Top Questions

We loan books, board games, passes to local attractions, garden tools, and "Other Things" for three (3) weeks, unless another person has requested them. Items from these categories that have been requested by another person must be returned after one (1) week.

DVDs are loaned for one (1) week, unless another patron has requested them. If there are requests for the item, the loan period is three (3) days. DVD series sets have a three (3) week loan period. If these items are requested by another person, the loan period is one (1) week.

Be sure to return your items on time so other members of our community can enjoy them as well!

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Registration is required to take advantage of all of the features of the site, including the ability to manage your renewals and holds, contribute ratings and reviews, and follow others to see what they’re enjoying.

When you register, you'll create an easy-to-remember username you can use to log in, so you don’t have to type your barcode every time you want to check your account.  

Registration also allows you to get personalized recommendations and contribute ratings and reviews.  

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Please be prepared to show proof of your address when applying for or renewing your Card.

Sign Up

Sign up for a Library Card by visiting any of our Library branches; learn more here.

Renew

You can renew your card by:

  • coming into a branch in person with your ID
Questions?

Call us at (807) 345-8275.

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Residents of the City of Thunder Bay pay for Public Library service in their property taxes; Membership is free of charge.

Non-residents not covered by a service agreement may purchase Library Cards on an annual basis.  

Through service agreements with other municipal governments, Cards are also free for residents of certain communities; visit our Get a Card page for details.

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Once you’ve created your account and chosen a username, it’s up to you whether you use it to log in or keep using your library card number. You can use either one.

The reason we require all users to select a unique username is because the new catalogue has additional optional functionality, like commenting on books and keeping track of your reading on shelves. To support this, we need all users to create a username.   

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Don't panic!  There's a Forgot your Password? link under the login fields.  When you click this link, you'll need to enter the barcode number from your Library Card.  The system will send the email address on file a reset email to get you set up with a new 4-digit PIN.

If you don't have an email address on file with us, you can call us at 807-345-8275 for help in resetting.  Please have your Library Card and your ID on hand to verify your identity.

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BiblioCommons is an online catalogue that Thunder Bay Public Library uses that makes it easier to track your holds and renewals and find the titles you are looking for in our collection.

BiblioCommons also allows you to share ratings and commentary about the titles you find at your library, and to connect with other library users. 

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Visit our Digital Library to learn about our online collections, including

  • eBooks, eNews, eMagazines & eAudiobooks
  • eComics & digital graphic novels
  • streaming video
  • streaming classical music
  • databases
  • research tools
  • local history indexes

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No, an email address is optional. It will be used if you forget your PIN and request a reset. We may also use your email address to send you notifications of items ready for pickup, coming due or overdue. 

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