Circulation and Borrowing Privileges Policies

Borrowing Privileges Policy

PATRON ELIGIBILITY
The library serves the town of Palermo and the surrounding area.  There is no fee to become a Patron of the Palermo Community Library.                                    

Eligibility to borrow

Individuals who are currently Patrons of the Palermo Community Library are eligible to borrow materials from the Palermo Community Library when the following conditions are met:

1. No materials which are more than two renewal periods are overdue on their card.

2. No unreturned books that the Library hasn’t received reimbursement.

The library staff may not waive these regulations. However, the patron may request and receive a 24-hour hold on the item(s) he or she wishes to check out to allow the patron to correct the situation which has resulted in loss of eligibility to borrow.

ACCOUNT SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION
A patron’s use of the library may be denied for due cause. Such cause may be items past due for more than one renewal period, failure to return library materials, pay fines, destruction of library property, violation of library policies, disturbing other patrons, downloading of copyrighted material or any other illegal, disruptive, or objectionable conduct on library premises. Please see Disruptive Patron Policy. 

Length of Loans

 The following terms of loan are applicable as indicated:

Length of Loan                   # Allowed   # of Renewals

Books                            2 weeks                            10               2

Audiobooks                 2 weeks                                  2                   0

DVD/VHS                    1 week                                2                  0

DVD, Multi Discs         2 weeks                              1               0

eReaders                       2 weeks                              1                   1

Reference                      Does not circulate

No item may be renewed, if another patron has placed a hold on it.

FINES

The Palermo Community Library has not established a schedule of fines for overdue materials.

Fees

Copies: $0. 15 per B/W page, $0. 30 per color page.  If enlargement or reduction is required by the patron, the per page fee applies to each step in that process.  Enlargement and reduction is not an exact science and may take several pages. 

Fax/transmission:  $1.00 for first page, $0.25 additional pages. Faxes are sent only within the continental United States. The cover sheet is excluded from the per page fee if the fax (including cover sheet) is more than one page in length. 

Fax/receipt:  $0. 15 per page. The Palermo Community Library assumes no responsibility of notification of the receipt of a fax for an individual.  The individual must remain at the Library until Fax is processed. 

Computer printouts:  $0. 15 per B/W page. $0. 30 per color page.  This fee applies to all material printed by library printers including, but not limited to, Internet downloads, CD-ROM product information, personal work, and graphics.

Interlibrary loan

The Palermo Community Library participates in an online network of libraries that allows Patrons to request materials located at libraries through the Bangor Public Library and beyond.

To use Interlibrary Loan services you must:
1.    Have no fees or fines
2.    Have no overdue items
3.    All requests for Ill service must be done in writing.
4.    The Patron will be notified when materials arrive.

5.  ILL materials may not be renewed unless requested before the due date and approved by the lending library. Such renewal requests will be made through the Library staff.

6. Late fees for overdue ILL materials are $1.00 per day per item.
   
   

HOLDS 

Patrons may reserve materials which are not immediately available for patron use, but are in the collection of the Palermo Community Library.  When the reserved materials are available to the patron who has placed the reserve, the library will notify the patron via phone.  The specific title of the material will not be stated to anyone other than the library patron who placed the reserve.  If the patron is not available by phone, a message will be left.  The date of the message will be noted and the material will be held for the patron for a period of one week.  If additional patrons are waiting for the material, the next patron on the list will be called and notified of the availability of the item, and the same procedure will be followed.  If no additional patrons are waiting for the material, the material will be placed back into general circulation.  In no circumstance will the library leave more than one message regarding a hold on a specific item.  Relay of the message to the appropriate person in the household, and prompt retrieval of the material, are the responsibilities of the patron. 

Lost and/or damaged materials

Patrons with responsibility for material in any format which is more than 20 days overdue are also responsible for any and all collection and/or court costs incurred by the library in its efforts to secure the return of the material. Replacement cost (not original purchase price) is the responsibility of any patron who borrows and loses any library material.  In the case of children under the age of 18, it is the parents’ responsibility to pay for lost or damaged items. The replacement cost includes current or average retail cost for the item plus a processing fee of $2.00 per item.  A notice of past due items and replacement cost is sent by Registered or Certified mail. If this notice is ignored, legal action pursuant to Maine Revised Statutes: Title 17-A: MAINE CRIMINAL CODE Chapter 15: THEFT §360. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PROPERTY Maine Theft of Library Materials – subsection (1)(C)  shall be taken. 

As to lost materials, the Library will utilize a refund policy on the following terms:  materials may be returned within six (6) months for a refund of the value or replacement cost paid subject to the rules relating to damaged materials and fines for overdue material.  The service charge of $2.00 will not be refunded. 

Confidentiality of Records 

The Palermo Community Library abides by Maine Statute Title 27, Chapter 4A section 121 Confidentiality of Library Records which states that the records of patron transactions and the identity of registered library patrons is confidential material.  The Palermo Community Library does not make available the records of patron transactions to any party except in compliance with the law.  The Palermo Community Library not make available lists of registered library patrons except in compliance with the law.

 Unanimously Approved at Board Meeting, May 9, 2016.