• Library Website

  • Library Cards & PINs/Passwords

    Please visit our Get a Library Card page for current information on how to sign up.

    Most web browsers offer a function to "remember" usernames and passwords. If you wish to have your browser remember your library card number and PIN/password, or delete an incorrectly saved library card number and PIN/password, please follow the instructions for your browser below:

    To reset your PIN/password:

    • On the MySDCL login page, click the Forgot your PIN? link.
    • On the Forgot your PIN? page, enter your barcode.
    • Click Send.
    • In a few seconds, an email will be sent to the email address associated with your account.
    • Open the email and click the link to launch your browser.
    • On the Reset PIN page, enter your barcode or username. Enter a new PIN/password, and then confirm it by typing it again.
    • Click Save.
    • Use the new PIN/password the next time you log in.

    Notes:

    To reset your PIN/password, you must have already registered your account. If you haven’t done so, please contact your local branch library to give you your PIN/password or reset it for you.
    If you don’t know your library barcode number, please contact your local branch library.
    If you don’t have an email address associated with your account, please contact your local branch library.

  • Library Card Portal

    Apply online. After successful completion, you will receive your library card number. A welcome email will be sent that includes “getting started” information. If you didn’t receive the email, check your spam/junk folder.

    This card allows access to eLibrary, including downloadable books, audiobooks and magazines, and some online resources like genealogy and language learning. It also provides the ability to place holds on materials for pick up at a branch. It does not allow checkout of physical items.

    Convert your eCard to a Standard Card by visiting any San Diego County Library branch with your valid photo ID.

    The most common reason would be our system could not verify your name and address. For example: if your address is outside of our service area or could not be validated, if you recently moved or changed your name, or if you already have an account with our library system.

    Please visit any San Diego County Library branch and library staff will assist you.

    Yes.

    • California residents and military: Free
    • Non-California residents: $5 one time fee

    Persons residing outside the County of San Diego are not eligible for our eCard, eLibrary collection, Circuit or Link+ materials.

    Please visit a branch in person and provide a valid photo ID and verification of current address.

    Visit any San Diego County Library branch with a valid photo ID and verification of your current address, such as a utility bill, lease agreement or mail date stamped within the past 30 days.

    Common reasons may include: the website is down, the library card is expired, the library card does not have permission to access the online service in question, or the card may be from another library system.

    For assistance:

    Renew your library card online! The online application performs a name and address verification and renews your card. If verification is successful, there’s no need for you to visit a library. Your library card must already be expired before the renewal can occur.

    When you renew your library card, you agree to return borrowed materials on time and assume responsibility for lost or damaged items.

  • Borrowing From SDCL

    Please visit our Get a Library Card page for current information on how to sign up.

    Material Type Checkout Length & Renewals Late Fee
    Books, Audiobooks, Magazines & Music CDs 21 days; 10 renewals No late fees
    Movies 10 days; 10 renewals No late fees
    Hot. Right. Now. 10 days; no renewals No late fees
    Circuit & Link+ 21 days; 1 renewal
    *Selected Link+ media is loaned for 7 days.    		 No late fees
    Interlibrary Loan (ILL) 21 days; no renewals 50¢ per day late

    Always check your receipt for due dates. Renew materials online or by contacting your local branch library.

    *Certain types of items may have different checkout periods, but they are clearly marked.

    **Items may not be renewed if the item is "on hold" for another customer.

    Verified accounts:

    • Limited to 500 total items at a time
    • Limited to 50 combined DVD and BluRay checkouts at a time

    Limited accounts:

    • Limited to 5 items at a time

    Certain types of items, such as Hot.Right.Now. books and DVDs, have checkout limits, but they are clearly marked.

  • Borrowing From Other Libraries

    If SDCL doesn't own the item, you may place a request via Circuit or Link+ if a copy is available.

    The library offers a special service called Interlibrary Loan (or ILL) for books or periodical photocopies not owned by the San Diego County Library, Circuit or Link+. SDCL does not charge for this service. However, the lending libraries may charge a fee.

    Ask library staff for more information about this service; they can help you fill out a request.

  • eBooks & eAudiobooks

    San Diego County Library has more than 135,000 free eBooks and audiobooks - including a kids' collection - available through the Libby app from Overdrive. Read or listen on your Nook, Kindle, tablet, mobile phone, and other compatible devices. Materials are automatically "returned" to the library - no late fees!

    Additional titles are available via the Palace Project App in partnership with the California State Library and Lyrasis.

    SDCL’s primary collection is available through the Libby app. Use Libby for access to a broad range of titles and genres. The Palace app contains selected titles not available through Libby. Search Palace when you can’t find what you want in Libby.

  • Computers & Internet Services

    Customers with a valid San Diego County Library card may use the public internet stations as long as the Internet Policy is followed. Children under the age of 18 must have an Internet Parental Consent Form on file that has been read and signed by the parent or legal guardian and the child. An SDCL internet sticker will then be placed on the child's card. All SDCL branches are also equipped with wireless internet.

    Your laptop must be enabled for wireless use. To access the network, your laptop or PDA must have a wireless network interface card (NIC) installed. These cards are available for purchase from several manufacturers at many computer stores. Your laptop computer or PDA equipped with a wireless network card, must support either the 802.11a/b/g/n standard wireless protocol. The library wireless system will not operate with Bluetooth enabled devices. Bluetooth is designed for low power, short distance peripheral devices that typically communicate with computers and telephones.

    1. Make sure your laptop has a wireless network interface card.
    2. Using your mouse pad, right click on the wireless icon at the bottom-right of your desktop toolbar.
    3. Select “View Available Wireless Networks”
    4. Double left click on the “SD_CO_LIBRARY” network entry. Your computer will automatically connect to the network. Note: You may see other networks listed. Only the “SD_CO_LIBRARY” network is provided and administered by the San Diego County Library.
    5. Launch your Internet browser.
    6. Agree to the County Library's Internet Use Terms.

    You are responsible for configuring you own equipment. All computers are different, and the library is unable to provide assistance in configuring your computer. The documentation that came with your computer or wireless card may have helpful information. The manufacturer of your computer or wireless card may offer support services to help you.

    The library wireless network’s SSID is: SD_CO_LIBRARY. It is recommended that customers set their wireless device to automatically detect and connect to the SD_CO_LIBRARY wireless network. To associate to the wireless access point, go to your wireless settings on your device and connect to SD_CO_LIBRARY.

    Users of the library wireless network are encouraged to install one of the many commercially available anti-virus programs on their own laptop. Anti-virus support is not provided by the County Of San Diego Library wireless network.

    Only web browsing is supported on the library network. Not all sites, nor all servers, will be available through the library's wireless service. If the site or service you are trying to access requires a network port number that is not on the County’s approved list, it may not work. Services other than http/https such as telnet, FTP, secure shell, outgoing SMTP mail, etc., are not supported. It is recommended that enterprise mail be accessed via webmail to avoid port blocking. Some sites and services may also be filtered by the County’s content filtering solution, which may prevent access.

    Like the public-use computers provided within the library, content on the SDCL wireless network is filtered by the County's URL filtering solution. Please refer to the San Diego County Library Internet Policy for further information.

    Information sent to and from your computer is unencrypted and not protected while using the library wireless network. Use of the County of San Diego’s wireless network is at your own discretion. Care should be taken when accessing sites that may require passwords and user IDs. Some web pages may provide their own encryption. By using this connection, customers acknowledge that security errors and hacking are an inherent risk associated with any public wireless service, and agree they knowingly assume such risk.

    The library currently does not offer printing while using the wireless network. We suggest that you save any pages to disk that you may wish to print later, or you can email the information to yourself. Printing is available on the public use computers provided within the library.

    Customers can download large files or attachments. However, please note that the wireless network bandwidth is shared by all other users of the library network, which may affect the overall download speeds. Audio and video streaming and downloading large files will affect the response times and download speeds for all customers.

  • Customer Code of Conduct

    San Diego County Library provides a welcoming environment for the community to gather, learn and reflect. The Rules of Conduct protect the rights of our customers, staff and volunteers while also ensuring the preservation of library materials and facilities.

    View Rules of Conduct (PDF)

  • Donations

  • Library High School

  • California State Parks Pass Program

    In partnership with the First Partner’s Office and the California State Library, State Parks is providing free passes to over 200 participating state park units operated by State Parks to library-card holders.

    No. Below you will find some details on the pass:

    • Valid for entry of one passenger vehicle with capacity of nine people or less or one highway licensed motorcycle at participating state park units.
    • Valid any day of the week, including holidays, if space is available. Pass does not guarantee parking space.
    • Pass does not provide access to State Vehicular Recreation Areas (off-highway vehicles parks).
    • Not valid for per-person entry or tour fees (such as Hearst Simeon State Historical Monument, Railroad Museum, etc.), camping, boat use fees, group use or sites, special events, oversized vehicle fees, additional/extra vehicle fees, swimming pool fees, sanitation disposal use, or for supplemental fees.

    No, the pass is only valid within the 200+ participating state park units.

    No. The pass entitles the user to a free vehicle day-use entry for one passenger vehicle with capacity of nine people or less or one highway licensed motorcycle at over 200 participating state park units.

    Also, the pass is not valid for per-person entry or tour fees (such as museums), boat use, group use or sites, special events, additional/extra vehicle fees, sanitation disposal use or for supplemental fees. To see a list of ineligible parks click here, and read full terms and conditions here.

    Each pass has a 10-day loan period and can be requested through the link above. No renewals are allowed.

    Fees will not be charged for the late return or loss of the passes, however, they will be deactivated if not returned within 10 days of their due date.

  • Discover & Go

    You need a library card to reserve a free pass (starts with 01535). Visit your local San Diego County Library branch to apply for a library card. Bring a picture ID and proof of your current address with you to pick up your card. If you’re under 18, you need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.  

    Each San Diego County Library holder is allowed to reserve up to two passes at a time. 

    Please read the details on each pass carefully. Each museum or attraction decides how many people it will admit with a pass. Some are family passes and others offer free access to one person per pass. 

    After you make a reservation, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the Discover & Go website. Follow this link to login with your library card number and view your pass under “My Reservations.” Print your pass from here shortly before your visit.  

    Please note: You cannot cancel your reservation once you have printed or downloaded your pass. 

    Please read the details on the pass carefully. Some museums or attractions may accept mobile passes and others require a printed pass.  

    Please bring the printed pass and a valid photo I.D. such as CA driver’s license, CA ID card, government issued ID Card, passport, or school ID card. The name on the pass and I.D. must match. If the attraction accepts mobile passes, you can present the pass on your device. 

    Reservations are first come, first served. If a pass is not available for the attraction or date you want, please make a different selection.  

    Reservations can be cancelled if the passes have not been printed or downloaded. To cancel a pass, log in to your Discover & Go account and click on “Cancel Pass.” 

    No, if you reserve a pass and do not use it or cancel the reservation, the unused pass will count towards your limit. Please note: some institutions only allow you to reserve one pass per year. 

    There are a few reasons why you may not be able to make a reservation: 

    • All passes for the attraction are currently reserved.
    • You have two active reservations—the maximum you can have at any given time.
    • You’ve already used up your passes for this attraction this year.
    • Your account is not in good standing. 

  • Performers & Educators

    To get started, follow these steps:

    • Register your organization for an account in the BuyNet, the County of San Diego’s online supplier portal.
      • See the “Creating and Managing Supplier Profiles” guide on the BuyNet landing page for step-by-step instructions.
    • In the “commodities” section, pick one of the below options that best describes your organization. This will allow you to get notifications about relevant opportunities.
      • 82150000 – Professional artists and performers
      • 86130000 – Specialized educational services

    If you have any questions about the BuyNet online portal, please reach out to the Department of Purchasing & Contracting: cosd_procurement@sdcounty.ca.gov

    Once you pass the background check, contact the Office of Security (contact information found in the Background packet), to receive your County Badge. 

    Reach out to the Department of Purchasing and Contracting contact listed on the solicitation and email a picture of your County badge. Once completed, the County of San Diego will issue an As-Needed contract for an initial year with option years. 

    Performers and educators are booked by individual branches on an as-needed basis. Branches may draw from a list of County approved vendors to book programs relevant to their communities. 

  • Seeds & Sustainability

    The Seeds & Sustainability Project aims to help the community have a positive impact on the environment through gardening and composting. 

    11 San Diego County Library branches are stocked with a supply of starter seeds to promote gardening and access to homegrown food. Those who take seeds from the seed library do not need to later return seeds to share.  

    Available seed quantities vary by branch. Please contact the seed library closest to you for details.

    No! Seeds do not need to be returned to the library. 

    Each seed library will feature a variety of food producing seeds such as melon, squash, tomatoes, carrots, and peppers, as well as flowers to support pollinators. Many seeds are California native plants, and others have been regionally adapted for growing in San Diego County (in zones 9 and 10).  

    In 2022, San Diego County Library received grant funding to support the launch of seed libraries at 11 branches. Libraries were selected based on community need and to allow for access throughout the region. Following the grant period, seed libraries may expand to other locations. 

  • New Casa de Oro Library

    As of February 2024, the County of San Diego has selected a Design-Build contractor to begin the design and construction of the new Casa de Oro Library.

    The estimated building timeline is:

    • Construction Phase Begins: Winter 2025
    • Opening: Summer 2026

    The new library will be located at 9610 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977 near Spring Valley Academy.

    The current library is no longer large enough to meet the needs of the community. The current facility is in a leased location and is just 6,000 square feet. In 2022, the Casa de Oro Library was visited nearly 30,000 times with customers checking out over 63,250 items (physical plus digital). The branch held 209 programs with 1,553 total attendees and there is limited community gathering space.

    The new library will be approximately 12,000 sq ft with an approximately 2,000 sq ft Community Room. Design concepts are shared at the top of this page.

    • Public computers plus laptops for checkout
    • High speed internet access and Wi-Fi throughout the branch
    • Community Room with after-hours access for community events
    • Study rooms
    • Teen area with study rooms
    • Children's area with early-literacy activities
    • Teen area with study rooms
    • Patio space
    • Friends of the Library Bookstore
    • Designated parking lot

    The new library is being built to Zero Net Energy and LEED Gold standards. This means that each year the library’s solar panels will produce the electricity it needs to operate.

    The County of San Diego opened a Request for Statement of Qualifications, and subsequently a Request for Proposal to procure Design-Build services for this project, starting in early 2023. The Source Selection Committee reviewed the submissions at each stage of the procurement process and selected the highest scoring team.

    The new Casa de Oro Library project will be led by EC Constructors Inc. 

    This project is funded by the County of San Diego.

    An online survey and “contact us” form is available on this page. Residents may also share input through a print survey at the current Casa de Oro Library branch.

    The awarded contractor has created an initial design concept for the new library that is posted on this website page. You can also view the design concept in person at the current Casa de Oro Library. Please note: The initial design concept shared in February 2024 will evolve as the project moves forward and revisions are made.

  • New Lakeside Library

    The new library is located at 12428 Woodside Ave., between Ottavio’s Italian Restaurant and the Americo gas station.

    The new library is approximately 16,000 square feet, more than 3 times the size of the current facility.

    The new Lakeside library is designed to be a Zero Net Energy building. This means that the energy needed to operate the branch is completely offset by the sunlight harvested and then used to energize building systems.

    Yes, there are 60 oversized parking stalls, 2 EV charging stations, and a quick drop-off area near the front of the building.

    • Bringing the outdoors of Lakeside and Lindo Lake into the branch through art and theming
    • A themed Children’s Area featuring new books for kids and space for storytimes and crafts
    • A Teen Space that will feature new books and study rooms, plus be a fun place to hang out after school
    • A Homework Center where kids and teens can work together on class assignments
    • Comfortable powered seating throughout the building
    • Quiet study rooms for individuals and small groups
    • Vet Connect station to connect veterans to resources through the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs
    • Community Room and Conference Room where programs and meetings can be held
    • Friends of the Library bookstore

    • Automated returns, laptop check-out kiosk, public internet computers that are available whenever the library is open
    • Free wireless internet access for laptop users – both inside and outside the branch
    • Automated materials check-out, giving customers the ability to check out their favorite titles quickly and efficiently

    Yes, SDCL has built 11 new libraries in the past 11 years.  We partner with the public, private, and non-profit sectors in order to develop innovative and sustainable branch libraries.  SDCL builds award-winning libraries, including a recent People’s Choice Orchid Award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation for the Fallbrook Library and multiple building features in Library Journal and American Libraries magazine.