a two week period.  These items cannot be renewed.

You may request a book from anyone of our libraries including those libraries that are affiliated with the Inland Library System.  The book will be delivered to the library of your choice as long as it is part of the Inland Library System.

As of October 6, 2009, a new policy went into effect not allowing DVD's to be renewed.

You may check out a total of 30 items at once.

Yes, you will be notified via E-mail or postal mail.  This depends on your account and how you have chosen to be notified.

Adult items: (books, recordings, paperbacks, magazines, pamphlets): $0.25 a day per item, $5.00 maximum. per item. Children's items: (books, recordings, paparbacks, magazines, pamphlets): $0.10 a day per item, $3.00 maximum per item. Videos and DVDs (adults and children's): $0.25 a day per item, $5.00 maximum per item.

Most items check out for 2 weeks and may be renewed twice in person, by phone, or online as long as no one has reserved the item. Please have your library card availble to renew.

Your PIN (Personal Identification Number) is the last four digits of your telephone number unless you have asked for it to be changed to some other number.
You will need your PIN to access your library account information online and to place holds on items in the catalog. If using the last four digits of your telephone number as your PIN does not work, please call any branch of the Riverside County Library System for assistance.

Any resident of California can obtain a Riverside County Library System card. Cards can be obtained at any of the thirty-three libraries or two bookmobiles in the Riverside County Library System. 

To get a card, you will need to show either a valid California Driver License with a current address, or two forms of identification, one showing who you are and the other indicating your current mailing address in California. Parents or legal guardians must sign for children's cards. Non-residents of California can obtain a library card for a $10 annual fee. 

Print out a Library Card Application 
Print out the following application in either Spanish or English and bring it with you* to the library. 
English :: Spanish :: English Fillable Form

*Note that parents or legal guardians must sign for children's cards.

How do I place a hold on an item?

You can place a hold on most items in the library system so that when that
item is returned, it will be sent to the library of your choice to pick up.
Follow these easy steps to place a hold on an item and have it sent for you:

1. From the Library's home page , select "Catalog" from the links across
  the top of our home page.

2. Search for the item you are looking for by author, title, subject or
  keyword (keyword is the default).

3. If the item is owned by the library system, the next page will either
  have a single item or a list of items displayed. If it is a single item, you
  will see a "Place Hold" link in the separate column on the left-hand of the
  screen. Do you see that column on the left? If Yes, skip to Step 5 below; if
  No, then continue to Step 4.

4. From the list of items, scan down the list to see if the one you are
  looking for is there. When you have found it, click on the "Place Hold"
  link. Continue to Step 6.

5. Click on the "Place Hold" link, and when the Login page appears, enter
  your library card number without any spaces between the numbers (this number
  appears just below the barcode on your library card), and your PIN (this is
  usually the last four digits of your telephone number). After you have
  entered your library card number and PIN, click on the LOGIN button.

6. When the Submit Hold screen appears, choose your pickup library from the
  drop-down menu and then click on the SUBMIT button.

7. The next screen will tell you if the hold has been successfully placed.
  You will receive notification either via e-mail, mail, or phone when the
  item is available to pick up at the library you specified.

8. If your hold attempt was not successful, there could be several reasons
  why--the item you tried to request could not be requested (a reference book,
  for instance), you may have the maximum number of holds on your card, or
  your library card may have expired. Please contact your local library for
  further assistance.

Note: If the screen tells you that the hold was not successfully placed, there could be several reasons, including that the item cannot be held, or that your card is blocked for some reason. If you have any questions, call any branch library for assistance.

Unlimited amount of pages at $0.10 per page for b&w only

A book borrowed out of one RCLS library (ex. Glen Avon) can be returned at any of our other RCLS branches.  Please see location and hours for a complete list.

We do not have e-reader service at this time.