Checkout Guidelines

Items from Riverhead Library are available to patrons for different lengths of time depending on the item.  New items, items that have been added to our collection in the last 3 months, have a shorter lending period than the rest of the collection.  New items are only permitted to be checked out by Riverhead patrons.

At Riverhead Free Library, we have hard limits about the amount of items that can be checked out at one time.  The total limit per patron is 50 items.  We also allow 10 DVDs per patron, 3 of which can be from our new DVD collection.  Children are allowed 2 DVDs at a time.
 

All Riverhead Free Library items are on an Auto Renew system.  This means that items that have been checked out will be automatically renewed up to 6 times before being marked as overdue.  Items will not be renewed if there are existing holds on the item, so popular items may not be automatically renewed.

At this time, Riverhead Free Library is not charging overdue fees for returned items.  However, if an item has been lost or damaged, fines may be incurred.  Bills and fines on RFL items can be paid through cash, card, or check in person at the circulation desk made payable to the library that owns the item.

Items that cannot be found at Riverhead Free Library may be able to be found at other libraries within the Suffolk Cooperative Library System.  These items can be put on hold by staff at the reference desk, or by you in the “My Account” page of this website. When the item arrives at the library, you will be informed via the email on your account.  (If you do not have an email address in your account information, you will receive a phone call.)  Reserved items will remain on the hold shelf for up to a week before they are returned.

Riverhead Free Library now has a self-checkout machine directly across from the circulation desk.  To use the self-checkout, you will an active library card and passcode.  If you do not know your passcode, you can reset it online or at the Patron Services Desk. DVDs must be unlocked. Please check them out at the Patron Services Desk.