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Under the guidance of the CA Department of Public Health and San Diego County’s Public Health Officer, 12 San Diego Public Library locations are open for limited in-person services Monday – Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and will be closed from 1-2 pm for cleaning.  Online library services, Contactless Holds Pickup, and all book drops are available to the public. Find specific information on operations.

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Public Library

Book Return Service

Book Drops Are Now Open!

   The Carmel Mountain Ranch Library book drop will be closed on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 for maintenance.

We are pleased to announce that beginning July 6, 2020 our exterior Book Drops will open weekdays to accept library materials at all 36 of our library locations. The reopening of our Book Drops is part of our phased approach to continue to provide library services safely to our communities.

 
36 Library Locations Book Drop Hours
Monday Open 24 Hours
Tuesday Open 24 Hours
Wednesday Open 24 Hours
Thursday Open 24 Hours
Friday Open 24 Hours
Saturday Open 24 Hours
Sunday Open 24 Hours
 

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the book drops open?

Our book drops are open 24 hours seven days a week at our 36 library locations.
 

When will the items that I return in the book drop reflect on my library account?

All items returned undergo a 96-hour quarantine process. Depending on when you returned the items, it may take up to 7 days for the return to reflect on your library account. Please note that we do not have late fees for our materials.
 

May I return my Circuit and ILL items through the book drop?

To assist with meeting the needs of our users, Circuit and ILL items are currently being accepted through the book drop return.
 

Can I bring materials to donate to the library?

No. Unfortunately, we cannot accept book or material donations at this time. Please do not leave donations at any of our locations.
 

Can I wait to return my library material?

If you checked out library material prior to Monday, March 16th, you may observe the current due date of August 31st, 2020. We encourage patrons to return materials as soon as possible, so we can manage our material hold requests and the volume of returns more efficiently.
 

How is the library handling returned material safely?

All returned library material will undergo a 96-hour quarantine process. Staff handling material are required to follow safety protocols, clean areas properly and use appropriate PPE that includes gloves and face mask.
 
For more information about how long COVID-19 virus survives on materials that are prevalent in libraries, please visit the COVID-19 Research Project.

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