VIII. Circulation Policy
A. Registration
All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid system patron card to borrow library materials.
Patrons must fill out an application form to register for a new library card. The following statement will be printed on the registration form for the patron's information and acceptance:
I accept responsibility for library materials borrowed with the library card issued to me until I report the card lost or stolen. I agree to pay fines for materials returned to the library after their due date and to reimburse the library for materials that are lost, damaged or stolen.
Signature _________________________________
Identification is required. A driver's license or student ID is preferred; however, any other official ID or recent nonpersonal piece of mail may be acceptable.
Applicants under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian give their consent on the application form before a new card can be issued. This parental signature is not required for children who are renewing cards.
Materials cannot be checked out until a library card is issued.
All library cards expire after 3 years.
B. Lost or forgotten cards
If a patron loses his/her library card, he should notify the library as soon as possible and request a replacement.
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 expectation may be denied the privilege of checking out materials until they present their card at the library.
C. Loan periods
- 28 days 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 twice if there is not a waiting list for the title.
- Magazines may be checked out for two weeks.
- 14 days for music CD’s.
- 28 days for audio books.
- 1 week for videos.
The director may establish the loan period for special collections, materials which are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection which are in a new format.
There is a limit of 75 items a patron can borrow at one time, 25 of which may be audiovisual materials.
D. Holds
Holds may be placed by patrons either in person, online, or over the phone. There is a limit of 15 items that may be placed on hold by a patron. Patrons will be notified by email or phone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a hold.
E. Damaged materials
If materials are damaged so as to be judged by the library as being unsuitable for the collection, the patron must pay the replacement cost.
F. Confidentiality
As specified in Wisconsin Statutes 43.30, "records of any library which is in whole or in part supported by public funds, including the records of a public library system, indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library's documents or other materials, resources or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records, or to libraries authorized under subs. (2) and (3)."
Wisconsin State Statute 43.30 and the Florence County Library protect the privacy of library users. Confidentiality extends to information sought or received, and a material consulted, borrowed, or acquired, and includes database search records, reference interviews, interlibrary loan records, and all other personally identifiable uses of library materials, facilities, or services.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. This requires the corresponding right to hear what is spoken and read what is written, free from fear of intrusion, intimidation, or reprisal. Confidentiality is essential to protect the exercise of these rights from invasions of privacy.
The Florence County Library is an impartial resource providing information on all points of view, available to all persons regardless of age, race, religion, national origin, social or political views, economic status, or any other characteristic. This role must not be compromised by an erosion of the privacy rights of our library users.
The Florence County Library recognizes that law enforcement agencies and officers may occasionally believe that library records contain information which would be helpful to the investigation of criminal activity. If there is a reasonable basis to believe such records are necessary to the progress of an investigation or prosecution, our judicial system provides the mechanism for seeking release of such confidential records. The issuance of a court order, following a showing of good cause based on specific facts by a court of competent jurisdiction, is required for release of such information.
In accordance with Wisconsin law, custodial parents or guardians of children under age 16 may, upon request, review library records pertaining to their children’s use of the library’s documents or other materials, resources, or services. Custodial parents and guardians must sign the Florence County Library form certifying that the requester is the custodial parent or guardian of the child whose records have been requested before the Library will provide those records to the parent or guardian.
The Florence County Library adheres strictly to all sections of this Statute regarding the protection of the confidentiality of its users.
