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Circulation / Getting a Library Card / Interlibrary Loan Policies

The Director, working with staff, shall monitor and maintain a Circulation/Registration Manual, which will compile information, regulations, guidelines, and procedures for the registration of borrowers and the conditions for circulation of all Library materials.

I. Philosophy and General Principles

The Library Board in its Circulation Policy tries to balance the Library’s purpose of supplying information with the need to store and retrieve Library materials so that they will be available for others. The Board seeks to put as few restrictions on the flow of information as possible while protecting the community’s Library resources.

Library service will be available without discrimination to individuals and groups of every age, sex, race, philosophy, lifestyle, and human condition.

II. Registration

A. Eligible Borrowers

  1. Residents of Bourbon County, people working in Bourbon County, and persons owning land or real estate in Bourbon County. Additionally, residents of the following counties: Bath, Boyle, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Scott, and Woodford.
    1. Children of any age may obtain their own library card in one of two ways.
      1. Application for a library card on behalf of the child by the child’s parent, foster parent, or legal guardian.
      2. All schools in Bourbon County are offered the ability to participate in the Every Student Wins! Library Card program. This program allows all school-age children under the age of 18 at participating schools to be issued a Library card. Parents are offered the opportunity to opt-out of the program at any time.
  2. Institutions:
    1. Elementary and Secondary Schools within Bourbon County
      1. The private or parochial school / public school district must complete the application form(s). The application must be signed by the school principal.
      2. The private or parochial school /public school district must agree to accept all financial responsibility for charges against the institution’s card.
    2. Day-care and other child-care or long-term care facilities
      1. The facility must complete the application form(s). The application must be signed by the director or other administrator in charge.
      2. The facility must agree to accept all financial responsibility for charges against the institution’s card.

B. Getting a Library Card

  1. Persons eighteen (18) years and older must show proof of address. Proof of address can be demonstrated by current state or federal-issued photo ID. If the ID does not have a current address, the applicant shall additionally provide postal mail demonstrating current address.
  2. Persons under eighteen (18) must be participants in the Every Student Wins! Library card program or have a parent, foster parent, or legal guardian apply for a card on their behalf (that adult must show identification of their personal name and current address and must also have a library card).
  3. To replace a lost, damaged or expired card, patrons must show identification of personal name and current address. Every Student Wins! card holders will need to work through their school library staff or other school administration.

C. Library Card Expiration

A Library card may be deleted when it has not been used for three (3) years to check out items and the account is in good standing. All dormant accounts older than five (5) years will be deleted. If a card has been deleted, a new card will be issued upon request.

D. Library Card Responsibility

The person to whom a Library card is issued is responsible for all materials checked out on that card. Adults who secure cards for minors are responsible for materials checked out on the minor’s card. If a Library card is lost or stolen, that fact must be reported to the library so that the lost or stolen card may be invalidated. All items checked out prior to the date the card is reported lost or stolen are the responsibility of the patron. All library patrons are responsible to promptly advise the library of changes in address and/or telephone number and/or lost or stolen cards.

E. Cost of a Library Card

There will be no cost to replace library cards.

III. Loan of Materials

A. Loan Periods

  1. New fiction and non-fiction less than three months old: 14 days
  2. Mobile hotspot: 14 days
  3. General fiction and non-fiction: 28 days
  4. POP fiction: 28 days
  5. Board Games: 14 days
  6. DVDs: 7 days
  7. New Audiobooks: 14 days
  8. General Audiobooks: 28 days
  9. Magazines: 28 days
  10. Interlibrary Loan: period of time determined by the other lending library or agency
  11. Miscellaneous items including binoculars, buddha boards, Makey Makeys, and pocket microscopes, blood pressure cuffs, etc.: 14 days

B. Renewing Items

  1. Renewals begin on the day placed, not the day the item is originally due.
  2. The renewal period is the same as the normal loan period.
  3. Two renewals are permitted for each item.
  4. Items reserved by another borrower may not be renewed.

C. Borrowing Limits

  1. Books: 30 item limit
  2. Magazines: 30 item limit
  3. Audiobooks: 30 item limit
  4. Board Games: 3 item limit
  5. DVDs: 5 item limit
  6. Mobile hotspot: 1 item limit
  7. Interlibrary Loans: 5 item limit
  8. Miscellaneous items: 3 item limit
  9. Total of 30 items per card limit

D. Forgetting Library Card

Patrons must present either their library card, app-generated QR code, or valid state or federal-issued photo ID at the circulation desk in order to check out items.

E. Reserves

Reserves may be placed on any circulating item. Reserve lists are created on a first come first served basis and no guarantee is made as to how long wait times for items may be. Patrons are limited to fifteen (15) active reserves at a time. In an effort to promote fair, equitable, and timely access, reserve limits may be placed on individual materials collections

IV Fines and Overdues

A. Fine schedule

The Library does not charge overdue fines. Replacement costs are charged for lost or. Interlibrary loans overdue fines and fees assessed by the lending institution will be passed on to the borrowing patron.

B. Loss of Library Card Privileges

Library card privileges will be suspended until the resolution of any of the following conditions:

  1. A patron has more than $5.00 in lost or damaged item fees.
  2. A patron has not paid for a lost or damaged item.
  3. A patron has moved and left no forwarding address.
  4. A patron has one or more overdue interlibrary loan (ILL) items.
  5. Any violation of the library’s ACCEPTABLE USE OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS policy will result in loss of access to Library computers.

C. Returned Checks

The Paris-Bourbon Library charges a $15.00 processing fee for any returned check and reserves the right to turn any and all returned checks over to the proper authorities, including collection agencies.

V. Lost or Damages Materials

A. Replacement Costs

Full replacement cost (the list price or the actual replacement price) will be charged for any materials that are lost or damaged so badly that they have to be replaced. Because the Library attempts to purchase items that are fully processed and catalogued and because the Library at times may wish to maintain a certain edition of an item, patrons generally may not bring in their own replacement item.

B. Claims Returned

A patron can have a maximum of three “claim returned” items in any year. Any items “claim returned” over that limit will be billed.

C. Damaged Materials

The borrower may keep any damaged materials for which full replacement cost has been paid. Damaged items will be kept by the Library for 30 days after which they will be appropriately disposed of. Items which contain mold, mildew, bugs, or other items that may impact the Library’s collections or operations will be disposed of immediately.

D. Invoiced/Lost Item Found

If an invoiced/lost item is found and returned to the Library within thirty (30) days after payment, the patron will get a refund from the library if the item is wearing its original Paris-Bourbon County Library barcode/spine label, is clean, and is in useable condition. Refunds will be processed within thirty (30) days after receipt of returned item.

VI. Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loans are offered to any patron in good standing when the Library doesn’t have the desired item(s). Pertinent information should be recorded on an ILL form and signed by the patron. Interlibrary loans may be requested on the following basis.

  1. Books must have been in publication for at least 12 months.
  2. Rare and extremely costly materials will not be loaned; however, locations of such materials can be given
  3. Requests should be made at least two (2) weeks in advance of date needed, though the Library cannot guarantee a specific date of availability
  4. If the lending library charges a lending fee, the patron is expected to reimburse Paris-Bourbon County Library upon receipt of material(s)
  5. Photocopy or duplication requests must be within copyright restrictions of “fair use”
  6. Loan periods must be strictly observed. Failure to do so jeopardizes all local patrons’ access to the service. Patrons are responsible for paying all fees and fines assessed by the lending library. Additionally, any patron who has returned late three or more ILL items in any 12-month period will lose their ILL privileges for six (6) months.
  7. Any patron who has failed to pick up three borrowed ILL materials in any 12-month period will lose their ILL privileges for six (6) months.