Get a library card
Free library cards are issued to applicants meeting the following criteria:
- Persons (families) owning property and living within the district. Minors ages 5-17 must have a parent or guardian signature to receive a library card.
- Persons (families) renting property within the district.
- Persons owning property within the library district, but living outside any public library service area. There is a limit of one card per property owned.
- See our library district map
General Rules regarding library cards:
- Library cards can be applied for in person or apply for a library card online. Photo ID and proof of residence are required. Online cards are valid for 30 days and must be picked up by the applicant with proof of identification and residence.
- Resident library cards do not expire, although we run an annual National Change of Address list with the USPS and the cards of those who have moved out of the district will be set as expired.
- There is a $2.00 replacement fee if a card is lost, stolen, or damaged.
- All library cards from members of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System will be honored at the Cherry Valley Public Library District, just as our cards will be honored at other member libraries. Items checked out of the Cherry Valley Public Library may be returned to any RAILS member library and vice versa.
- Materials may be returned to the drive-up book return when the library is closed. For music CDs that are more fragile, please take a padded envelope from the CD counter and place the CD case into it before dropping it into the book return.
- The use of the library and its services may be denied for due cause, such as failure to return library materials or pay fines, destruction of library property, or objectionable conduct on library premises. Read our Conduct Policy
- Patrons are responsible for library materials while they are in their care. Fines equaling the cost of damage will be charged to patrons who deface, destroy, or otherwise damage library material. The library realizes that normal wear and tear will occur. Patrons are responsible for checking the condition of materials before checking them out and alerting the library staff to defects or damage.
- Patrons are responsible for all costs and fines associated with the use of their library card. All material checked out on a patron’s card is his/her responsibility, and in the case of a minor, the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
Find a particular item
All of the information about the location of the library’s books is stored on computer. You can search directly from the Search box at the top right this screen, or click on the “Online Catalog” link at the top left side of the page. Our online catalog includes items from over 130 libraries in the PrairieCat consortium.
The search box in the online catalog looks like the following, and is similar in format to the quick search on this page:
Type in what you are searching for in the outlined box. This will automatically launch a keyword search.
Once you enter what you are searching for and click the search (magnifying glass) button, the Search Results page displays resources that match your search criteria.
Sort Results
- To see the resources that most closely match your search at the top of the list, sort by Relevancy (default).
- To see the most recent resources by record creation at the top of the list, sort by Date: newest.
- To see newly-acquired materials, sort by New Materials.
Format Rollup
The catalog offers improved search results by rolling up all copies into one result. For example, physical books, large print books, audiobooks, e-books, and e-audiobooks are all displayed in one result with availability visible. Select the desired material type to find a copy.
This shows that Oliver Twist (in book form) is located in the Adult Fiction section with the call number “F DIC” and our copy is available on the shelf. If you need help finding a particular section of the library, please ask a staff member.
Renew items online
You can view everything that you have checked out and renew books through our online catalog. Use the “Login to Your Account” link at the top left of the page to access this service. From the catalog itself, you can click “Log in to My Account” at the upper right of any page.
The login screen looks like this:
Enter your library barcode number and PIN (to create a PIN, please contact the library) and then click “Submit”. You can create an “Alternate ID” for your account once you are logged in, if you don’t want to have to remember your library barcode in the future.
Once you are logged in, click “My Bookshelf” at the bottom left of the screen, then you will come to a screen similar to the following:
To renew items, simply click the Renew button to the left of the title(s) that you wish to renew. The screen will then refresh. Be sure to check that your item(s) were renewed and note the new due date.
Place a hold on an item
If you are looking for a particular item but you find that it is not available here at Cherry Valley, you can place a hold on the book and we will contact you when it becomes available for you.
The following is an example:
If this item were available at Cherry Valley, that information would be listed here. When an item is not currently available at Cherry Valley, the first library alphabetically that has the item available will be listed – DeKalb Public Library in this example.
To request this item, you would click the “Place Hold” button. If you are not already logged in, you will be taken to the login screen:
Follow the instructions to enter your library barcode number and PIN and then click “Submit”. Contact the library if you do not have a PIN.
You will then see a screen similar to this:
The drop down specifies where you would like to pick up the item. The Cherry Valley Public Library has two pickup locations: the one displayed above, Cherry Valley PLD – CHVY-13, is for the self-service hold shelf next to the Adult Services circulation desk. The next option in the dropdown, Cherry Valley PLD Drive Up – CHVY-13, is for our drive-up pick-up window.
You can also choose a different library in our system if that is more convenient for you. If you do not want to receive the item after a particular date, check the box next to “I don’t need this item after…” and then enter that date. And be sure to click the “Confirm Location” button! You will receive an automated phone call or email when your item is available for pickup.
Request an item from outside PrairieCat
If you are looking for a particular item and it is not available in PrairieCat, the library is able to request items from outside of PrairieCat for our library cardholders. This process is called Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
To submit an online ILL request, you can click the “More Resources – ILL Form” link at the top of the online catalog.
On the following page, select the type of item you are requesting. If you aren’t logged in, you will then see the login screen.
After logging in, you will need to complete the request form with as much information that you have about the item you are looking for. The more information, the better. Be sure to click the “Submit This Request” link at the bottom of the form.
The library will also take written ILL requests. Simply ask a staff member for help.