FAQs

If you reside or own property in the township of Delaware, Fall Creek, Noblesville or Wayne in Hamilton County, bring a current, valid photo ID and a document issued within the last 60 days verifying your address to the Service Desk at either Fishers Library or Noblesville Library. Acceptable documents include mail (with a legible postmark), statements, bills, leases, etc. A current driver’s license is also an acceptable form of identification.

If you reside or own property in the township of Adams, Clay, Jackson, or Washington in Hamilton County, bring in a picture ID and your library card from your local library. Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) has a “reciprocal borrowing” agreement with the public libraries serving those areas. Once your information is verified with the local library, you will be able to use your home library card to borrow material and use other HEPL services (except for e-services and interlibrary loan services).

If you live in White River Township in Hamilton County, there is no public library in White River Township, and no agreement for library services has been signed with a neighboring public library. However, you may obtain a HEPL card with all the same privileges as a resident’s card by paying the “non-resident fee-payer” fee. Please call the library at 317-773-1384 (Noblesville) or 317-579-0301 (Fishers) to obtain the annual fee amount for the current calendar year.

If you live in the state of Indiana, but outside of Hamilton County, you may obtain library service by presenting an Indiana Public Library Access Card (PLAC) and the public library card issued to you by your local public library. You may purchase a PLAC from your local public library, or you may purchase one when you register at HEPL. Once your information is verified, you will receive a HEPL card for as long as the PLAC is valid.

If you live outside the state of Indiana, you are not eligible to purchase a PLAC or obtain a library card. You may still use the other services offered by the library — you may browse the collections and periodicals, use the study rooms, attend children’s and adult programs, obtain reference services, or use the public computers or wireless network.

Learn more about obtaining a library card here!

Visit the library with your photo ID to renew your card. If your ID does not have your up-to-date address, you can bring the ID and a current piece of mail. For questions related to your card, staff can assist at either library location, by phone, or at circquestions@hepl.lib.in.us.

If you present all of the requested items at registration (see How do I get a library card? above), you will have full privileges and be able to use your card immediately. If your residence cannot be verified, you will be issued a card and be able to check out two items with limited services until your residence is verified. If you register as a “reciprocal borrower” (resident outside the HEPL service area, but in Hamilton County except for White River Township), or as a PLAC borrower, you will be able to use the library as soon as your registration information is verified.

Your card entitles you to borrow any circulating print and non-print materials available at Fishers Library or Noblesville Library. You are also entitled to use all of the library’s services, from downloading eBooks to using public computers or wireless network.

Children 5 years of age and older are eligible to get a library card as long as their parent/guardian resides or owns property in the township of Delaware, Fall Creek, Noblesville, or Wayne in Hamilton County.

Learn more on our Parents’ Guide here.

PLAC cardholders have access to print, non-print, and electronic resources provided by HEPL. Interlibrary loan requests for items not available through HEPL’s collections must be requested through the patron’s home library.

Your HEPL library card allows you to check out 60 total items at a time. This includes 10 DVDs and 10 music CDs.

Our e-Books and e-Audio resources through Overdrive and the Libby app are limited to 10 items at a time. Once you have finished with an ebook or audiobook title, you may return it through the app or your library account and become eligible for additional ebooks and audiobook materials.

Hoopla items, available through the Hoopla App and the HEPL online catalog, allow cardholders to borrow up to 15 titles per calendar month. Cardholders must create a Hoopla account to identify how many borrows they have remaining per month. Look for Hoopla “bonus borrows” as items in this curated collection don’t count against your limit!

Freegal Music: Cardholders may download five songs and stream up to three hours per day beginning each Monday at 1:00 am EST. Cardholders must create a Freegal music account to identify how many downloads or streaming hours are remaining.

For more information, please visit our Policies page to view the Circulation Policy.

Effective November 1, 2021, Hamilton East Public Library will no longer charge daily overdue fines on late materials. This change applies to all circulating materials.

• You are responsible for bringing materials back. Being fine free means that the library will no longer charge a daily fine for overdue materials.
• Your account will be blocked from checking out additional items if you don’t return items within 3 weeks (21 days) of their due date. Your account will be blocked until you return the overdue items. When the overdue item(s) are returned, the blocked status will be removed.
• When an item is 45 days overdue, you will be charged for the replacement cost of the item. If the item is returned anytime between 45 and 180 days overdue, the replacement fee will be waived, and your account will return to good standing.
• When an item is 60 days overdue, you may be referred to a materials recovery agency, and a $10 non-reversible, non-refundable referral fee will be assessed.

We want to remove barriers for all patrons to return to the library! Fines tend to keep patrons away from the library instead of encouraging them to return materials.

Fees are the charges for special services provided by the library. Fees are assessed for photocopies, computer printouts, data storage devices, materials, etc. The library will continue to charge for these services.

Good news! Most libraries that are fine free report that a majority of patrons still return their materials on time, and waitlists aren’t affected. Rest assured, library staff will be monitoring the effect on waitlists and adjust accordingly. Of course, we always encourage patrons to return materials on time so others can enjoy them! If you still have questions about holds, please contact the library or email circquestions@hamiltoneastpl.org.

Effective November 1, 2021 the library implemented a Fine Free Policy and will no longer charge overdue fines on late library materials, including books, audiobooks, and DVDs. Lost and damaged items and other miscellaneous fees will remain in place.

Learn more about the library’s loan periods and fees here.

Before your due date, we will attempt to renew eligible items automatically. If your library account needs attention, or if an item cannot be renewed (express copies, items with holds, items which have reached a maximum of 5 renewals), items must be returned by the original due date to avoid overdue fines. You may still attempt to renew items independently by accessing your account via the library app or website, or you may call the library at 317-773-1384 (Noblesville) or 317-579-0300 (Fishers) for further assistance.

Yes. First, find the item in our catalog. Click the “Place Hold” link. If you are not already logged in, enter your library card number (without spaces) and PIN, and select the location, Fishers or Noblesville, where you will pick up the item.

NOTE: To place a hold online, your account must have a status of “OK” (no overdue items or outstanding fines). You may also place and manage holds via the Hamilton East Public Library app.

Yes, we encourage our readers to make suggestions for new additions to our catalog. We will attempt to acquire the item, by either purchasing it or borrowing it from another library.

To place a request, log in to your online account here, or contact the library for assistance.

Hamilton East Public Library serves a large and diverse community. Within our community, groups and individuals have diverse interests, backgrounds, and needs, and the library was created to serve all people within our service district. For more information about how we collect materials to serve our community, please visit our Policies page to see our Collection Development Policy.

If you are still concerned about a specific item or items, we offer a process where materials may be reconsidered for inclusion in our collection by filling out this form. Please contact us for more information.

You can also find our Parents’ Guide here.

Please contact the library for an evaluation of the item. Because we reserve the right to replace specific lost or damaged items with more up-to-date versions or formats based on Library needs, HEPL does not accept replacements in lieu of payment for lost or damaged items.

Yes, you can learn more here! For additional information, contact the library at adultquestions@hamiltoneastpl.org or email parkt@hamiltoneastpl.org to request service.

Yes, we offer contact-free curbside holds pickup by appointment. Learn more and schedule your curbside pickup here.

Yes. First, find the item in our catalog. Click the “Place Hold” link. If you are not already logged in, enter your library card number (without spaces) and PIN, and select the location, Fishers or Noblesville, where you will pick up the item.

NOTE: To place a hold online, your account must have a status of “OK” (no overdue items or outstanding fines). You may also place and manage holds via the Hamilton East Public Library app.

Public computers are available for a maximum of 2 hours per day with one 30-minute extension. Reservations may be made for the next available computer, if all computers are in use.

See computer labs and technology available here.

The Friends of the Library bookstores are accepting book donations. We ask that you limit donations to 2 small boxes/bags at a time to be deposited through a bookstore donation drop slot.

Meeting rooms may be reserved online here.

Study rooms are available at both locations on a first come, first served basis.

Learn more about our meeting rooms here.

While greatly expanding our parking in Fishers and adding more pedestrian-friendly access and gathering spaces, our green spaces will include native pollinator plants, native trees, and evergreen trees. More than 100 new trees will be planted, and native pollinator plants will be added to our urban landscape throughout the library grounds in Fishers.

In Noblesville as well, native trees and plant species will be planted throughout the parking areas and green spaces to provide rich color, texture, and shapes that add beauty and enhance our ecosystem.

Additionally, library remodeling plans incorporate natural and more efficient lighting, more efficient heating and cooling, and energy-efficient windows.

Patrons can come inside our libraries to browse and pick up library materials. Other services available at this time include: printing, mobile (wireless) printing, public computers, copiers, Curbside Holds Pickup, digital media lab (Noblesville), Indiana Room (Noblesville), and Ignite Studio (Fishers). Continue checking our website for construction updates.

• Books
• Photocopies of magazine and journal articles
• Dissertations and theses
• Books on audiotape and CD
• Fiction and nonfiction videotapes and DVDs
• Microfilm (census, obituaries, etc.)
• Music CDs
• CD-ROMs

Sorry, the following materials are not available through this service:

• New items, within the first 6 months of publication/release
• Items owned by HEPL
• eBooks

The interlibrary loan staff will make every effort to process your request on the day that it is received (weekdays). An interlibrary loan generally arrives in 2 to 3 weeks. This is highly dependent on the responses from other libraries and the delivery systems used. The more difficult to locate items may take considerably longer. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a delivery date.