How do I get a CW MARS Library card?

All who live, work, or go to school in Massachusetts can apply for a CW MARS public library card.

Residents of Massachusetts who live in a town with a public library certified by the MBLC to receive state aid may fill out the form for a CW MARS eCard* or go to the library in person to register. All other patrons may apply for a card in-person at the library. 

*An eCard grants automatic access to electronic resources such as OverDrive. eCards can be upgraded to a full library card by visiting the library. See What is a CW MARS eCard? below for more information.

The eCard form is available in the following languages: English | Español | Português | 中文 | Français | Polszczyzna | Русский 

The following applies to in-person library card registrations.

Required Information:

Your first and last name are required. You will need to provide proof of identity and current address. Contact information such as a phone number, email address, and/or mailing address is required.

Notes:

• • Libraries may collect additional information to help identify you such as date of birth.

  • Patrons who reside in municipalities where the library is not certified may have borrowing restrictions based on local library policy.

  • Patrons whose primary residence is out of state may have borrowing restrictions or card fees based on local library policy.

  • Detailed requirements can be found on our Policies page.

  • Contact your local CW MARS member library for further information.

How many items can I have checked out at once?

You can have 50 total items checked out at once.

More information can be found on our Policies page.

Contact your local library regarding library-specific policies.

Do I have to return materials to the library from which I checked them out?

No. Library materials may be returned at any CW MARS member library. 

Can I request books online to be delivered to my home library?

Registered CW MARS library patrons can place requests for books and other library materials through the online catalog to be delivered to a local member library for pickup. 

To request an item, click the Place Hold link when viewing the record for the item, then follow the on-screen instructions. 

See our Help page for Placing and Managing Holds for detailed instructions.

If you need further assistance, please contact your local library.

Can you help troubleshoot my CW MARS eCard?

The eCard registration can’t verify my information.

Make sure that your name and address are entered correctly. If they are, then the system is not able to confirm a name/address match. You will have to visit a CW MARS member library to apply for a library card in person.

See How do I get a CW MARS Library card? above for more information.

The eCard registration denied my request because it says I already have a card.

Please contact your local CW MARS library to follow up. You may have visited a library in the past and received a card. Or the system may be finding an inaccurate duplicate. Your local CW MARS library will be able to help. They can:

• Find your library card number if it exists

• Confirm if you have an existing account

• Renew/update your account if needed

• And more.

I can’t get into x service.

First, make sure your library card number is entered correctly. If you do not remember your eCard number, check the email you received at the time of registration. You may also contact your local CW MARS library, and they should be able to look up your account.

Next, check your password. Make sure you have entered it correctly. Check Caps Lock on the keyboard. To reset your password, click here. Enter your eCard number, and reset instructions will be sent to the email address you used when you registered for your eCard.

Your eCard may also be expired. See My eCard expired / will expire soon below.

My eCard expired / will expire soon.

CW MARS eCards are set to expire after two years. Seven days before expiration, you will receive an email with a link to renew your card online. Follow the link to confirm/update your information and renew your card for another two years. You can also renew your card by going to https://catalog.cwmars.org/eg/opac/myopac/main, signing in with your eCard credentials, and clicking the button labeled Click here to renew your account. This button will appear up to 28 days prior to the expiration date.

If you're having trouble renewing your eCard online or would prefer to renew your card at the library, contact your local library for help. 

Your local library staff may also be able to upgrade your account to a library card will full borrowing privileges. See Can I check out physical material on my eCard? above for more details.

How do I renew my account / library card?

Library cards expire every two years. You must visit a CW MARS member library to allow staff to validate your information.  

Most libraries require that you visit in person. However, some will verify your account over the phone. It depends on the library's policy. 

Contact your local library for further information

Can I pay fines and other charges online?

Yes!

Fines and other charges can be paid from your account. 

For a detailed look at paying fines and other charges from your account, click here.

Notes:

Payments less than $0.50 (50 cents) will not be accepted by our CC processor. Smaller amounts can be addressed at your local library.

Online payments are non-refundable. You should make every effort to find and return lost items prior to payment. 

I have an item showing as overdue in my account, but I know I returned the item.

Contact your local CW MARS member library for assistance in resolving this issue.

The library says I have something out but I know I don't.

Resolution of this issue is between you and your local library. 

Why am I not receiving email notices?

The following are common causes of this:

Email redirected into your spam or junk folder.

Sometimes notices can accidentally be misidentified as spam or junk mail. Some email programs will automatically send mail like this to a folder labelled Junk or Spam. If you discover this is happening, set your email client's preferences to indicate that mail from cwmars.org addresses is not spam.

Email notification unchecked in your account, (hold notices only).

You can decide if you want to be notified when a hold is ready to be picked up. If you're expecting an email notice for your holds but not receiving it, it is possible your preference was never checked in your account or it has become unchecked. You can look in your online account and make sure that your email notification preference is checked. (Account Preferences>Notification Preferences). Note that this will only affect future holds.

Incorrect/No email address in your account.

Be sure the email address attached to your account is up to date. If your email address is missing or incorrect, you can update your address through your online account. (Account Preferences main tab). Your local library will also be able to update your email address.

How do I submit a purchase request for a book or other physical item?

CW MARS only facilitates the sharing of resources among its members.  As such, we do not perform acquisition of materials. 

This is done by each individual member library. 

Where do I send feedback about the library system?

All comments, feedback, and suggestions about the library system should be directed to your local CW MARS Member library.