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Planning Your Visit

Please call the branch directly to set up an appointment for your group to visit. Visits could include a tour of the Children’s area, time to browse for and borrow books, time to do research, a read-aloud, and a craft project.

Planning Your Visit: EDUCATORS and groups

Appointments:

Please call the branch directly to set up an appointment for your group to visit. Visits could include a tour of the Children’s area, time to browse for and borrow books, time to do research, a read-aloud, and a craft project.

Library Cards:

To register the kids in your group for library cards, obtain a “student/group library card” application from the branch you plan to visit (Ask the librarian you arrange your visit with to help you with this.) Copy as many applications as you need and distribute them to the children in your care. The parent or guardian must fill the form out neatly and completely and return it to you. The teacher or counselor should review the applications before returning them the library. Library cards are then processed and mailed directly to the child’s home. This can take up to three weeks, so please plan accordingly!

Before you arrive:

Decide what your children will be allowed to do during your visit. Review the number of computers at the branch you will visit. Are you going to let your kids use the computers if they are available? If you are not, talk to them about your expectations ahead of time. If you are, please plan a strategy for turn-taking!

  • Checking out books? How many are they going to be allowed to take when they are with you? Are you going to let them check out DVDs or puppets, or just books? Any books? Or just books that meet the goals of your class?
  • Are they allowed to do puzzles or draw when they are done choosing books? Or do you expect them to be reading while they wait for other students to finish?
  • Do they need to bring a bag to carry their items?

Behavior:

Although libraries are no longer silent places, students are expected to speak quietly and to walk from place to place so as not to disturb other patrons.

It is expected that the teachers or counselors will break their children into small groups, each under the constant supervision of an adult. Chaperones are expected to participate in the activity their group is engaged in.

Central Library Plaza Construction Update

New artist renderings of the plaza are available for public viewing.

March 2018 –

The Central Library is currently undergoing renovation, repairs, and construction. Part of the project includes tearing down the old, unsafe entrance ramp at the northwest library entrance (facing the Springfield Museums). The old ramp will be replaced by a new accessible ramp, stairs, and plaza connecting to the Smith Museum. Construction is expected to be completed in August 2018.

Click on images for enlarged views.

Planning Your Visit

The Children’s collections housed in each branch of the Springfield City Library are geared for babies through age twelve, as well as their parents and caregivers.

Library cards:

You do not need a library card to attend a library program, make a craft, participate in the Summer Reading Club, look for books or articles in the online catalog, or just to stop by and read for a while.

You do need a library card to use an internet computer or to check out an item. If you forget your card but have your picture ID, Circulation staff can look up your number (or your child’s number) for you.

If you have a card from another C/WMARS library (most cities and towns in Western Massachusetts belong to this group), your card will work in Springfield too. If you are visiting from another town, you can borrow our items and return them to your home library.

If you don’t have a library card at all, but would like to sign up for one, bring a picture ID with your current address. For more information visit our “How Do I… Get a Library Card” page.

Not sure of the status of your library card? Haven’t been here since you were a kid? Stop by the Circulation Desk of any library location with your library card or your photo ID for assistance.

Parking:

Check your neighborhood branch page for information about parking.

Borrowing:

We have a lot of fantastic books, puppets, music, and movies. Visitors can have up to 50 items on their library card at one time. Plan ahead! Pack along an empty canvas bag to carry your treasures! Walking or taking the bus? Consider an empty backpack!

The Children’s collections housed in each branch of the Springfield City Library are geared for babies through age twelve, as well as their parents and caregivers. People of all ages are welcome to use the children’s collections, but use of the children’s spaces is reserved for children with their parents or caregivers. (Children age 8 and up may use the library on their own.)

From board books for babies to books on the Civil Rights movement for fifth grade homework assignments, our collections have something for every kid. In each children’s collection you can expect to find:

  • Board books: These have thick, sturdy pages that your baby or toddler can turn themselves.
  • Picture books: These illustrated books feature stories that are generally geared towards children birth through age 8, though there are picture books geared toward older children as well. Classic examples include Tikki Tikki Tembo and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
  • Early readers: For children who are just learning to read! Ranging from just a short sentence on a page to a few very short chapters, these books help your child get comfortable as a reader.
  • Chapter books: From Junie B. Jones to Percy Jackson, these are the books that kids spend the majority of their childhoods reading. Some titles are available in Large Type editions.
  • Graphic Novels: Essentially comic book novels, kids love delving into these series.
  • Nonfiction: From outer space to dinosaurs, dolphins to the human body, grammar to sports, poetry to history, this collection attempts to answer the questions posed by every kid—and teacher!
  • Audiobooks: Would you rather listen to a favorite story? Some titles are available in audio. Picture books and audio CDs are borrowed as a set; the audiobook version of chapter books is available just as adult audiobooks are, though the book can also be obtained for readers who like to follow along.
  • Magazines: From “Highlights” to “Sports Illustrated for Kids”, children’s magazines are here!
  • Music: Child-friendly tunes on child-friendly themes!
  • Puppets: Ever wished to have a three-headed dragon visit your home? You can! Low-maintenance and completely returnable.
  • DVDs: Movies with a G/PG rating that are of most interest to children are found here.
  • Video Games: Games for Xbox, Wii, and Playstation are available through some libraries, including the Springfield Central Library and the Sixteen Acres branch.
  • Early Childhood Resource Center: Central Library only, though all items are available to patrons anywhere in Western Massachusetts via interlibrary loan.  Is the item you need at a different branch library? No problem! We can use interlibrary loan to have it sent to the library closest to you.

Programming:

Click here to see our children’s programming schedule.

Other things to do:

Besides plenty of books for browsing, you will find puzzles, drawing paper, toys and games, a puppet theater, and very often a craft project to complete. Each branch has a different flavor, so try them all and see which ones best suit your family’s needs.

Food:

If you are visiting the Central Library, the Blake House Café located on the Quadrangle includes child-friendly meals.

Behavior:

Although libraries are no longer silent places, once they are no longer infants or toddlers, children are expected to use quiet voices and to walk from place to place so as not to disturb other patrons.

Note: Babies cry. Toddlers lose control. This is not a problem!

Direct and constant adult supervision is expected for children under the age of 8. Children ages 8 and older may use the library by themselves, at their guardian’s discretion.

Please finish phone calls before entering the library.

Access My Account

Through your online account you can find books, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks – and more! Open 24/7 with your Springfield City Library card.

Log into your account:

  1. Go to the login page of the online catalog.
  2. Enter the barcode that appears on the back of your Springfield City Library card in the username field. (You can change your username once you’ve logged in.)
  3. Enter your PIN in the password field.
  4. Click on the “Log in” button located below the username and password fields.

If you are unsuccessful after following these instructions, click on the link “Forgot your password?” to the right of the “Log In” button. Follow the instructions on this page. An email will be sent to the email address that we have on record for you. If you do not receive email in response to your reset request, please consider each of the following before contacting the circulation staff at one of our Springfield City library locations:

  • You have not made cwmars.org a trusted domain on your computer. In this case, the email may be going directly to your spam folder.
  • Your computer security software (your firewall) is blocking the email.
  • You are checking a different email mailbox than the one that is listed in your library account.

If you still are unable to access your patron account, please feel free to contact the circulation staff at your local Springfield City Library location.

Report a Lost or Stolen Card

Notify any Springfield City Library location by telephone or in person as soon as you notice your card has been lost or stolen so that we can block anyone else from using it.

You may also always call the Central Library at 413-263-6828, ext. 218 or ext. 239.

We will not hold you responsible for items that are checked out after you reported your card was lost or stolen, but you will be responsible for items checked out before that.

To get a replacement card, come into the Library with a current picture ID.

Place A Hold

However you request your materials, we will call you or send you an email, text, or a postcard notification when your materials are ready for pick up.

Place Your Own Item Requests

Electronically
You may place your own item requests electronically through the online catalog either from a computer in the Library or from your home or office. You may have up to 20 active hold requests at a time. Enter your library card number and PIN, request the item, and use the drop-down menu to choose your preferred library location for pickup.

In Person
Request assistance to place a HOLD at any Branch Library Reference Desk. You must have your library card with you to do this since we will need your barcode number to place the request for you.

By Telephone or Online from your home or office
Use our AskALibrarian service online or telephone the Reference Desk at any Springfield City Library location. Please include your mailing address, telephone number, and library card number, along with details of the items you want.

We will hold the item for you for one week at the circulation desk of the library location you specified for pick up.

Renew An Item

One renewal of library material is allowed for the original loan period if no one else has requested the item.

You may renew in person or by telephone at the circulation desk of any Springfield City Library location. Please have your library card number ready when you call.

You may also view your library record and renew online by logging in to your C/WMARS account. Enter your library card number in the user name box and enter your password or PIN. For first time card holders enter the last 4 digits of your telephone number.

Loan Periods, Limits and Fines

The listed policies apply at most C/WMARS libraries. Other libraries may have different overdue fines, rules, and policies.

C/WMARS stands for Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing. The Libraries in the C/WMARS network, including the Springfield City Library, share library items with each other.


How long you can borrow items:
1 week – Movies, Magazines, Video Games
2 weeks – New Adult Books
3 weeks – All other library materials

Items in the Springfield Library of Things such as mobile hotspots, cake pans, and musical instruments are subject to different loan periods. Ask a librarian for more information.

Audio-Visual Material Check Out Limits:
(applies to Springfield City Library items)
3 Video Games
8 Each of DVDs and CDs

C/WMARS Network Check Out Limits:
20 Total CDs/Video Games
50 Items checked out on your card
20 Holds (items you’ve requested)

Renewals
If you’d like to borrow your item for longer, you can request to Renew your item. You get one renewal, meaning you can borrow the item for another 1-3 weeks depending on the item type.

Interlibrary Loans (from non-C/WMARS libraries)
Late fees for interlibrary loan items are set by the lending library.

Lost Items
Items that are kept out for four weeks past their due date will be considered lost, and the borrower will be charged a lost item fine. The fine will vary depending on the original cost of the item. If the item is later returned in usable condition, the lost item fine will be waived.

Get A Pin

You may view your library record, place and view holds, keep track of due dates and renew online, or pay a fine by logging into your C/WMARS account.

  • Enter your library card number (no spaces) in the user name box.
  • Enter your password or PIN. For first time card holders enter the last 4 digits of your telephone number.
  • To change your user name or password click on Account Preferences, then click on CHANGE to the right of password or user name.
  • If you have a problem logging in or forget your pin call any Springfield City Library location for help. You will need your library card number when calling.
  • If your email address has been entered into your account, you can request a PIN reset electronically. Click on “Forgot your password?,” and enter your library card number (barcode).

Get A Library Card

If you already have a card from another CWMARS public library, you may use it at all of our library locations — you do not need to apply for a separate card.

How to Get a Library Card

You can get a library card by visiting your local library branch in person to get full access to all of our physical and digital resources.

If you would like instant access to our online resources, you can apply for a CW MARS eCard online! The eCard can be upgraded to a full library card later, if desired.

If you already have a card from another CW MARS public library, you may use it at all of our library locations — you do not need to apply for a separate card specifically for Springfield City Library locations. Visit the CW MARS website for a list of member libraries.

ID Requirements for Adults

  • When applying for a card in person, or picking up a card you applied for online, you will need to present a valid Massachusetts driver’s license or Massachusetts state identification card that has your photo, name, and current address.
  • If you don’t have a state ID, you can present another form of photo ID (such as a current passport, military ID, school ID, or another state’s ID) along with an official document showing your Massachusetts residential address (such as a utility bill or lease.) PO Boxes and business addresses may not be used to obtain a library card. A piece of mail with a valid postmark from the last 30 days sent to your current address may also be used.
  • If you have a photo ID but no means to verify your address, we can fill out and mail a Residence Confirmation postcard to you. Bringing that postcard back to the library once you have received it will count as proof of address.
  • Alternatively, a letter from a social services provider may be used as proof of residency as long as it is on their official letterhead and dated within the last 30 days.

ID Requirements for Children

  • Children age 11 and younger will need to have a parent or guardian present when signing up for their card, who will need to present their own identification.
  • A parent or guardian cannot obtain a card for a child if the child is not present.
  • A child’s parent or guardian is responsible for all lost and damaged item fines on their children’s library cards. Official library correspondence will be addressed to the parent or legal guardian listed on the child’s card.
  • Children between the ages of 12 and 17 who have the necessary documents from the “ID Requirements for Adults” section may sign up and be responsible for their own card, without a parent.

ID Requirements for Out-of-State Residents

Persons who do not live in Massachusetts may still obtain a Springfield City Library card if they meet the criteria below:

  • If you own property in Springfield, you may present a deed or other document confirming your ownership in addition to the documentation in “ID Requirements for Adults.”
  • If you own a business in Springfield or work in Springfield, you may present proof of business ownership or employment within the city in addition to the documentation in “ID Requirements for Adults.”
  • If you live outside of the state, do not meet the other requirements of this section, and still wish to obtain a Springfield City Library card, you can obtain one by paying an annual fee of $35, in addition to presenting your home state’s version of the documentation in “ID Requirements for Adults.”

For more information about library cards, library policies and borrowing privileges, call any Springfield City Library location.

For first-time card holders, your PIN number is the last 4 digits of your telephone number. This can be changed when you Access Your Account.  Your PIN allows you to place a hold, use the electronic resources on the eLibrary, and so much more.