How Do I...?

Read or listen to free eBooks & eAudiobooks from our Blue Ridge Download Consortium on your computer or on your mobile device using the Libby app. If needed, visit OverDrive help for detailed instructions.

There also are a number of other online services and resources including additional free ebooks. eMagazines through RB Digital, children's eResources, online language learning through Mango, and numerous helpful sites such as Consumer Report, the Congressional Quarterly, Testing and Education Reference Center, and family research through Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest, among others. Access these items in our digital library.

If you are still having difficulty, call the Information / Reference Desk at Bowman (869-9000, ext. 203) or Handley (662-9041, ext. 19). We also provide workshops to assist people with this service.

Hoopla Digital has thousands of free music you can access.  More information can be found here including instructions, account access, and limitations.

Most library programs do not require registration. If space is limited and registration is needed, you can sign up through our events calendar. You will receive a confirmation email from LibraryCalendar (It even includes a link to cancel if needed.) You can also always ask for help at one of our Information Desks.

Call the branch where the item was checked out: Handley (662-9041 ext. 10), Bowman (869-9000 ext. 201), or Clarke (955-5144). You may also send an email message to the Circulation Department at circ@handleyregional.org. Be sure to include your name, phone number, and library card number.

To log into your account, you need the 14-digit library ID number on the back of your library card and a PIN— a private four to seven-digit number  — that can be created in person at the Circulation or Information/Reference Desks. When selecting a PIN, choose a number you can easily remember, as it cannot be retrieved by library staff once entered. We will be happy to help you set one up by phone or on your next visit. Call the Circulation Desk at 662-9041 ext. 15 (Handley) or 869-9000 ext. 201 (Bowman) or 955-5144 (Clarke County) to renew materials and/or place a hold on materials, as well as reset your PIN.

To renew your items online, click on ‘My Account’  "Renew Online" from the library web page and then log on using your 14-digit library ID card number and your PIN. If you do not have a PIN, set one up at the Circulation or Information/Reference Desks by phone or on your next visit. You also may renew materials here.

There are many reasons why you may not be able to renew materials online. DVDs and Blu-rays can only be renewed once, and other materials up to three times. Items already overdue cannot be renewed online. Items on hold for another patron cannot be renewed. A block on a card — possibly due to overdue charges exceeding $5 — can also prevent materials from being renewed. If you cannot renew your items online, contact the Circulation Department at Handley (662-9041 ext. 10), Bowman (869-9000 ext. 201), or Clarke (955-5144).

If you have never had a card or no longer have an active card, you can submit an online application from home or at your local branch. Cards are picked up at the Circulation Desk (cards are not mailed). The Handley Regional Library system includes the Bowman, Clarke County and Handley branches. You can utilize services and check out materials from all three branches using a valid Handley Regional Library card.

You may return library materials to any of the three Handley Regional Library branches: Bowman, Clarke County, and Handley. It does not matter where the items originated or where you checked them out.  For returns after the library is closed, use the book drops and audio-visual materials drop boxes outside the library. They are located

• Handley: at the back of the building on Library Lane
• Bowman: at the sidewalk in front of the building
• Clarke County: at the back of the building near the county office drive-in window.

You have a couple of options. You can suggest a title to be added to the collection. Forms are also available at the Information/Reference Desks at Bowman and Handley branches or from the Circulation Desk at Clarke County. You will only be notified if and when the item is ready to circulate. It may take several weeks and not all requests can be filled. However, this is the best option for the more popular or recently released titles.

Another option is to submit an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request. Forms are also available at the Information / Reference Desks. Please refer to our Interlibrary Loan procedures for more information and a copy of an ILL request form.

You need to place a hold on items using your 14-digit library card number and PIN. Once you have found the item you want to reserve, click on the ‘Request’ button or the thumbtack to the left of the title. Enter your information, then click ‘Submit Request.’ Please note: Most of the time you will want to choose the default selection of 'I want the first available copy.' The exceptions would be periodicals or multiple volume works.

We welcome all donations of gently used hardback / paperback books, DVDs, Blu-rays, music CDs, and audiobooks. We cannot accept magazines, text books, and (with the exception of newer editions) encyclopedias. For more detailed description of items accepted for donations, click here.

For smaller donations of 1-2 bags/boxes, bring them to any branch through the front entrance. For donations of more than 3 boxes, please contact the Friends of the Handley Regional Library at 662-9041 ext. 31 or friends@handleyregional.org to ensure we have staff on hand to help.

Donations can be dropped off during branch open hours. You may request a receipt for tax purposes.

For a history of items you have borrowed, Circulation Staff can activate that feature for you. The history will not be retroactive but will retain information on items checked out from the time of activation. Those interested in this feature should be aware that if these records were to be requested by government officials, the library likely would be obligated to turn this information over to them.