Borrowing

Library cards are provided free anyone who pays taxes in Lovell, Stoneham, Stowe, Sweden, or Chatham, NH. A $20 non-resident fee may may be charged yearly to all other patrons Stop by the desk, or you may provide us with your information over the phone (207-925-3177) and a library card can be mailed to you.

Cards must be renewed once a year.

You may also get a Portland Public Library Card through us. This will enable you to access PPL’s collection of Cloud Library books and audio books, and check out books at their main and branch locations.

Our library is part of Minerva, a statewide resource-sharing consortium of more than 80 Maine libraries, including public, academic, school, and specialized libraries. This statewide “library without walls,” eliminates geographic and socio-economic barriers, and provides access to more than six million library items.

The holdings of all member libraries may be accessed through the library’s website. Patrons may also access their library records online, as well as renew items, reserve items owned by the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, and request books and other materials from other Maine libraries.

The Minerva catalog includes over six million items—books and also DVDs & videocassettes, magazines, audiobooks, and music CDs.  You can search the catalog by author, title, subject, keyword, and material type.

If an item is not available in Minerva, you can search MaineCat libraries from the Minerva catalog and directly request MaineCat materials.  MaineCat libraries include academic libraries and additional public libraries across the state.  When requested materials are available, they’re delivered to the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library for you.  If an item is available on the shelf at another library, it will usually be delivered to us within a couple of days. 

Reciprocal Borrowing
The Maine Reciprocal Borrowing Program allows anyone with a valid library card from one of 68 participating libraries to visit any of the other participating libraries and check out materials in person. It's referred to as "walk-in" borrowing because it essentially turns your local library card into a "statewide" library card!