Borrowing, Renewing, and Returning
SWAN (System-Wide Automated Network) is the shared online catalog of suburban libraries. The catalog lists more than one million titles of books and other library materials. It shows which library owns a particular item and if the item is available. The SWAN catalog is available in the Library or from our website.
You may reserve items via the library catalog, whether they are owned by Evergreen Park Public Library or another library in SWAN. If the computer catalog shows the item on shelf at Evergreen Park Public Library, please call the Library and the item will be held at the Circulation Desk for three days for pick-up. Call the Library if a title is not listed in the computer catalog. Most likely it can be obtained from another source.
Reserving Materials and Interlibrary Loan
You may place a hold on an item that Evergreen Park Public Library owns but is currently checked out. You also may borrow materials that Evergreen Park Public Library does not own from one of the member libraries within SWAN. If an item is unavailable in SWAN, we can expand the search to other libraries in Illinois. There is no charge for this service. We will even request materials from libraries throughout the United States as long as the owning library is willing to lend them. There may be a small fee to obtain materials from outside Illinois. You will be notified by telephone or email when the item arrives at Evergreen Park Public Library for pick-up.
Library materials may be renewed, whether they are owned by Evergreen Park Public Library or another library in SWAN. As a rule, most library materials owned by Evergreen Park Public Library can be renewed twice. The exceptions are magazines, new-release DVDs, computer program disks, video games, and items on reserve for another patron. Library materials may be renewed one of three ways:
- In person.
- Over the phone, as long as the item is not more than one week overdue.
- Over the Internet, through the SWAN catalog.
Renewable Materials by Telephone or Online
You may renew your materials by calling the Circulation Desk at 708.422.8522,, ext. 110, or you may renew your materials through the SWAN catalog on our website. You will not be able to renew materials online on which you owe fines. Do the following to renew materials online through the SWAN catalog website:
- Log into “My Account.”
- You will see a link marked “Items currently checked out” with the number of items you have checked out.
- Click the link to view the materials you have checked out.
- Select the materials you want to renew by checking the boxes in the “Renew” column and then click the “Renew Selected” button. If you want to renew everything you have checked out, click the “Renew All” button.
- If you cannot renew items, a message will appear in the “Status” column. If you are successful, a new due date will appear in the “Status” column. Always check the “Status” column for information on the success or failure of your renewal.
Vacation Loans
Evergreen Park Public Library offers a vacation loan period of up to six weeks. This consideration will not apply to new books.
Overdue Library Materials
Evergreen Park Public Library will not check out materials or renew a card for any patron that has overdue materials, unpaid fines, or charges for overdue, lost or damaged materials that amount to $5 or more.
Materials that are five months or more overdue will be accepted as returned at the discretion of the Library, with payment of the appropriate fine amount. If the Library chooses not to accept the materials after five months or more overdue, you will be charged the price of the materials plus a processing fee of $5, but not to exceed the price of the book. The materials become the property of the patron. Residents may have the processing fee waived.
You will be reimbursed for a lost and paid item if the item is presented in good condition within 30 days along with the receipt of payment.
Click here for more information about our loan periods and fines.
Receive overdue alerts by email
Give your email address to any library staff member, and your account will be updated. Or log onto "My Account" and enter your name as it appears on your library card, 14 digit barcode, and PIN. On the left side of the screen you will see a link to modify your email address.
Courtesy Notices
Items checked out for 8 or more days: a courtesy notice is emailed to you 3 days before the item is due.
Items checked out for 3-7 days: a courtesy notice is emailed to you 1 day before the item is due.
Overdue Notices
First overdue notice: emailed to you 14 days after the item is due.
Second overdue notice: emailed to you 14 days after the first overdue notice.
Billing Notices
A billing notice is sent 42 days after the item is due. Billing notices will continue to be sent by mail to the address in your library account. Billing notices show the replacement cost of the item(s). Upon return, you owe only the fines that have accrued on the item(s) since the due date.
Accounts with outstanding overdue fees/fines of over $25 are remitted to a collection agency. A collection agency fee of $10 will be added to the patron's account. This fee cannot be waived.
Materials Owned by Another Library
Materials borrowed from another library in SWAN may be returned to Evergreen Park Public Library as long as not otherwise marked on the item. The borrower is responsible for the item until it arrives at the owning library.
The periods, fines, and fees on materials borrowed from another library are set by the lending library. Fines incurred on materials owned by another library may be paid at Evergreen Park Public Library. Charges for lost, damaged, or other fees placed on materials manually by the owning library must be paid in person at the owning library, unless the item was acquired through interlibrary loan. You may also pay that fee online on the SWAN website. Evergreen Park Public Library will not issue library cards or provide service to patrons who are known to have overdue obligations (in the form of unpaid fines or overdue, lost or damaged materials) at another library.