Library cards are issued free of charge to residents of Greene County, Missouri, or persons who pay property tax in Greene County. Those residing outside of Greene County, but within the state of Missouri, may apply for a non-resident Library card.

Applying For a Library Card

Residents of Greene County who are 18-years-old or older may apply for a Library card online.

Minors and residents of other counties in Missouri may apply for a Library card at any Springfield-Greene County Library branch. Identification and proof of current address are required. If you pay property tax in Greene County, but do not reside here, please bring a current copy of your Greene County property tax receipt. Acceptance of a Library card assumes that you will be responsible for fines for late returns and charges for lost or damaged items checked out on your card.

Using Your Library Card

To check out books and other items, present your Library card at the checkout desk of any branch library. If you don't have your card, proof of identification is required for your protection.

If you have more than three items overdue, or more than $10 in fines, fees or charges, you will not be allowed to check out additional items.

Most items check out for three weeks and may be renewed twice, by phone, in person or online, if there are no holds on the item. Overdue fine is 10 cents per item each day the Library is open (10 cents per item per week on the bookmobile). Any item 55 days or more overdue will have an additional $15 charge.

Exceptions are high demand books (such as best sellers), which check out for two weeks. Overdue fine is 25 cents per item each day the Library is open. FastTrack titles check out for one week, with a 25 cent overdue fee per item each day the Library is open.

Other exceptions to the three-week checkout are videos and DVDs, which check out for one week.

Maximum fine is $5 for each adult item, $1 for each juvenile item.

Total items that may be checked out per card are limited to 50. You may check out as many as three toys and three CD-ROMs per card.

Library Cards for Minors

Persons 17 years old and younger unaccompanied by a parent may register for a Library card if they can complete a registration form with name, address, phone number, birthday and parents' name.

The minor will be able to check out three books at a time until the responsibility statement on the back of the card is signed by a parent, guardian or other adult willing to assume responsibility for items checked out on the card and fines or charges that may accrue.

Non-Resident Library Cards

Those residing outside Greene County may obtain a non-resident Library card for a $50, non-refundable, annual fee.

The $50 fee is the average amount a Greene County property owner pays in property taxes to support the Springfield-Greene County Library District.

The annual fee allows family members living at the same residence outside of Greene County to borrow any item in the Library's collection of more than a half million books, audio books, videos, CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and toys from the District's eight facilities and bookmobile.

The Library no longer receives financial assistance through the Missouri State Library to support regional networks. That funding ended several years ago. Library officials searched for alternative funding so that service to out-of-county patrons could continue, but this funding did not materialize.

The bulk of the Library's funding--91%--comes from Greene County property tax revenues. Home owners and businesses in Greene County pay 22 cents per $100 assessed valuation to support the Library.

Those who live in another county, but own property or rent business real estate in Greene County are exempt from paying the $50 fee. A tax receipt or sales contract is required at the time a Library card is requested.

Anyone can walk into any Library facility and read the newspapers and magazines, browse through the stacks, use the reference materials and computerized products, attend programs, use the copier and find answers to questions from the reference librarians. But, if you want to check out books or other items or use the interlibrary loan service, you must have a Library card.

Company Library Cards

The branches of the Springfield-Greene County Library District are repositories of a wide range of resources that can be useful in the operation of businesses. To make it easy for employees to use library services, businesses are encouraged to apply for Company Library Cards.

Company Library Cards are issued for one year in a company's name and mailed to the company address, in care of the president. Overdue notices are sent to the company president, who is responsible for materials checked out on Company Library Cards.

To apply for a Company Library Card complete an application, available at any library branch, and submit it with a request on company letterhead, signed by the president.

Student Library Cards

A college, vocational or university student living in Greene County in campus housing, but with a permanent residence outside of Greene County, will be issued a library card with the patron type of temporary student. These cards will expire each year on May 31. Permanent out-of-county residence will be recorded on the patron record.

Students who reside off campus, but in Greene County, can obtain a regular library card. Students who commute from outside Greene County will need to purchase a Non-Resident Library Card.

Denial of Service Policy

Service may be denied a Springfield-Greene County Library user who does not return overdue materials, does not pay outstanding fines, removes materials illegally or repeatedly abuses Library policies.

Denial of Service - Appeal

Citizens who have been denied library service for any reason shall have fifteen (15) days to appeal in writing to a committee consisting of a branch manager, circulation manager and a support staff employee. The committee shall respond in writing with a ruling concerning the denial within fifteen (15) days.

No member of the committee will be employed at the branch involved in the action. Committee members shall be selected by the Executive Director to serve a one-year term. If the committee finds that service shall continue to be denied, a final appeal may be made to the Executive Director within thirty (30) days of the date of the denial finding submitted by the committee.