Getting a Library Card
Upon proof of residence, any Westford resident may register for a Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) library card, which may be used at the J. V. Fletcher Library, any of the other MVLC libraries, and across the Commonwealth. There is no minimum age requirement. Residents in good standing with other cities and towns in the MVLC network may use their home town’s card at the J. V. Fletcher Library.
Resident of Towns not in MVLC: Massachusetts residents outside of the MVLC Network may register by presenting a valid library card from their home town library or by registering for a library card in-person. Identification (i.e. driver’s license, mail, student ID, paystub) is necessary
Teachers in the Westford School System may get a Teacher Card. For more information on how to register and what services go with a Teacher’s Card, contact the Library.
Identification
To register, patrons must present an acceptable form of identification showing name and current legal address. Acceptable ID includes a driver’s license, tax bill, a checkbook with a current address, or a utility bill.
MVLC eCards for immediate access to electronic resources.
An eCard is a Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) library card that allows you immediate access to resources, such as e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, streaming music and video, and databases.
The eCard is for those who do not already have an MVLC library card. You must be a resident of Massachusetts.
If you wish to take out books, DVDs, etc., you must come in and register for a library card with the proper identification (please see above).
Loan Periods
In general, patrons may take out as many items as they wish for a period of 3 weeks.
Certain special loan periods may apply. Though items may be returned in the library book drop, launch pads must be returned to the desk where it was checked out.
The exceptions to this policy are:
| Best Sellers | 3 Weeks |
| *Friends’ Bestseller Collection Titles | 3 Weeks |
| DVD’s | 1 Week |
| Museum Passes | 1 Day |
*The FBC titles are a Friends Funded collection The FBC assures patrons that we have a browsing collection of new, bestsellers when they visit the Library; otherwise, new titles would most likely only be available via a waiting list. If you would like to further support this collection, please consider a Friends membership.
Renewals, Reserves, And Inter-Library Loans
Library materials may be renewed in person, by telephone, or remotely unless requested by another patron. When renewing by telephone, patrons must provide the barcode number on their library card.
Circulating items may be reserved in person or by telephone at any Public Service Desk.
Patrons may request items from other libraries through our Inter-Library Loan (ILL) service. ILL requests from within the MVLC Network generally arrive within a week.
Fees And Fines
The J. V. Fletcher Library is interested in having materials returned, not in collecting fines. Unlike many libraries, we do NOT charge fines for overdue items. We are pleased that our patrons generally respect this privilege, and return their materials promptly.
Privacy Statement
By state law, all patron card activity is confidential – this is even true for very young children. A child essentially experiences his or her first equal “adult” status in the act of acquiring a personal library card and is afforded the same privacy as adults. Thus, overdue notices and print-outs of books checked out are mailed directly to youngsters (even though parents may be legally responsible for the actions of the minors in their household). Parents are encouraged to weigh the child’s delight in the first library card with the knowledge that according to state law, parents may not have direct access to a child’s borrowing record.
Overdue Notices
If materials are held past their due date, a series of reminder notices are sent by mail. Patrons will also be notified when checking out at a Public Service Desk of materials that are still outstanding on their card. The “amount due” listed on a reminder notice is the replacement cost if the materials are not returned.
The Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) is an alliance of 37 public libraries serving the Greater Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts.
| Amesbury | Andover | Billerica | Boxford | Burlington |
| Carlisle | Chelmsford | Dracut | Dunstable | Essex |
| Georgetown | Groton | Groveland | Hamilton | Haverhill |
| Ipswich | Lawrence | Littleton | Lowell | Manchester-by-The-Sea |
| Merrimac | Methuen | Middleton | Newbury | Newburyport |
| North Reading | Rockport | Rowley | Salisbury | Tewksbury |
| Topsfield | Tyngsborough | Wenham | West Newbury | Westford |
| Wilmington |