Borrowing Materials

To get your free library card visit Mesa Public Library or White Rock Branch Library and fill out a short application. We require photo identification showing current name and address. If your photo identification does not have a current address, you must bring other proof of address, such as a utility bill or lease agreement.

We will give you a library card on the spot! We issue library cards to residents of Los Alamos County, employees working in Los Alamos County, temporary residents of Los Alamos County, New Mexico residents with a valid New Mexico ID such as a driver's license, and UNM-LA students.

The Main library and the Branch share the same catalog. When looking up a title or author in the catalog, you are searching both White Rock’s and Mesa’s collections. While both locations have many of the same titles, especially those by popular authors, not every title in White Rock appears at Mesa and vice versa. The Library Catalog Tips & Tricks page will help you get the most out of using the library catalog.

The library does not charge fines for overdue materials. However, lost and damaged materials must be paid for. While the library makes every effort to notify patrons via phone call, email, and/or mailed letter of lost or damaged items according to this schedule(PDF, 186KB) it is patron's responsibility to return library items in a timely manner and in good condition.

Most items will be renewed automatically up to 2 times. After the second auto-renew, by the due date of the 3rd consecutive borrow, the item must be brought in and renewed in person. Items may be renewed up to three times unless the item has been requested by another patron (placed on hold). Online: Log in to My Account by appending the last 7 digits of your library card barcode number to the numbers already in the Library Card Number field. You must also enter your PIN. (By default your PIN is the last four digits of your phone number; if you don’t know your PIN, call 505-662-8253.) Once you have logged in, click on My Account and select the Checkouts tab. Click the boxes next to each item you wish to renew (or Select All) and click Renew. On our self-checkout machines: Scan your library card barcode, then select Renew Items form the bottom of the screen. Select the items you wish to renew and then select Renew Items again.).

If the library owns the item you are looking for, but it's checked out or at the other branch, you can:

Place a hold, either through your account online or in person. Your name is added to a list with others who are waiting for that item. The order of the list follows the sequence in which the requests were placed. Please note that Library staff may re-order the waiting list if the item needs to be repaired or if a written purchase request predates the online request.

The library reserves the right to hold items and to reorder the waiting list for items that are being used in library programming. When the item is returned to the library and it is your turn, you will be notified by telephone or e-mail that the item will be held for you for the next seven days.

If the library does not own the item you are looking for, you can:

We can purchase books, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks, eBooks and eAudiobooks if it fits within our guidelines and if it is of interest to the general public. Fill out this form and we will notify you when the item has arrived and is ready for you to pick up or if we are unable to purchase.

We can also borrow items from other libraries via our Interlibrary Loan program. This includes books, periodicals, and CD audiobooks only. Visit our page to submit a request or for more info.

All Los Alamos County Library materials may be returned to either Mesa Public or the White Rock Branch. We run a shuttle once a day every day except on Sunday and holidays to transfer items to their home location. Some items such as DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks, large print, graphic novels, and beginning readers do not have a home location but reside at the location they were most recently checked in.

Home Delivery Service is a free service available to Library card holders of all ages in Los Alamos County who have an extended illness or are physically disabled in their ability to get to the library. Deliveries can be made to private homes and to Sombrillo Nursing Facility and Aspen Ridge.

If you are interested please contact Library staff at 505.663.1812 or libweb@lacnm.us. You may also fill out this form and return to either Mesa Public Library or the White Rock Branch Library.

If Los Alamos County Library does not have the book, journal article, or CD audiobook that you are seeking, we can borrow it for you via Interlibrary Loan. This service is free to anyone with a Los Alamos County Library card. Click here more information or to submit a request.