CIRCULATION POLICY

Library Cards | Loan Periods & Rules | Overdue Materials | Videos | Reserves & Interlibrary LoansPhilosophy:In keeping with the mission statement of the Monroe Free Library, open and wide access to available material will be made to all current and potential library users in the community on an equal basis. The following sets policy for length of loan period, renewals, reserves/interlibrary loans, overdue materials, damaged materials, and fines. The Library will determine who is eligible to borrow materials and will provide for the return or replacement of such material.Library Cards: In order to borrow any material, a patron must present a valid library card. At no time may staff check out material by typing in either a patron ID, patron barcode number, or a patron’s name.

1. To get a Monroe Free Library card one must:
   • Be physically present in the Library when applying. Be a resident of the Town of Monroe (which includes the Villages of Monroe, Harriman, and Kiryas Joel). Residency is determined by payment of property tax. Be able to write or print both first and last name.
   • Provide 2 forms of I.D., one with proof of address and the second with a photograph of the applicant. Examples: tax bill, utility bill, family member library card, driver’s licence, personal check, mail, letter from the post office, etc. NOTE: P.O. Box does not constitute proof of address.
   • It is the policy of the Monroe Free library to mail all new library cards. At the time of sign-up, you may take out three (3) items. Once you receive your card, you may take out as many as you wish.

   If the applicant is eighteen (18) or under, the following rules also apply. Note: It is the policy of the Library not to act in loco parentis in keeping with the principles of equal access to information and materials for all customers. If a parent or guardian does not wish their child to have access to particular materials, they will need to discuss these restrictions with the child in the context of their parent/guardian-child relationship.

   • Parent or guardian must be present.
   • A guardian must be a person who lives with the applicant at least part of the time or year, and is willing to take responsibility for the applicant.
     
     
   Temporary Patrons

   By definition, these are individuals who cannot obtain a Ramapo- Catskill Library system library card. To obtain a Monroe Free Library temporary resident card, one must:

   • Be physically present in the Library when applying. Be able to write or print both first and last name. Provide proof of address. Pay $80.00 for a one year membership. Temporary cards may be purchased on a quarterly basis at $20.00 per quarter.
   • Follow the rules for parent/guardian when applicant is 18 or under.
   • Note: Monroe Free Library patron cards can be used at Monroe Free Library only.
     
2. Losing or Replacing a Card
   
   1. Lost card - When a card is lost, a replacement may be obtained by mailing (regular patron) or giving out (temporary patron) a new barcoded card. The fee schedule for lost cards is as follows:

      CardMFL Patron	Temporary Patron
      2nd, 3rd$3.00	$80.00 yearly $20.00 quarterly

   2. Replacement cards -- Replacement card fees are non-refundable and once a card is set to lost it is no longer valid. When a patron moves from an RCLS library to Monroe, a replacement card is issued at no cost. When an MFL card becomes unusable or damaged, a replacement card is issued at no cost.
      
      NOTE: Library card applications do not leave the building and must be mailed to each applicant individually. Applicants may borrow up to and including three (3) items on day of registration. After receipt of the card in the mail, there will be no limits except for those specifically stated in other policies on borrowed materials. See B. Loan Periods and Rules, 4. Limits
      
      NOTE: Card holders are responsible for material checked out on their library cards whether the card is used by the owner of the card or anyone else. If a card is lost, the card- holder must notify the Library immediately to prevent liability for future borrowed material.

Loan Periods and Rules:The Library establishes standard loan periods for the various materials in the collection. These loan periods apply to all individual card-holders and are as follows:

1. Loan Periods
   • 5-day loan -- videos / DVDs 7-day loans -- magazines 14 -day loan -new rental fiction & music CDs 28-day loan - all non-rental fiction, non-fiction, large print (including Readers Digest and New York Times), Pamphlets, cameras, art prints, books-on-tape, and other miscellaneous material
   • NOTE: Exceptions will be noted in the appropriate categories.
   Renewals
   Occasional patrons need more time with material they have borrowed. The following are rules and restrictions that apply to renewals.
   • Magazines are NOT renewable. There will be not more than 2 renewals per item.
   • Materials must be renewed with a patron's library card in person only. The material in question may or may not be present. No telephone renewals are accepted.
   Reference and Temporary Reference
   Reference materials are materials which remain in the library at all times to be used as a permanent resource in accessing information.
   • Reference material, newspapers, and certain designated magazines do not circulate under any circumstances.
   • Materials are put on temporary reference when extra ordinary use, such a school assignments, demands that material that normally circulate be kept in the building. Items on temporary reference do not circulate under any circumstances.
2. Limits
   
   • Due dates and fines may differ when you interloan/reserve items from another library.
   • The library reserves the right to limit patrons to borrowing material within reasonable limits as determined by the Director and/or Board.
   • All DVDs and videos limited to 5 for non-Monroe patrons.
   • All music CDs limited to 5 for non-Monroe patrons.

Overdue Materials:On the day after the due date, all material will be considered overdue if they have not been renewed or returned. One overdue notice is sent after 42 days to inform a patron of overdue material. At 70 days, the material is set to “lost’ by the system.

• Material will not be checked out to any patrons with any lost items on their record. Material will not be checked out to patrons with a fine of $5.00 or over. If a patron has paid for a lost item and later finds that item, no refund will be issued and the patron may keep the previously lost, paid-for item. Material will not be checked out to patrons with three (3) or more claims returned items.*
• Fines are waived when a patron pays for a lost item.

 

Damaged Materials:Occasionally, material becomes damaged through misuse or carelessness on the part of the borrower. If this is determined to be the case, the borrower must pay the replacement cost of the item as determined by the Director, plus a processing fee of $5.00. Use of the borrower’s library card is suspended until the matter is cleared up. The borrower then “owns” the damaged item.NOTE: A patron who allows another party to check items out to his/her card, is responsible for those items.

Videos/DVDs:

• As of January 1, 2007, there will be no fee for DVDs/videos.
• No limit on the amount of videos/DVDs checked out to Monroe Free Library cardholders.
  Non-Monroe cardholders are limited to 5 DVDs.
• Five (5) day loan period. $2.00 per day overdue fines with a $30.00 maximum. If the Library is closed, videos/DVD's may be placed in the bookdrop.
• Oversized videos must be brought into library.

Reserves and Interlibrary Loans:Monroe Free Library allows Monroe Free Library card-holders in good standing to place a hold or reserve on its own material, and to interloan material from other agencies when they are unavailable locally.

• Requests may be made in person, by telephone, by Internet via the library's home page, www.monroelibrary.org or by fax @ 845-782-4707. There is a 25¢ charge for each item either reserved or interloaned. Interloaned material must be picked up at Monroe Free Library. Patrons have five (5) days to pick up reserved or interloaned material after they have been reached by telephone. In special cases and upon request, patrons may be notified about their reserved or interloaned material via postcard. When patrons neglect to pick up their material after they have been reached, they are still responsible for the 25¢ charge.
• Upon request of the lending library, certain interloaned material may have a shortened loan period.

In addition to the above, the Monroe Free Library reserves the right to institute, at the discretion of the Director, any and all policies that are deemed necessary to the efficient, effective, day-to-day operation of the Library.