Manage Your Account

Your Library account gives you access to Library information online.

Use your account online to:

• Renew items you have checked out
• Place holds on items you want to borrow
• Check if you have overdue items
• Pause your holds when you are out-of-town or on vacation
• View any charges on your account
• See if any items on hold are ready for pick up
• Create and share book lists
• Keep track of your borrowing history (opt in to enable)
• See when your items are due

Log in to Your Account (from the Library catalog or located in the upper right-hand corner of every web page). Enter your Library card number (the 13-digit number found on your Library card) and your Personal Identification Number (PIN).

To protect your privacy, always log out of your account when you are finished and never let the browser save your password if you are on a public or shared computer.

We accept payments online, in person or by mail.

Online: Use your credit card, debit card or PayPal account to pay online.

Pay online now.

Things you need to know:

• Credit and debit card payments are made through PayPal, but you don't need a PayPal account to make a payment.
• There is no service charge, but a minimum payment of $1 is required.
• Payments will be applied to your Library account immediately.
• Ask Us if you experience problems with an online payment.
• Credit card payments are not accepted in person or by phone.

In person: Pay by cash, check or money order at any location of The Seattle Public Library during regular operating hours.

By mail: Mail check/money order to: Attention Borrower Payments, The Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Include your Library card number so your account is credited. You will receive a receipt in the mail.

If you want to keep items past their due date, you can renew them up to two times if no one else is waiting. To renew items, log in to Your Account, select 'Checked Out' to see a list of everything you currently have checked out, then click the blue 'Renew' button to renew a single item, or select the check boxes to manage multiple items. A message will appear to let you know if the renewal was successful.

When you renew an item, it will check out again for the same amount of time you initially borrowed it for. So if the item initially checked out for three weeks, you can renew it for another three weeks if no one is waiting. The new checkout period will start from the day you renew the item.

A PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a four-digit number you choose when you pick up your Library card or request it online to protect your account.

Be sure to keep your PIN private. Library staff will never ask for your PIN in person or over the phone.

You will need to know your PIN to:

• Use the self-checkout stations
• Access your account online
• Use online resources
• Download e-books, audiobooks, music and videos
• Access your Library account with TeleCirc

If you don't know your PIN, have forgotten it or want a new one, ask for help at any Library location or call Borrower Services at 206-386-4190.

Yes. Log in to Your Account. On the menu, click "My Settings." Scroll down to the "Change PIN" option.

You can decide whether you prefer to receive Library notices by email or phone. If you would like to receive other Library new and information about upcoming events, you can sign up for our email newsletters.

To receive Library notices by text message (SMS), or to customize the timing and frequency of your email notices, sign up for Library Elf.

Email notification

If you gave us an email address when you signed up for your Library card, you will automatically receive these notices:

• Overdue and almost overdue alerts for items you check out
• Notification when you place an item on hold and when it is ready to pick
• Billing notices when you have a balance owed on your account
   

Check your Account Settings to see if you have an email linked to your account or to add an email address. Email services may place email notices in your spam or junk mail folder. Please make sure your spam or junk mail folder is set to accept messages from notices@spl.org.

If you’d like to receive additional email notices, or to customize the timing and frequency of your email notices, sign up for Library Elf.

Phone notification

If you prefer, you can sign up to get automated phone messages via Telecirc by speaking with Library staff or calling 206-386-4190. With Telecirc you'll get notices for:

• Overdue alerts for items you check out
• Notification when an item you placed on hold is ready to pick up
• Billing notices when you have a balance owed on your account

Library Elf

You can sign up with Library Elf to receive overdue and hold notifications.

• Get email notifications as often as you choose
• Other notification options: SMS (text message), iCal, and RSS
• Add additional library cards to a single account (examples: your library card, a family member's library card, a King County Library System card, etc.)

See Library Elf privacy policy and FAQ.

The Library's Telephone Circulation System - or TeleCirc - is available 24 hours a day to help you access your account information. It also sends you telephone messages about overdue items or items placed on hold that are ready for pick up.

To call TeleCirc, have your Library card number and PIN ready, then call 206-386-9015. You can choose to use the system in Spanish or in English.

You can:

• Renew items 
• Find out what holds are available for pickup 
• Learn if you have fines 
• Hear a list of items on loan and due dates
   

If you aren't available when TeleCirc calls, you may get a partial message in your voicemail. If that happens, you can call TeleCirc at 206-386-9015 to check on your account.