My Library

Help (Classic Catalog)

If you have specific questions about your account or your question does not fall under the topics below, please contact us at (540) 422-8500.


Account - Logging In

You will need your 10-digit library card number (200********) and your Personal Identification Number (PIN) to log in to your account.

If you have problems logging in, make sure your browser is set to accept cookies and enable JavaScript. You will also need to turn off your pop-up blocker for certain functions in the catalog. If you bookmarked the library's catalog, be sure to clear your cookies and cache.

If you receive a message that there is a problem with your account and to speak with library staff, contact your local branch (540-422-8500) and a staff member will review your record and assist you accordingly.

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Borrowing

All library materials, except reference, current editions of magazines and other non-circulating materials, can be checked out for 21 days. You can return your items at any library location.

Check Out Limits:

  • Launchpad tablets - 1
  • Mobile hotspots - 1
  • Nature Adventure Packs - 1
  • USB - 1
  • CD Book, DVD - 10

If you'd like to borrow items owned by another library system, make your request through our interlibrary loan service.

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Fines & Fees

Excluding mobile hotspots, overdue fines are 15 cents per day, per item. There is a maximum fine of $5.00 on any item. The overdue fine for materials acquired through interlibrary loan is 25 cents per day, per item.

You may continue to check out items if you have less than $10.00 in fines/fees.

Fees for lost or damaged materials include the replacement cost plus the cost of processing, which varies by item type. See our Fines & Fees chart for details.

You may pay for your library fines and fees by cash, check or online via credit card.

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Online Payment FAQs

How do I pay library fines and fees online?

  1. Log into your online account using your library card number and PIN.
  2. Select the Fines link
  3. Select the Pay Online button/link located at the top and bottom of the page showing your list of fines/fees.
  4. All of your fines/fees will be selected. If you do not wish to pay for all of your fines/fees at this time, uncheck those you do not wish to pay. Your fines will be automatically recalculated.
  5. Once you select Continue to pay online, you will be taken to a secure payment page on PayPal, where you will enter your billing information. This data is not collected by the library.

What kinds of library fines and fees can I pay online?
All library fines and fees listed in your online library account can be paid online. Some fees (ILL, room rental) are not listed in your online account. Please contact library circulation staff for details.

What forms of payment do you accept?
The library accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover credit cards, and debit cards displaying the MasterCard or Visa symbol. The library does NOT support payments made by American Express or personal PayPal accounts.

Is there a service fee applied for paying fines online?
No. Fauquier County Public Library does not add an additional service charge for paying fees online.

Is there a minimum fine/fee amount that can be paid online?
Yes, as with payment by check, there is a minimum of $5.00 for fines/fees paid for by credit card.

Do I have to pay all my fines/fees at once?
No, you may pay any amount of fines/fees that you owe, as long as the total is at least $5.00. When you log in to your record and opt to Pay Online, all of your fines will be checked/preselected. If you do not wish to pay all of your fines, you can uncheck those fines/fees which you do not wish to pay and your total will be recalculated.

May I pay a partial amount of a selected fine?
No, each selected fine must be paid in full.

What if I receive a message that the transaction was declined?
Your fines/fees will remain on your record.You will need to follow up with your credit card issuer to determine why your credit card transaction was denied.

Will I get a receipt when I pay my fines online?
Yes, a receipt will be sent to the email address you included with your billing/credit card information.

When will my library account be credited for payments made online?
Your library account will be credited immediately after your online payment is approved by your credit card company. When you close the receipt window, the screen with your library account information may still show your fines as unpaid. Simply refresh your browser screen -- the correct and updated information should be displayed.

How is my personal and credit card info entered on the online payment form stored and used by the Library?
Data entered on PayPal's payment page is encrypted by PayPal and is not retained by the library. To learn more about your privacy rights regarding how PayPal collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information, please go to PayPal's Privacy Policy page.

May I ask for refunds if I find my lost items after I have paid the fines online?
Refunds may be issued up to 3 months from the date the item was paid for, whether paid for by cash, check or credit card. Processing fees, which are included in the replacement cost, are nonrefundable. You should examine your fines and fees carefully and be sure you agree with the charges before making a payment online. If you are not sure you agree with the charges, or if you have questions, please consult a staff member BEFORE you pay. For assistance, contact the library at (540)422-8500 or circulation@fauquiercounty.gov.

Whom should I contact if I have more questions about paying my Library fines and fees online?
If you have questions, you can contact the library at (540)422-8500 or e-mail us at circulation@fauquiercounty.gov.

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Online Donation FAQs

How do I make an online donation to the library?

  1. Log into your online account using your library card number and PIN.
  2. Select the Donate link on menu that runs along the top of the site.
  3. Enter the amount you wish to donate (minimum of $10.00) and hit the Continue button.
  4. Once you select Continue to pay online, you will be taken to a secure payment page on PayPal, where you will enter your billing information. This data is not collected by the library.

What forms of payment do you accept?
The library accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover credit cards, and debit cards displaying the MasterCard or Visa symbol. The library does NOT support payments made by American Express or personal PayPal accounts.

How is my personal and credit card information entered on the online donation form stored and used by the Library?
Data entered on PayPal's payment page is encrypted by PayPal and is not retained by the library. The library is provided your name and mailing address for the purpose of sending you a thank you letter. To learn more about your privacy rights regarding how PayPal collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information, please go to PayPal's Privacy Policy page.

Is there a service fee applied for donating online?
No. Fauquier County Public Library does not add an additional service charge for donating online.

Is there a minimum amount that can be donated online?
Yes, there is a minimum of $10.00 for donations paid for by credit card.

What if I receive a message that the transaction was declined?
Please contact your credit card issuer to determine why your credit card transaction was denied.

Will I get a receipt when I donate online?
Yes, a receipt will be sent to the email address you included with your billing/credit card information. You will also receive a letter of acknowledgement from the Fauquier County Public Library as your official record.

How will my donation be acknowledged?
Each donor will receive a letter of acknowledgement, which will include your donation amount.

Is my donation tax-deductible?
Absolutely. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt or your letter of acknowledgement from the Fauquier County Public Library as your official record

May I designate how my donation will be used by the library?
Yes, donors can designate a specific library location and purpose for their donation. Information on how to designate your donation will be sent with your acknowledgement letter. If no designation is made, your donation will be used to support library programs and services on an as-needed basis.

Whom should I contact if I have more questions about making a donation online?
If you have questions, you can contact the library at (540)422-8500 or e-mail us at circulation@fauquiercounty.gov. To learn about other ways to support the Fauquier County Public Library, please visit the Support Us page on our website.

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Holds

When you place a hold on an item, your name is placed on a waiting list of individuals who wish to check out the item. If you place a hold on an item and the person who currently has it checked out wishes to renew it, s/he will not be allowed to do so because the hold will prevent the renewal. You will be notified by e-mail or phone when your hold is available and the date by which it must be picked up. You are limited to fifty (50) holds at any one time.

How to:

  1. After you've found the item you'd like to check out, click on the Place Hold link
  2. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  3. Confirm Pickup Location (Bealeton, John Marshall or Warrenton )
  4. If you're requesting a magazine or specific DVD in a series, you will be prompted to choose a specific issue/volume (you can only choose one item per request*)

*If you want to select more issues, click on the Return to Record link/button and continue with step 4

How to place multiple holds at once:

  1. As you find items in the catalog that you'd like to obtain, click the checkbox located on the left side of the screen showing your search results
  2. Select the "Add Marked to Bag" link/button
  3. Once you're finished searching the catalog, click on the View Bag link/button located at the top of the page
  4. Click on the Request Saved link/button

If you haven't already logged in to your account from the home page, you will need to enter in your library card and PIN. You will need to choose a pickup location for any items you request. Otherwise, once you are logged in to your account, you can place a hold on any item as you are browsing/searching the catalog.

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Holds - Cancel

You can cancel holds on items no longer desired, as long as they are not in transit or ready for pickup.

How to:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  2. Click on the Requests (holds) button/link
  3. Select the checkbox under the CANCEL column and then click on the Cancel/Update Marked button
  4. Click Yes to verify the request to cancel your hold

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Holds - Freezing (and Thawing)

If you place a hold on an item that is currently checked out or has holds pending, and you're going on vacation and don't want to lose your place in line, you can "freeze" your hold and then "thaw" it when you return.

How to:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  2. Click on the Requests (holds) button/link
  3. Select the checkbox under the FREEZE column and then click on the Cancel/Update Marked button
  4. Click Yes to verify the request to freeze your hold

When you come back from vacation, again log in to your account, deselect your items and click on the Cancel/Update Marked button. Staff cannot freeze/"thaw" your holds.

Frozen holds expire after 255 days.

*Holds for items that have status "available," "in transit" or "ready for pickup" cannot be frozen.

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Mobile App

The Mobile App enables patrons to search the catalog, place holds, and check fine status directly from their smartphone. Other features include:

  • Use the Managed Accounts feature to add family members’ accounts so you can manage their holds, renew checkouts and more!
  • Store your library barcode (when you forget your library card but not your phone/device).
  • Access “new and notable” items added to the library’s collection.

The app is available for download in the app store or Google Play – search for “Fauquier public library.”

My Lists

The My Lists feature allows you to keep track of titles you'd like to check out at a later time or to create your own book lists, i.e., "Books to Read on Vacation."

How to:

  1. Search the catalog and select a title that you want to save
  2. Click/select the Add to My Lists button near the top of the page
  3. If you're not already logged in, you will be prompted to log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  4. On the Save Records to a List page, select a list you've already created or click on the drop-down to "Create a new list" (you will be prompted to give the list a name and description) and hit Submit

To view your lists, log in to your account and click on the My Lists button on the left-side menu.

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Notices - E-Mail

If you have a valid e-mail address, the library will send you notices related to your library account, including hold pickup, hold expiration/cancellation, courtesy (3 day advance notice of items due), and overdue notices. To receive timely notification of matters related to your account we recommend the following: 

  1. Check your e-mail's spam/junk folder for any notifications (hold pickup, courtesy, overdue, etc.) from Fauquier Public Library
  2. Select “allow” in your email settings for all emails from fauquiercounty.gov.
  3. Download the FPL mobile app to your smartphone or mobile device, which allows you to check the status of your current holds and checkouts 24/7.
  4. Check your account online via https://fauquierlibrary.org by selecting My Account.

Fauquier Public Library cannot guarantee receipt of notices; failure to receive a notice does not waive the borrower's responsibility for the timely pickup or return of materials.

NOTE: Hold notices for OverDrive (Libby) e-books/e-audio books are not tied to your library account. Manage your notification preferences for e-book holds in your OverDrive account.

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Notices - SMS/Text

The library does not offer a full SMS messaging service. To ensure receipt of notices, the library recommends a valid e-mail address be used and/or patrons use the mobile app to keep track of checkouts, due dates, etc.

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Personal Identification Number (PIN)

Your library Personal Identification Number (PIN) is an additional method, along with your name and library card, of verifying your identity and ensuring the security of your online library account. In most cases, when you get a library card, your PIN is automatically set by library staff.

You can change your PIN by clicking Modify PIN after you've logged into your account.

If you forgot your PIN, click on the Forgot Your PIN? button and an e-mail will be immediately sent to the e-mail address you provided when you created your account. The e-mail will include a link that you can click on to reset your PIN. The link is valid for 3 hours and is active from the time you submit the request. If you don't have an e-mail address in your library record, you will need to call the library and have staff reset it for you.

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Preferred searches

If you have a favorite author or subject for which you often search when using the catalog, you can save the search with the click of a button. This will prevent you from having to key in the search each time and allow you to quickly place reserves on new materials.

How to:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  2. Search for your favorite author, subject, title, etc. or create an advanced keyword search including limits to material type, language, publication year, etc.
  3. When your results are displayed, click the button marked "Save as preferred search"
  4. The next time that you log in to your account, you can click the "Preferred Searches" button to see a list of your saved searches
  5. Click on the search link associated with any of the preferred search terms in the list to quickly execute your search
  6. You can be alerted of new materials added to the library collection which match your searches. Just check the "Mark for Email" box and be sure that your patron record information includes your current email address

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Reading History

If you want to keep track of the items you've checked out from the library, you can opt in to the Reading History service. The Reading History service is only available through your online account - library staff do not have access to your reading history.

How to:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  2. Click on the Reading History button/link
  3. Click on the Opt In button

Once you opt in to the service, all items you check out will be recorded in your account, displayed in the order of checkout. If you would like to see the latest items in your Reading History, you will want to select your last/close-to-last result page. You can sort your Reading History by Author and Title by clicking on the column headings. You can delete specific entries or all entries or Opt Out of the service.

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Renewals

Library cardholders may renew their own materials online or by contacting their local library at (540) 422-8500.

Note: Due dates for renewed items are three weeks from the date you renew, not from the original due date.

How to:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)
  2. If not the default view click the "Items currently checked out" link to view the materials you have checked out
  3. Select the materials you want to renew by checking the boxes in the RENEW column and then click the Renew Marked button. If you want to renew everything, click the Renew All button
  4. You will be prompted to confirm the selected item(s) by choosing YES/NO. Be sure to click YES; otherwise your items will NOT be renewed
  5. If you cannot renew items, a message will appear on the screen. If you are successful, a new due date will appear in the "STATUS" column. Always check the STATUS column for information on the success or failure of your renewal

Why some items may NOT be renewed...

  • the item has pending holds
  • you have fines over $10.00
  • your card is expired
  • you've renewed the item the maximum number of times
  • the item is NEW
  • the item is a tablet, mobile hotspot or nature backpack

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Search Tips

Author - Search last name, first name (shakespeare, william); results of your author search will be displayed in alphabetical order by title.

Call Numbers & Prefixes - Below are some of the call number prefixes used by the library. Juvenile items will be preceded by a 'J' and Young Adult items will be preceded, in most cases, by 'Y.' If you want to limit your keyword search to a category such as mysteries, add the appropriate call number prefix. For example, for equestrian mysteries, try "MYS horses." For more examples, see our Catalog Tip: Find It Fast!

Adult Prefixes

  • B (Biography)
  • CD (Music on CD)
  • CF, CN, CB, CMY, CSF (Books on CD)
  • DVD (DVD)
  • FIC (Fiction)
  • GB, GF, GN (Grapic Novel Collection)
  • LP, LPF, LMY (Large Print)
  • MYS (Mystery)
  • NR (New Reader)
  • PER (Periodicals)
  • REF (Reference)
  • SC (Story Collection)
  • SF (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
  • VA, VAB, VAP, VMF (Virginiana Collection)

Juvenile & Young Adult

  • BOARD BOOK (Board Books)
  • E (Picture Books)
  • ER (Easy Readers)
  • JB (Juvenile Biography)
  • JCD (Juvenile Music CD)
  • JCF, JCN, JCB (Juvenile Books on CD)
  • JDVD (Juvenile DVD)
  • JF (Juvenile Fiction)
  • JGB, JGF, JGN (Juvenile Graphic Novel Collection)
  • YA (Young Adult Non-Fiction)
  • YB (Young Adult Biography)
  • YCF, YCN, YCB (Young Adult Books on CD)
  • YF (Young Adult Fiction)
  • YGB, YGF, YGN (Young Adult Graphic Novel Collection)
  • YSC (Young Adult Story Collection)

Material Type Limits With No Search Term - If you just want to search by a specific material type (DVD Video) but don't have a keyword, title or author to limit your search by (i.e, you just want to see all the DVDs that the library owns), you can put an asterisk (*) in the Enter Search Terms field(s), along with your limit to material type.

Wildcards - Words may be right-hand truncated using an asterisk ('*') in place of other characters (i.e., 'comput*' instead of just 'computers'). The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string. You may use '?' to replace a single character anywhere within a word. TIP: If you just want to search by a specific material type (DVD Video), you can put an asterisk (*) when limits are specified (keyword, title, etc.) and then limit to the material type you want.

Boolean Operators - Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "and not" to exclude words. Examples include: 'stocks and bonds' or '(alaska or canada) and (adventure and not vacation)'.

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Fauquier County Public Library | 11 Winchester St. Warrenton, VA 20186 | Phone: (540) 422-8500
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