LIBRARY POLICIES

BORROWING PRIVILEGES

1. All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid patron card to borrow library materials. Any resident of Cedar County may apply for a library card at El Dorado Springs or Stockton. Applicant will be asked to provide proof of residence in the form of a voter registration card, current utility bill, or city or county tax statement. Children under the age of 16 must have a parent or guardian sign the application. The first time borrower may borrow two (2) items. After he/she brings back the two (2) items, they may check out more. The staff may limit the number of items checked out for due cause.
2. If a patron loses his library card, he should notify the library as soon as possible and request a replacement at the current charge of a new card. Patrons are required to pay for replacement cards. All patrons, adult and juvenile, are expected to bring their library cards with them if they intend to check out items. An individual who repeatedly ignores this requirement may be denied the privilege of checking out materials until they present his card at the library
3. The responsibilities:
   • The patron acknowledges that he/she is responsible for all materials checked out of the library.
   • The patron should return items promptly in order to cut the expense of overdue notices and to make materials available to others.
   • The patron will pay any fines or charges he incurs.
   • The patron understands that the library is not responsible for any damage that may occur to the patron's equipment while using the library's videos, DVDs, cassettes, or CDs.
   • The patron agrees to comply with all copyright laws regarding all library materials.
   • The patron acknowledges that he/she is legally responsible for any materials checked out by his minor children.
   • Patron will pay for damaged items according to replacement costs and a $10.00 non-refundable re-stocking fee.
   • The patron will accept collect calls that may be required to get overdue materials back.
   • The patron understands that the library will call or notify by mail within two (2) weeks after due date and will invoice the material one (1) month after due date.
   • Patron will be denied borrowing privileges until overdue material is returned and/or paid for.
   • The patron understands renewed material may be recalled if another patron has requested it.
4. Loan periods

   Three (3) weeks for books. Generally, reference books do not circulate. Upon request, some reference materials may be checked out overnight. Interlibrary loans are due the date indicated by the lending library. Books may be renewed once if there is not a waiting list for the title. Current issues of periodicals do not circulate. Non-current periodicals may be checked out for three (3) weeks and may not be renewed. Three (3) weeks for cassettes, audio books, and compact discs. One (1 ) week for videocassettes and DVD's.

   The director may establish the loan period for special collections, materials that are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection that are in a new format, e.g., computer software. There is no limit on the number of items a patron can borrow at one time, with one exception -- two items on a subject is the limit for a known school assignment.

5. Interlibrary Loan

   Because of limited budget and space, the library may not provide all requested materials. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of this library's collection. In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Cedar County Library agrees to lend its materials to other libraries through the same interlibrary loan network, and to make an effort to have its current holdings listed in a tool that is accessible by other libraries throughout the state.

   A patron may request up to 3 items on interlibrary loan. The cost of$3.00 per item ($2.00 if patron is a current valid member of either Friends of the library group) is requested to help defray the cost of postage. Only one (1) request per form please. Failure to pay fines or return ILL materials will result in the loss of library privileges.

   Microfilm may be borrowed from the State Historical Society or Mid-Continent Library. State Historical Society lends out only 2 reels per library at a time. They charge $6.00 per ILL. We will charge $2.00 per reel to return it. The loan period is two weeks.

6. Reserves

   Reserves may be placed by patrons either in person or over the phone.

   Patrons will be notified by postcard or telephone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve.

7. Fines and charges

   Fines are ten cents ($.1o) per day per item for overdue materials. A first notice is sent after the material is due. If the material is not returned within a designated period, a bill will be sent for the material with the cost of replacement of the material and a service charge for processing, cataloging and postage. Patrons who have been sent an overdue notice shall be denied borrowing privileges until those overdue materials are returned or paid for if lost and/or damaged

Revised and Approved September 17,2004

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