Non residents
Do you live in an unincorporated part of Westmont, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, or Willowbrook?
If we are the closest library to your home, you can purchase a Westmont Public Library card (or cards) for your household that are good for the entire year! Check the map provided below to see if you are eligible for a Westmont card. Then, use the non-resident card calculators below to determine the cost.
View Larger Map
Calculators for non-resident cards
Non-resident homeowners
To determine the cost of service, enter your Net Taxable Value in the box below.
Don’t know the Net Taxable Value? Check the Dupage County website or read our frequently asked questions at the bottom of this page for details.
Non-resident renters
According to the law, the minimum cost of library cards for renters is 15% of one month’s rent. Be sure to bring a copy of your current lease to obtain a card. Enter your monthly rent in the box below.
Non-resident FAQs
Do I have to have a library card to use the library?
Visiting the Library and reading the books, magazines, and newspapers in the Library is free to everyone. There is a fee for printing.
Checking out any items to use outside the building or on a personal device, including ebooks or other digital media, requires a library card as these services are paid for by the taxpayers of the Village of Westmont.
Why do I have to pay for a card or cards for my family?
Westmont Public Library cards are available without additional charge to persons who pay Westmont Village property taxes that support their public library. People who live in unincorporated areas around Westmont and who do not submit a portion of their property taxes to the Library, may purchase library cards at the equivalent rate as incorporated residents.
Illinois Public Act 92-0166 (Non-Resident Service) provides the rules and regulations through which “non-residents” may obtain a library card. Currently, the law states that non-residents must apply for a library card at the “closest public library.”
Why the does the law say “closest public library?”
It is assumed that you will use the library closest to your home. That library will bear the largest burden of your use and, therefore, they will use the funds to provide those services.
Why do I have to pay so much for a card?
To determine the cost of service, Westmont Public Library Board of Trustees has adopted the Tax Bill Method which multiplies the library tax rate that residents pay by the Net Taxable Value of your property. This can be found by looking at your tax bill or going to the County Clerk’s property tax web site. The amount should be about 33.33% of the market value of the property, averaged over a three year period.
Do I have to pay that much for everyone in my family?
The non-resident card fee includes as many cards as there are residents in the household. A family of 4 may have 4 cards if they choose. A family of one may have one card.
Adults must prove their residency in the household using the acceptable ID methods for all library cards. Minors must be accompanied by an adult residing in the same household, with proof of residency, to obtain a card.
Can I use my College of DuPage library card to check things out at a public library?
No. As a resident within the College of DuPage service area you may obtain and use the College of DuPage Library in Glen Ellyn. However, the College of DuPage Library is considered an academic library, not a public library. Their library card will not be honored as a public library card.