Circulating materials, except museum passes, borrowed from a neighborhood branch or the Central Library at Copley Square may be returned to any other Boston Public Library location. These materials may also be returned to any Library in the Metro-Boston Library Network (MBLN). Overdue material returned to an MBLN location will be charged the overdue fines of that library.

Research Library material, which is used in the building, should be returned to the issuing desk the same day. Some Research Library materials may be restricted to use in certain reading rooms.

The following Boston Public Library branches have book drops for after-hours returns. Items returned in the book drop before the branch opens will be counted as returned the previous day.