Circulation Policy
Mission Statement
The Pulaski County Public Library provides basic free access to current,
high-demand, high-interest materials in various formats for people of all ages.
We create a welcoming environment with friendly, competent staff and strive to
introduce children and adults to the joys and rewards of reading and using the
public library. Special emphasis is placed on supporting students of all
learning levels and ages with their formal and informal course of study and
self-improvement.
LIBRARY CARD REGISTRATION.The Pulaski County Library is supported
primarily by taxes paid by the residents of this county. Therefore,
library-borrowing privileges are available at no additional charge to residents
of Pulaski County. Others may apply for borrowing privileges by paying the
current fee established by the Board of Trustees. Students attending Somerset
Community College and anyone owning real property (real estate, boat, or
automobile) registered in Pulaski County may obtain a library card at no
charge.
The library has a responsibility to protect the taxpayer’s investment
in the collection of the library therefore, individuals requesting a library
card must complete a Library Card Registration form and show identification.
Adults: Two pieces of ID are required, one piece of ID with photo and
one piece containing the current address. Acceptable address identification
includes, but is not limited to; Kentucky Driver’s License or state issue
identification card, printed checks, car registration, military or government
I.D., rental/lease agreement, current utility bill, or an envelope with recent
postmark that shows the current address. Post office box numbers are not an
acceptable form of identification.
Children: Parents and/or caregivers may request a library card for a
child. Parents or caregivers must present verification of address for children
under the age of 13 if the child does not have such identification. The parent
or caregiver must sign the Library Card Registration Form. This signature
constitutes the parent of caregiver’s permission for the child to have a
card, and signifies a willingness to assume financial responsibility for all
materials checked out on the child’s card. A current Library card from the
adult is acceptable identification and does not require any further proof of
identity.
Non-residents: People who do not own property in this county are
considered to be non-residents. Non-residents are required to pay a yearly fee
of $25.00 per person or $50.00 per family in order to obtain a library card.
This is their contribution to the library in the place of paying taxes.
EXCEPTIONS: If an individual licenses their automobile or boat in this count,
they are exempt. If a person attends Somerset Community College or the Beauty
College, they are exempt. If a person has a card from one of these counties,
Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, Russell, Taylor, McCreary, Laurel or
Wayne and is in good standing in that county, (see reciprocal cards) they are
exempt. The library does not receive any of the occupational tax money.
Gold Cards: The Friends of the Public Library offer a
“Gold” card to their members. No overdue fines are charged to the
holders of this card, except those created by interlibrary loans. The card
requires a $25.00 donation per year to the Friends of the Library. This card
may be obtained at the circulation desk. This card does not exempt holders from
paying for damaged or lost items or any other fees charged by the library. Gold
Card members will get overdue notices.
Reciprocal Cards: The library board believes in cooperation among the
public libraries of the Three Rivers Region. Therefore, they have agreed to
allow any residents in the following counties, Adair, Casey, Clinton,
Cumberland, Green, Laurel, Russell, Taylor, McCreary, or Wayne who has no over
dues or lost items on their accounts in those counties to obtain a Pulaski
County Library Card at no cost. They must first request a reciprocal card and
after the management staff has confirmed their status at their home library, we
will issue the card. This process may take up to one week or more to complete.
Demographic information such as magisterial district may be gathered in
order to plan library services. This information is used anonymously and is not
disclosed in any way that would identify the person registering. All
information provided on the registration form is protected by rules pertaining
to confidentiality of records and privacy.
Library users should present their own library card in order to check out
library materials. Parents may use their minor children’s library card and
vice versa, except for computer usage (See “Rules for Computer Use”).
Library users without their library card must be verified by address.
Lost Cards will be replaced for a $1.00 charge. The patron’s record
will continue to show all materials charged to the former card number as well
as to the new card.
SUSPENSION OF BORROWING PRIVILEGES. Borrowing privileges are
suspended when a patron has too many items checked out or fines or other unpaid
charges posted to their library card. A Patrons card will be suspended if they
have more than 50 items checked out and $50.00 in fines. Privileges will be
resumed when the amount falls below 50 books or $50.00 in fines.
CHECK-OUT PERIOD
- Regular collection books, CDs, and audiocassettes circulate for 28 days.
- New books circulate for 14 days.
- Equipment, magazines and videos (VHS/DVD) circulate for 7 days.
- Reference material does not circulate.
- Special loans can only be approved by a department head.
LOAN LIMITS
A maximum of 50 titles may be charged against a borrower’s number. This
maximum is independent of the type of materials. Classroom collections may
exceed the 50-title limit.
- Books – whatever is needed up to the maximum limit.
- Books on Tape – 10 titles
- Compact Discs – 10 each
- Videos/DVD – 5 each
- Periodicals/Magazines – 5 each
- Equipment – 3 types
RENEWALS: Items may be renewed for the original loan period except
for the materials listed below. Renewals may be made at any branch, by
telephone or on-line. If the material is needed for a longer time period, the
patron must return the book to the library from which it was checked-out and
request a longer time period (this cannot be done over the telephone or
on-line).
Materials for which there is an ACTIVE reserve, special loan materials,
videos/DVDs, and new materials cannot be renewed. Overdue items may be renewed
one time on-line or by telephone unless there is a reserve. The fine accrues
from the original due date until the renewal takes place.
INTERLIBRARY LOANS:
Who May Use Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
- All staff members
- Patrons who have a library card in good standing
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery services are available free of
charge with a limit of 3 requests per patron unless home schooling then the
limit is 5 per family.
Loan Periods and Restrictions
For items borrowed from another library, the length of the loan period and
any restrictions on using the item are determined by the lending library.
In general:
- Most borrowed items have a 3 week loan period.
- Some materials have much shorter loan periods.
- Some materials may be restricted to use only within the Library.
- Some materials may have restrictions against photocopying.
Renewals:
- You may request one renewal for each item borrowed unless the lending
library indicates no renewals are accepted.
- Please request renewals at least 2 days before the item is due so we may
contact the lending library for permission to renew.
Your Obligations:
- Borrowing materials from another institution is a privilege. You are
expected to honor any restrictions that are stipulated by the lending library.
Special Loan Restrictions
Lending libraries sometimes place special restrictions on the use of loaned
items, as explained below.
Library Use Only
- The lending library will NOT allow the item to be taken from the Library.
This means that you may check the item out from interlibrary loan, but you may
NOT remove the item from the Library. We will hold your picture ID while you
use the material within the library building. When you return the item, please
tell us whether you are finished with the item or whether you want us to hold
it for further use.
No Renewals
- The lending library will NOT allow renewals. This is a condition for
borrowing from them. Such items cannot be renewed and must be returned by the
original due date.
No Photocopying
- The lending library will NOT allow the item to be photocopied. There may be
copyright restrictions on the item, or the item may be subject to damage during
photocopying. Please honor this restriction so we may retain our borrowing
privileges.
Time Required
During most of the year, it takes an average of 5 days to obtain an article
and 7 days to 4 weeks to obtain a book through interlibrary loan.
We cannot predict the delivery time for any particular request. We do know,
however, that:
- The average turn-around time for receiving books is 5.43 days
- The average turn-around time for photocopies is 24 hours
- If you have an emergency need for a book or document, please ask the
interlibrary loan staff for assistance.
Notification of Interlibrary Loan Materials Received
When you use the ILL service, you select the method that we will use to
notify you when your requested item arrives in the Interlibrary Loan office
from another library. We use one of two methods to notify you that an item has
been received.
E-Mail: If you request this option, ILL will send you an e-mail message
telling you what item has arrived. If the item is held for pick-up, the message
will tell you that the item is being held at the Library Reference desk.
Telephone: If you request this option, we will call you at the number you
listed in ILL as your daytime phone number. During the call, we will tell you
about any items held at the Reference Desk for you. We will not send any
additional notification for items mailed to you.
Requesting Renewals
You may request renewal of your ILL materials by phone or e-mail. Renewal
policies for each item are determined by the lending library, not by Pulaski
County Public Library.
Requesting Renewals
Returning Borrowed Items Please return all Interlibrary Loan materials
directly to the Pulaski Co. Public Library circulation/reference desk.
When you return a book, microfilm reel, or other item you borrowed through
Interlibrary Loan, please make sure that the ILL identification sticker remains
on the item so it will be clearly identified as an interlibrary loan item.
(photo copies do not need to be returned).
Interlibrary Loans Returns/Cancellation Policy
We cancel about 12% of all Interlibrary Loan requests submitted. The most
common reason for cancelling a request is that the item is available in our
Library system. A few requests are cancelled because the same item has been
requested multiple times by the same person. About half of the requests
cancelled are cancelled for a variety of reasons beyond the control of you or
the library staff.
Many libraries will not lend recently published books. Items published
within the last year may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.
The library will charge you $1.00 for each book ordered through
interlibrary loan that isn’t picked up within 7 days. This fee will help
offset the $5.00 charge we are incurring for each book ordered through
Interlibrary Loan.
Interlibrary Loan Department Privacy Statement
Data we require
If you request materials through ILL, we ask you to provide the minimum
personal information to make it possible for us to deliver those materials to
you. We need to know your:
- Name
- Phone number and/or e-mail
To deliver materials to you, we also need to know: „« Your phone
number or e-mail address so we may contact you about your request.
Requesting Genealogy Materials through ILL
Family history requests will not be ordered (unless you are Library Staff).
Ninety percent of the times these books are stored in special collections and
are not available through ILL.
FEES
GOLD CARDS
Patrons may obtain a Friend of the Library Gold Card for a yearly fee of
$25.00. This card allows the patron to “prepay” their overdue fines
and therefore all of their overdue materials are returned fine free. This card
does not exempt patrons from replacement costs for lost items.
FAX
Faxes are sent for $2.00 for the first three pages and $1.00 per page
thereafter. See our fax policy for details.
OUT OF COUNTY LIBRARY CARDS
$25.00 per year per person or $50.00 per year per family
RESERVES OR HOLDS: All circulating materials may be reserved except
for those items that are not cataloged. Reserves may be placed by patrons
either in person, on-line, or over the phone. Patrons will be notified by
e-mail or telephone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the
patron for placing a reserve. Reserves will be held for 48 hours before they
are returned to circulation. Reserves are limited to 15 items per patron.
DATE DUE NOTIFICATION: A printed receipt will be given upon checkout
listing the titles checked out and the date due. The patron is responsible for
knowing when their items are due. If a receipt is lost, this information can be
obtained by the cardholder at any public catalog terminal, by telephone, or
on-line.
LOST/DAMAGED MATERIALS: Patrons are responsible for all materials
checked out on their card. There will be a replacement charge for lost
materials. When the actual cost of an item cannot be determined, as for older
or generic items, a replacement price will be applied. Items deemed not
suitable for replacement will be evaluated and the department head will
determine a fair price for the item.
Receipts may be given patrons who pay for lost/damaged materials. Refunds
are given to patrons who pay for lost materials, but return them in good
condition within a year of paying for the material. Materials damaged beyond
use become property of the borrower upon payment. At the discretion of the
library staff, severely damaged materials may be disposed of upon return, but
the borrower is still liable. Information concerning these charges appears on
the patron’s account history.
OVERDUES: A fine of 5 cents per day is charged for each overdue item
and begins the second day after the due date. A fine of $1.00 per day is
charged for new items, Interlibrary Loans, and equipment. There are no fines
for items borrowed from the bookmobile. Maximum fine per item is the cost of
the item as reflected in the item record. If no cost is listed, the department
head will decide upon a replacement price. Full purchase price of the item will
be charged for items not returned within 180 days.
Full purchase price of the item will be charged for items not returned
within 180 days.
MATERIALS RECOVERY PROCESS
Library materials are purchased for use by all citizens of Pulaski Co. The
Pulaski Co. Library establishes regulations for the loan of materials,
including circulation periods, renewal processes, and fines for late returns.
The Library Board believes that the individual who chooses to keep materials
past the due date or who refuses to settle unpaid fines or fees, compromises,
to some extent, his or her right to privacy. The library will attempt to
recover overdue materials and will notify patrons of unpaid fines and fees
according to the procedures listed below.
- Information regarding overdue and non-returned materials and past-due fines
and fees may be disclosed by this library to a collection agency when that
agency has entered into an agreement with the library to recover materials or
to collect fees and fines.
- The library will also provide sufficient information to allow any
individual other than the holder of the borrower's card to settle unpaid fines
or fees on that card.
- However, authors, titles, or subjects of lost or overdue materials will not
be discussed without presentation of the borrower's card.
In addition to the assessment of past-due charges, procedure for past due
items are as follows:
- On the following Wednesday, after items become overdue, an overdue letter
is generated and mailed or e-mailed to the patron.
- Letters and e-mails notices are generated every 14 days thereafter for a
total of four notifications. One time per quarter, long overdue notices are
generated and sent out by mail or e-mail. This notification includes a letter
from the director and also the replacement price of the items. Overdue items at
that time will be transferred to "lost" status.
- Borrowing privileges will be suspended if you account is in excess of
$50.00 or 51 items checked out . Borrowing privileges will not be resumed until
your account falls below $50.00 or 50 items checked out.
If you have any concerns about your account, please speak with a staff
member.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF LIBRARY PATRON RECORDS
The Pulaski Co. Library supports every patron’s right to have his or
her library card information remain confidential. Library records include
patron registration data, circulation records, overdue and reserve records,
participation in library sponsored programs, record of library visits, and/or
any data that contain information that links a specific patron to specific
materials or services used. Each patron has individual control over his or her
library card and presentation of the card permits access to information about
the borrower’s current circulation record. Except during the actual period
of transaction (circulation, maintenance of record on unpaid fines, reservation
of materials), the library will not maintain a record of transactions. When no
longer needed for library administration purposes, records will be destroyed.
Nothing in this policy shall prevent authorized library personnel from using
library records in the administration of their regular dues.
Reviewed and revised by Library Board on 11-9-2009.
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