About Borrowing Items
We loan books, museum passes, music, movies, a tabletop telescope, a ukulele, internet hotspots, Makey Makeys (computer invention kits), Launchpad tablets, WhaZoodle speakers, and more.
We also offer free WiFi, public computers, and a variety of online resources – for genealogy, learning languages, digital magazines, and animated picture books for kids.
The Clapp Memorial Library belongs to the Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing, Inc. (CW/MARS), a network of public, academic, special, and school, libraries in central and western Massachusetts.
As part of this network, patrons may use one card to borrow materials at 155 surrounding libraries. You may also return materials, pay overdue fines, and pay for lost items at any member library.
Getting a Card, Loan Periods and more…
Find out about how to get a library card, how to request an item, and more.
All Belchertown residents are eligible for a Library Card. Please come to the library with ID & proof of address to request a card. If you have a card from a CWMARS library you can continue to use your card with us.
If you are just interested in our digital resources, you can request an eCard to use with OverDrive and library databases.
Patrons age 18 and over must present a picture ID stating a current residential address. Photo IDs that do not display the current address must be accompanied by business mail with current residential address (utility bill, lease, imprinted check, auto registration, etc).
Patrons age 14 and younger require a parent/guardian signature. The child or teen must be present at the time of application. There is no minimum age for a card. Lost library cards may be replaced for a $1 fee.
Most books, audio books and games circulate for 21 days with 1 renewal for 21 days. Limit of two games per library card.
All DVDs and magazines circulate for 7 days. Typically, one renewal is allowed.
All Museum Passes circulate for 2 days. Passes are available on a first-come-first-served basis and may be returned in the bookdrop.
Makey Makeys circulate for 7 days, walk-in loan only. LaunchPad tablets circulate for 14 days, walk-in loan only. WhaZoodle speakers circulate for 21 days, walk-in loan only. Makey Makeys, LaunchPads, and WhaZoodles may NOT be returned to the book drop; they must be returned at the desk.
The Kill A Watt kit circulates for 7 days, walk-in loan only, and may not be returned in the book drop.
Items may be renewed online by logging into your C/WMARS account using a PIN number.
Holds and Interlibrary Loan
Library patrons may place holds through the C/W MARS Catalog or by calling 413-323-0417.
C/W MARS provides guides for using the online catalog. For additional assistance, please call the Library.
If an item is not available through the C/W MARS catalog, patrons can request materials online through the statewide Commonwealth Catalog. Requested items will be delivered to your local library for pickup.
To request materials not found in the C/W MARS Catalog or the Commonwealth Catalog, please visit the Circulation Desk for assistance.
The Clapp Memorial Library has gone fine free.
An exception exists for some specialty items such as Hotspots, Telescope, Museum Passes, Finch Robots, and Makey Makey’s accrue $1.00 per day overdue fines. Lost items are billed for replacement cost.
You may pay your fines at the Library, or you may pay them online through your CW Mars account. Log into your account; the option to pay fines will be shown on each item for which you owe.
Patrons are blocked from borrowing by the system when:
1. Account registration expires. Stop in at the Circulation Desk to update your registration. Accounts expire every two years.
2. Fines or replacement costs exceeding $10.00 are charged to the account.
3. An item on the account shows a billed status (overdue for over 3 weeks).
4. 50 or more items are checked out on the account.
If patrons do not remember their Evergreen password, they can go to the Catalog and click Sign-In.
Under the Login button is a link to Reset Your Password. The patron can click the button and enter their patron barcode number or username.
If the patron has an email address in their Evergreen patron record, an email will be sent to the patron to enter a new password.
The system checks for password reset requests every minute. If patrons do not receive the reset email after 30 minutes, it may have gone to their spam or junk folders or their Evergreen email may not be valid. Here is a help article on password reset not working.