| LIBRARY SERVICE POLICY | ||||
| POLICY AUTHORITY | ||||
| Library policies regarding building use, material loans, overdue materials, lost or damaged materials are adopted and changed by the Library Board of Directors. (See KSA 12-1227) | ||||
| LIBRARY HOURS | ||||
| HOLIDAY CLOSINGS | ||||
| EMERGENCY CLOSING | ||||
| BORROWING | ||||
| Who may borrow? | ||||
| Anyone who lives within the state of Kansas or who is a temporary resident of Great Bend. | ||||
| The library will pass on direct costs for interlibrary loans, films, videos, photocopies, laminating, etc. See Appendix C for a list of charges of services. Those who use the interlibrary loan service must have a Great Bend Public Library card. | ||||
| Borrower Registration | ||||
| All library patrons must have a bar-coded borrower's card. Parents are encouraged to secure cards for their children. Children under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign for them to have a card. By signing the application card, parents agree to the following: 1) the parents are responsible for loss, damage or overdue; 2) the parents are wholly responsible for monitoring the appropriateness of materials their children check out. Library staff members will not restrict the circulation of books based on age. A library patron may not use the borrower's card of another person to avoid a fine or the payment of other fees. | ||||
| Lost or stolen cards | ||||
| Library patrons may request a new library card if they believe their card has been lost or stolen. | ||||
| A new card will be issued after payment of the replacement fee of $1.00, the return of ALL overdue materials checked out with the previous card, and the payment of all fines and charges for lost or damaged materials. | ||||
| Children who have lost their cards do not have to have their parent's signature to request a replacement card. | ||||
| Regular loan periods | ||||
| The regular loan period for books, cassettes, records, and pamphlets is three weeks. The regular loan period may be extended if the material is not overdue and no other patron has a hold on the item. Renewals may be made in person or over the telephone. | ||||
| Regular loans extended | ||||
| Loan periods may be altered due to extenuating circumstances. Examples: accident, illness, bad weather, death in the family, etc. | ||||
| Reserves (Holds) | ||||
| Reserves (holds) may be placed in person or by telephone. | ||||
| Videos | ||||
| All videos check out for two days. Videos may not be renewed. Videos checked out on Fridays are due on the following Sunday. Videos that will be used for public performance programs need prior approval before they are shown to groups. | ||||
| R-rated videos will be kept behind the circulation desk, along with the fifty newest videos. Other videos will be shelved within the general book collection. | ||||
| Reserves (Holds) on Videos and Audiocassettes | ||||
| Reserves may be placed only on non-fiction videos and audiocassettes. | ||||
| Reference items | ||||
| Items specifically marked "Reference," "Kansas Reference," or "Genealogy" do not circulate, except in rare cases. With the approval of the Director, the Department Head for Reference, or another department head, reference material may be checked out during hours when the library is closed. For example: a patron may request the use of a reference book on Friday evening at 4:45 PM and borrow it until 10:00 AM on Saturday morning. | ||||
| Periodicals | ||||
| Periodicals do not circulate. With the approval of the Reference Department, magazines may be taken out of the library for one hour to make color copies, if necessary. | ||||
| Authority | ||||
| Except for the approvals noted previously in Reference items and Periodicals, staff members have the authority to handle specific needs of patrons as the situation may dictate. | ||||
| Number of Items Checked out Per Card | ||||
| A patron may have a cumulative total of 25 items checked out at any given time. They are specifically limited to: | ||||
| Twenty-five books per card | ||||
| Ten audiocassettes per card | ||||
| Four videos per family on an adult card | ||||
| Three cake pans per card | ||||
| Teacher's Packet | ||||
| Teachers may check out materials for use in their classroom in accordance with the above policy. | ||||
| Equipment Loan | ||||
| Because of its high value, the loan of equipment (projectors, etc.) will be restricted to adults. | ||||
| Interlibrary Loan | ||||
| If the library does not have the material a patron needs, patrons may request the material through Interlibrary Loan. All fees charged by the lending library (except postage) will be paid by the patron. Microfilm loan fees must be paid before the film will be ordered. Interlibrary Loan requests must be completed in person at the library. Interlibrary Loan materials borrowed for patrons of the library circulate according to the lending library's regulations. There are no renewals for materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan videos check out for one week. | ||||
| Book Return Services | ||||
| The library provides an outside book return to accommodate patrons who need to return books without coming into the library. Patrons who return their books through the book return are responsible for the physical condition of the books until they are taken inside the library. Videocassettes, records, tapes, and interlibrary loans are NOT to be returned to the book return. | ||||
| OVERDUES | ||||
| Overdue Fees | ||||
| There will be a grace period of one week on all materials, except videos and audiovisual equipment. | ||||
| Daily fines on regular items are 10 cents per item per day. | ||||
| The fee for overdue videocassettes is $1.00 per videocassette per day. | ||||
| The fee for overdue audiovisual equipment is $1.00 per hour. | ||||
| Maximum Fee on Overdue Items | ||||
| The maximum fee on each overdue item, including videos, is $5.00. The patron is not entitled to keep the item. There are no exceptions. | ||||
| Amnesty Days | ||||
| Overdue books may be returned without charge on Halloween day and during National Library Week in April. Other days may be named as amnesty days with the approval of the Board. | ||||
| Borrowing Privileges Denied | ||||
| Borrowing privileges will be denied (blocked) when the overdue fine reaches 50 cents or more. The parent/guardian who signed for a child is responsible for all fines or damages incurred by the child. That adult's card will be blocked for outstanding balances on the child's card. Borrowing privileges will be denied until fees assessed for lost or damaged materials are paid. Patrons whose borrowing privileges have been blocked will not be allowed access to the Internet computers until the problem that caused the block is resolved. | ||||
| Claims Returned | ||||
| If items are not returned and on three separate occasions the patron claims to have returned materials, borrowing privileges will be denied until payment for the most recently disputed items has been made. | ||||
| LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS | ||||
| Patron Liability | ||||
| If a patron loses or damages library materials, the patron must pay for the loss. | ||||
| Processing Fee for Lost/Damaged Items | ||||
| A processing fee of $2.00 will be added to the charges for items that have been lost or damaged beyond use. | ||||
| Charges for Lost Materials | ||||
| Library patrons are responsible for the material they borrow. Patrons will be fined for negligent damage up to and including the cost of replacing the material. If a library material is lost or destroyed, the patron will pay for the item according to the following schedule, which includes the $2.00 processing fee: | ||||
| Adult hardback fiction | $25.00 | |||
| Adult hardback non-fiction | $ 40.00 | |||
| Adult paperback non-fiction | $ 20.00 | |||
| Mass market paperback | $ 8.00 | |||
| Video | $ 30.00 | |||
| Music Cassette/CD | $ 20.00 | |||
| Book on Tape | $ 25.00 | |||
| Children's hardback | $ 20.00 | |||
| Children's paperback | $ 7.00 | |||
Paying for Losts or Damaged Materials | ||||
| Interlibrary Loan Items Lost | ||||
| The fee for lost interlibrary loan items is set by the lending library. | ||||
| Damaged Items | ||||
| Fines assessed for damaged items will be based on whether or not the item has been damaged beyond reasonable use. If an item is still usable, the cost of damages will be determined by the amount of damage. The Head of Reference and Collection Development will set the fee for adult materials, and the Head of the Children's Department will set the fee for children's materials. If a damaged book can be mended, the cost of mending will be charged to the patron. If a patron pays for a damaged book, he or she may not keep the book. Damaged materials that have been paid for remain the property of the library. | ||||
| Borrowing Privileges | ||||
| Borrowing privileges will be denied until fees assessed for lost or damaged materials are paid. | ||||
| FEE SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN SERVICES | ||||
| The Library charges a maintenance fee or cost recovery charge for certain services. The fee schedule follows: | ||||
| Photocopies | 10¢ each | |||
| Microfilm/fiche printouts | 15¢ each | |||
| Laminating | ||||
| #1 Pouch 3 3/4 x 2 1/4 | 50¢ | |||
| #2 Pouch 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 | 50¢ | |||
| #3 Pouch 3 3/4 x 2 3/8 Luggage Tag | 50¢ | |||
| #4 Pouch 8 1/2 x 11 | $ 1.25 | |||
| #5 Pouch 8 1/2 x 14 | $ 1.25 | |||
| #6 Pouch 12 x 18 | $ 2.00 | |||
| Genealogy sheets | 5¢ per sheet | |||
| Genealogy lookup | $5.00 per individual with complete dates | |||
| Interlibrary Loan | Actual cost, if any, for photocopies, etc. | |||
| Computer printouts | 10 ¢ per page after the first 10 copies | |||
| Printout Policy | ||||
| Printouts from computer generated resources are provided as a convenience for the public. The first ten pages for a single project will be provided free. After that, the cost will be 10 cents per page. | ||||
| Examples of computer generated resources are: | ||||
| Internet pages | ||||
| Magazine Abstract Summaries | ||||
| Family Search pages | ||||