Your Library Card

The South San Francisco Public Library is pleased to offer you a free library card!

Please submit an online card application, or fill out and print a PDF card application:

• PDF Card Application - English Version(PDF, 209KB)
• PDF Card Application - Spanish Version(PDF, 112KB)

You will need to provide the following items to receive your physical library card:

• Adults: Current ID and proof of residential address(PDF, 216KB) in California are required.
• Minors 15-17: School ID plus parent or guardian signature is required.
• Minors 0-14: Both minor and parent/legal guardian must be present at the time of application. The parent/legal guardian must have identification as required for adults, or have a current PLS library card with the same address and phone number as the minor child.

Your library card account includes:

• Access to e-books and e-audiobooks
• Streaming video
• Newspapers and magazines, and more.

Please note: Library cards expire after 3 years, with the exception that library cards issued to residents living in temporary housing expire after three months.

If you don't see a title you are looking for in our catalog, you may be able to get it from one of the local Community Colleges. The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) no longer shares an online catalog with the Peninsula Library System, but as members of the community you can still access their materials. For more information on borrowing SMCCCD materials, please click here. 

Borrowing from Community Colleges

Stay up-to-date on all your Library account activity!

Sign up for this free service and receive updates on item holds ready to be checked out, overdue notices, and courtesy notices for items that will be due in two days. You can even renew items with a quick text.
Signing up is easy. Text the message SIGNUP to pls@shoutbomb.com

Please note: Text message notifications are provided by shoutbomb, LLC. While this is a free service offered by the Library, you may incur per-message charges depending on your wireless plan. Please contact your wireless provider for more details. 

The South San Francisco Public Library offers Teacher Library Cards(PDF, 686KB) to teachers in our community. If you are a teacher, home school educator or day care provider living or working in our service area, and you have a personal library card in good standing, you are eligible for a Teacher Card.

To obtain an application, visit the South San Francisco Public Library or download the application(PDF, 218KB).

Benefits:

• No fines on material used in the classroom. Check out up to fifty items.
• Classroom and personal use material on separate library records.
• Request longer loan periods on selected materials used in the classroom.
• For use at any branch of the South San Francisco Public Library.

Restrictions:

• Your Teacher Card may only be used for classroom materials and is not for personal use.
• Materials from other Peninsula Library System libraries will not check out to your Teacher Card.
• Please be aware that you are responsible for any lost or damaged material checked out to your Teacher Card.

How to Qualify:

• Please complete the application and bring it, along with your personal library card, to any branch of the South San Francisco Public Library.
• Your personal library card must be in good standing, meaning your card is current, you do not owe fines over $25.00, and you have no billed items.

The South San Francisco Public Library offers temporary visitor cards for members of the public who do not live in California. These library cards are good for 3 months and only allow a checkout of only 3 materials at a time. Your account includes limited access to online resources.

The following information is needed to obtain a temporary visitor card:

• Current ID
• Proof of Current Address

The loan period is three weeks for most library materials. New DVDs and Blu-rays are usually loaned for one week but exceptions apply for non-fiction and multi-disc items.

Cardholders have access to eBooks and digital magazines through our digital collections. More information is available on the Library's Services page.

Materials from any of the 34 public or community college libraries in San Mateo County may be requested online by logging into your library account and placing a hold.

Most materials may be renewed five times, providing there are no holds on the materials. You may renew online by logging into your library account, or by phone using TELECIRC at (650) at 638-0399.

Most library materials may be returned at any of the 34 public or community college libraries in San Mateo County. An after hours book drop is available for the return of items when the library is closed.

A courtesy telephone, email or postcard reminder is given when materials are either seven or fourteen days overdue, depending on the loan period. A bill is sent for the replacement of library materials when materials are 30 days overdue. At 65 days, overdue library accounts are sent to collections.

• Children: No overdue fines.
• Adults: No overdue fines for South San Francisco materials. Please note that items owned by other libraries in the Peninsula Library System may still be subject to fines.

The inter-library loan fee (non-refundable) is payable at time of request. The fee is $7.00 per item for South San Francisco residents and $9.00 per item for non-residents.

Reserves/holds are free. If we don't have an item you're looking for, but another Peninsula Library System library does, you can have it sent to any other library in our system at no charge.

Lost or damaged items are billed at the cost of the item plus a $5.00 processing fee.

Fines and fees can be paid online or in the library. Cash, check or credit card is accepted, with the exception of American Express. For a full listing of library fines and fees, please see the City's Master Fee Schedule.