About
Mission Statement
The Winter Haven Public Library provides a place to improve the quality of life for our city’s diverse communities by offering accessible information, ideas, books, and technology that enhance and contribute to individual knowledge, enlightenment, and enjoyment.
To get your Winter Haven Library card, good at all public libraries in Polk County, provide your Florida State driver’s license or ID card showing your current street address. If you don’t have that, bring in a photo ID and documentation with your name and current street address – utility bill, rental/lease agreement, or any government-issued mail will be accepted.
If you’d like, you may start the application online. Applying online will give you a temporary card number and allow you to place holds, but you will still need to visit the library with a proper ID to receive your card or use Library services and resources. We are unable to register children ages 17 and under for a library card online.
Your library card PIN number is used to access online library services and resources like managing your online Library Account or using Libby, Kanopy, or LinkedIn Learning. Your PIN is set to default to 1111. Immediately after logging in for the first time - please customize your PIN. If you need further assistance, call 863-291-5880.
The following library materials from the Winter Haven Public Library circulate for two weeks and can be renewed for up to 6 weeks:
- Books
- Audiobooks
- DVD TV series
- Music CDs
- Magazines
DVD movies circulate for one week and can be renewed for up to 3 weeks.
Hotspots circulate for two weeks with no option to renew.
Auto-Renewal
Eligible physical library items will auto-renew one day before the due date. The new due date will be based on the date of renewal and the loan period for that item (ex. a book due January 3rd would be renewed on January 2nd and have a new due date of January 16th). This service will automatically renew checked-out books, DVDs, and CDs, up to three times.
Manual Renewal
You may manually renew items online. You will need to log into your account with the 14-digit number under the barcode on the back of your library card along with your PIN. You may also renew by calling the Library at 863-291-5880.
To access your account online, go to my account and log in using your library card number and PIN. From your account, you may request items, renew items, check due dates, and more.
Item Holds
Library cardholders may place items on hold for pickup by selecting “Place Hold” located next to the item in the online catalog. A library card number and PIN are required. You may also contact the Library and staff will be happy to place the request for you. Just call 863-291-5880. Patrons will be contacted when the items arrive and will have six full business days to pick them up before returning them to the lending library.
If the item was published within the last 12 months, we may be able to purchase it for the Library's collection.
Please see our Item Request Form to request an item.
You can utilize the library’s wireless printing service to print documents inside the library, when you are out and about, and even from home.
- Go to our Princh website and use the printer ID: 103390
- Upload your file
- Check Accept Terms and Conditions
- Hit Continue
- Make your payment
- Select “Order Print”
- See a staff member at the Walk-Up Window and give them the 4-digit security code to release your print job (note that staff will not have access to this code). Please remember it in order to complete your order.
Cost
- Black and White - $0.15 per page side
- Color - $0.25 per page side.
Accepted payment methods are credit and debit cards, and PayPal.
Cash/coin payments are not available for this service
Other Usage Guidelines
- Patrons must have their four-digit print confirmation code in order to retrieve prints. Staff cannot retrieve confirmation codes or prints.
- Unless it is the fault of the printer, blank pages will not be refunded.
- Print jobs are deleted after 24 hours. Once deleted, they cannot be retrieved.
The Library has three study rooms located in the back of the Library, near the Reference desk, which may be used at no charge.
To ensure the rooms are available to all members of our community and to ensure they remain clean and functional, the Winter Haven Public Library sets forth the following rules governing the use of the library study rooms.
Guidelines:
- Users must have a valid library card and PIN.
- Person signed up for room must be present at all times and must be at least 12 years old.
- During the course of a single day, there is a limit of one (1) 2 HOUR reservation at a time per person or group.
- A reservation(s) may be made up to one (1) week in advance.
- Up to 3 reservations may be made per week.
- Reserved rooms will be held for ten (10) minutes past the reservation time after which the room may be occupied by another person/group.
- Only covered beverages are permitted; absolutely no food.
- Items may not be left unattended in a study room for more than 10 minutes.
- Items exceeding this limit will be removed and placed in Lost & Found.
* Any violation of these guidelines will result in a verbal warning upon the first incidence, and loss of study room privileges for any subsequent occurrence.
Study Room Limits:
Room #1:
- Maximum capacity – four (4) people
- Maximum occupation time is two (2) hours.
Room #2:
- Maximum capacity – two (2) people
- Maximum occupation time is two (2) hours.
Room #3:
- Maximum capacity – two (2) people
- Maximum occupation time is two (2) hours.
If you are a presenter and interested in doing a program at the Library, please complete the Presenter Application.
We will keep your information on file and contact you if we are interested.
Library Advisory Board
The Winter Haven Public Library has a Library Advisory Board consisting of five members from the local community.
Meetings take place on the second Tuesday in January, March, May, July, September and November at 5 p.m. in the Historical Conference Room at the library.
Library History
The Winter Haven Public Library wasn’t always owned and operated by the City of Winter Haven.
The Library was founded in 1910, by a group of civic-minded young men. Many people helped the library during its early days; Dr. Mary Jewett, the Inman Family, and the Woman’s Club to name a few. The Woman’s Civic League assumed sponsorship of the library in 1915, and in 1952, the City of Winter Haven took over management and daily library operations.
List of Holiday Closures
The Winter Haven Public Library will be closed in 2026 on:
- New Year's Day - Thursday, January 1, 2026
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 19
- Presidents' Day - Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day - Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth - Friday, June 19
- Independence Day - Friday, July 3 & Saturday, July 4
- Labor Day - Monday, September 7
- Veterans Day - Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 26
- Day after Thanksgiving - Friday, November 27
- Christmas Eve - Thursday, December 24
- Christmas Day - Friday, December 25