LIBRARY SERVICE POLICY FOR CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARIES
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Carnegie Public Library Monte Vista Branch is to serve the public of the City of Monte Vista and all Rio Grande County by providing and organizing print and non-print materials and by giving guidance to their use. This purpose is based on recognition of the worth of each individual, his/her need for human dignity, and his/her capacity for self-improvement. It also recognizes that a well-informed citizenry is essential in a community. To meet these needs the library provides materials and services to help people research questions, to contribute to their pleasure, and to improve the wellbeing of the people. Continued planning of improvement for future needs of Library Branch services is a primary goal for the Carnegie Public Library.
SERVICE OFFERED
1. Select, organize and make available necessary books and materials.
2. Provide guidance and assistance to patrons.
3. Initiate programs, exhibits, book lists, etc.
4. Cooperate with other community agencies and organizations.
5. Secure requested information beyond its own resources.
6. Maintain a balance in services to various age groups.
7. Cooperate with, but not perform the functions of, school or other institutional libraries.
8. Provide branch library services.
9. Provide computers for word processing and internet use.
10. Provide community meeting rooms and conference rooms.
11. Use media and other public relations mechanisms to promote the full range of available library services.
LIBRARY LENDING
WHO MAY BORROW
1. Residents of Rio Grande County. (Temporary residents may be issued temporary cards to check out materials).
2. Patrons requesting an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) must be in good standing with the library and have had a card with the library for ONE (1) year.
EXCLUSIONS FROM LOAN
Patrons with overdue materials or outstanding fines will be denied checking out materials and computer privileges. Patrons who have removed or stolen materials, with no intention of returning the items, will be denied total library privileges. Authorities and staff will confront the individual as well as document the incident. Law enforcement is also contacted.
LENGTH OF LOAN
Magazines and movies are checked out for ONE (1) WEEK. Books and books on CD are checked out for THREE (3) WEEKS. Renewals by phone are possible unless the item (s) is on reserve or overdue.
LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS
If an item is lost or damaged, the patron has the option of replacing the item or paying the cost of the item. The patron has 30 days to do so. If not replaced, the patron will be turned into the Credit Bureau for the cost of the item plus a fine for the length of time the item has been out.
OVERDUE MATERIALS
Three (3) phone calls are made. Three (3) notices are sent. (3) months after due date, the item may be turned into the Credit Bureau. These notices are part of the regular patron program which is printed out monthly. If a phone number is disconnected or no longer in service, a letter is mailed. If mail is returned as undeliverable or no longer at the address listed, it is turned into the Credit Bureau. Library privileges will be restored when the item or items are returned. If no response is received the patron will be turned into the Credit Bureau. The monthly charge for overdue materials is $10.00 per month plus the cost of the materials.
SERVICE POLICY FOR PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES
1. The Carnegie Library is handicap accessible, and a doorbell is located at the south entrance for patrons who need assistance to enter the building.
2. Only service dogs are allowed inside the library at all times.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Welcome to Carnegie Public Library. The Library’s first priority is public service.
The CPL Board of Trustees has established this Code of Conduct to ensure that CPL can carry out its mission and to ensure that no person or group is denied access to Library facilities or services as a result of behaviors that create an unsafe or unwelcoming environment on Library properties. Failure to comply with CPL’s Code of Conduct could result in expulsion from the Library and revocation of Library privileges or in prosecution or arrest.
Library users must be engaged in activities associated with library purposes while in Library buildings or on library property (reading, studying, using library materials and equipment, participating in a library or community program).
THE FOLLOWING ARE PROHIBITED AT ALL CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT (CPL) FACILITIES AND PROPERTY:
1. Engaging in any activity prohibited by law.
2. Disruptive or unsafe behavior, which includes, obstructing or intimidating patrons of the library, use of profane, obscene, threatening, or injurious language or gestures in general or directed at another patron or staff member.
3. Activities or behavior that may result in injury or harm to any library patron or staff member, including challenging another person to fight or engaging in a fight.
4. Open display/carry of firearms or other weapons.
5. Interfering with library employees in the performance of their duties, including but not limited to inappropriate personal comments, sexual advances, or physical and/or verbal harassment, or entering non-public areas in the Library without authorization.
6. Unnecessary noise, including the use of cell phones, pagers, headphones, and other communication, audio and electronic devices which disturb other patrons or staff.
7. Sexual misconduct such as exposure, inappropriate touching, or any excessive public display of affection.
8. Patrons with hygiene conditions, including, but not limited to, clothing odor, body odor, body lice, and overpowering perfume or cologne that interfere with the use and enjoyment of the library by other library patrons or with the functioning of library staff.
9. Activities or behavior that may result in damage to library property or damaging library or personal property of another.
10. Eating or drinking, except in areas designated for those purposes and/or when served with prior approval of the Library.
11. Sleeping or lying on the floor or furniture in the library including exterior library grounds.
12. Use of tobacco products including chewing tobacco, synthetic tobacco products or electronic (smokeless, or their equivalent) cigarettes, use of marijuana products in or on any CPL property.
13. Use of alcohol or illegal drugs, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs on any Library property.
14. Misuse of Library restrooms or water fountains (including bathing, shaving, and changing or washing clothes).
15. Animals, except for service dogs as defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
16. Bicycles, skateboards, shopping carts, or other conveyances are not permitted inside library buildings. Wheelchairs and strollers are permitted if being used for the transport of an adult or child.
17. Petitioning, soliciting, panhandling or distributing/selling merchandise without the express permission of CPL.
18. Staring at, or following, a patron or staff in a manner that reasonably can be expected to disturb him or her, including photographing or filming persons without prior approval from CPL.
19. Monopolizing library space, seating, tables, stairways or equipment to the exclusion of other patrons or staff, or obstructing aisles or doorways with personal belongings.
20. The use of incendiary devices such as candles, matches, and lighters in the library.
The behaviors listed above are for guidance and are not intended to constitute a complete list of violations.
IN ADDITION:
Patrons shall wear garments covering the upper and lower torso of their bodies. Shoes must be worn at all times.
Users of CPL’s internet and computer resources must abide by all terms of the CPL Acceptable Use of the Internet Policy and abide by the established time limits.
Children Concerns
During Normal Hours of Operation
Children ages 0 through 7 must be directly supervised and in view of a parent, guardian, or a caregiver (at least 15 years old) at all times while in the library.
For children ages 8 through 11 a parent, guardian, or a caregiver (at least 15 years old) must be present in the library and readily available to address the child’s needs at all times.
At Closing
Parents and guardians are reminded that all children under the age of 15 must not be left unattended at the library’s normal closing time. Failure to pick up children by closing time may result in the Police Department or Sheriff’s Office being notified.
Misconduct or misuse of library property on the part of juveniles will be reported to their parents.
Personal Property
Personal property brought into the Library is subject to the following:
• Size must be limited to no larger than 10”X16”X24”.
• The Library may limit the number of parcels carried into the library.
• All bags are subject to search based upon reasonable suspicion that they contain material that is in violation of CPL policy or Library materials that have not been properly charged out.
• The Library is not responsible for personal belongings left unattended.
• The Library does not provide storage for personal property.
• Items inappropriate to Library use, including but not limited to bicycles, wagons, shopping carts, luggage, large grocery bags, large trash bags, bedrolls, and strollers without children are not allowed in the Library.
• Personal items must not take up seating space needed by others.
• Personal possessions such as grocery bags, trash bags, backpacks, bedrolls, shopping bags and carts, and luggage left outside Library facilities are subject to disposal.
ENFORCEMENT:
Carnegie Public Library reserves the right to restrict the use of its facilities and property from persons who do not abide by the Code of Conduct. Library staff and/or local law enforcement officers are authorized to expel persons who, advised of Library regulations, fail to comply with them.
PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTER POLICY
In accordance with State and Federal laws, all library Internet computers are filtered to screen out obscene and sexually explicit websites. Library computers designated for use by youth are more strictly filtered in accordance with the Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and Colorado’s Internet Protection Act. No filtering system is infallible. The Carnegie Monte Vista Library does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of its Internet filters.
CHILDREN'S INTERNET PROTECTION ACT (CIPA)
Comply with the requirements of the CHILDREN’S INTERNET PROTECTION ACT (CIPA). These products and services include Category One Internet access and all Category Two (C2) services – internal connections, managed internal broadband services, and basic maintenance of internal connections.
For a library to be compliant with CIPA there are three (3) defined basic requirements:
Libraries receiving E-rate discounts on products and services that provide access to the Internet must
1. INTERNET SAFETY POLICY DEFINED—Libraries must adopt and enforce an Internet safety policy that includes FIVE (5) specific elements and a technology protection measure or filter. Libraries that already have an Internet safety policy or acceptable use policy can amend their existing policy to include the required elements. The policy MUST address the following:
---Access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet or World Wide Web.
---Safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications.
---Unauthorized access including “hacking” and other unlawful activities by minors online.
---Measures designed to restrict access to materials harmful to minors.
NOTE: “minor” is defined as any individual who has not attained the age of 17 years.
2. TECHNOLOGY PROTECTION MEASURE DEFINED—Libraries must enforce the use of a technology protection measure (a filter or a technology that blocks or filters Internet access) on ALL of their computers with Internet access. The filter MUST protect against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or – Internet access by minors that is “harmful to minors”. CIPA uses the federal criminal definitions for obscenity and child pornography. Determination regarding matter inappropriate for minors, “harmful to minors” is defined in the statute and the E-rate rules. Decisions about what matter is inappropriate for minors must be made by the local community. E-rate program rules allow libraries to determine their own processes for disabling technology protection measures during use by an adult, to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purpose. For example, a library that uses Internet filtering software can set up a process for disabling that software, upon request of an adult user, through use of a sign-in page where an adult user can affirm that he or she intends to use the computer for bona fide research or other purposes.
----The Library Staff and Technicians have installed an Internet filter to block inappropriate information to minors, harmful to minors which includes any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction that – depicts, describes, or represent, in an offensive way, or an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or the lewd exhibition of the genitals.
---Installed software to secure the safety of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms and other forms of direct electronic communications.
---Installed software and trained staff to stop minors from unauthorized access including hacking and other unlawful activities of online measures designed to restrict access to materials harmful to minors.
Deep Freeze antivirus is the filter used by the Libraries to perform all of the above in required rules for CIPA Regulations. This filter is updated on a regular basis through the company. This filter has been used by the Libraries for the past EIGHT (8) years. Before that, the technician used other versions of filters which covered the requirements needed for CIPA Regulations.
AS WITH OTHER LIBRARY MATERIALS, IT IS THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF MINOR CHILDREN WHO MUST ASSUME ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPERVISING ACCESS TO INTERNET RESOURCES IN THE LIBRARY.
All patrons school age six (6) or above may use the computers, with the following restrictions:
1. Patrons must have a library card in good standing with the Library.
2. Children in grades 1-8 must have parental or guardian or caregiver supervision.
3. A sign in sheet will be available at the front desk. If computers are full, the patron not utilizing productive time (Example-playing games) will be asked to relinquish that computer.
4. Library staff will aid patrons as needed on the use of computers, within a reasonable amount of time.
5. All documents must be saved to a jump drive.
6. No music CDs or movie DVDs are allowed for use at the computers.
7. Printing fee schedule for all charges pertaining to computer use is:
Black and White
10 cents single sided, 20 cents double sided
One dollar each for color prints.
If using your own paper, the fee is still the same.
8. All computers must be turned on or off by Library Staff, for correct equipment use procedures.
9. Patrons may not use their own software. Library software loaded on the computer is for use in the Library only.
10. Patrons may not send, receive, or display text or graphics that may be reasonably construed as obscene.
11. Chat lines, chat rooms, instant messaging services, and downloading music sites are not allowed.
12. Misuse of the computer will result in loss of all computer privileges.
13. Patrons may not interfere with or disrupt others, nor invade the privacy of others.
14. Patrons may not in any way alter, reconfigure, or damage the public access workstations of the Carnegie Public Library Monte Vista Branch or South Fork Branch.
MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY
AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
The authority and responsibility for the selection of library materials are delegated to the Library Director and, under his or her direction, to the professional staff that are qualified for this activity. Suggestions from readers are welcome and are given consideration within the framework of policies determined by the board of trustees.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own excellence and the audience for whom it is intended. No single standard can be applied in all cases. Some materials may be judged primarily in terms of artistic merit, scholarship, or value to humanity; others are selected to satisfy the informational, recreational, or educational interests of the community.
Reviews in professionally recognized periodicals are a primary source for materials selection. Standard bibliographies, booklists by recognized authorities, and the advice of competent people in specific subject areas also will be used.
The Library keeps the collection vital and useful by retaining or replacing essential materials, and by removing, on a systematic and continuous basis, those items that are worn, outdated, or of little historical significance, or no longer in demand.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF NONFICTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Contemporary or permanent value.
2. Authority, skill, competence, reputation and significance of author.
3. Reputation and standards of the publisher.
4. Clarity, accuracy, logic, objectivity and readability.
5. Social significance.
6. Appropriateness and effectiveness of the medium to the content.
7. Comprehensiveness and depth of treatment.
8. Quality and suitability of physical format to the Library.
9. Attention of critics and reviewers.
10. Public demand.
11. Importance of subject matter to the collection.
12. Scarcity of materials on the subject.
13. Price.
14. Availability of materials elsewhere in the region or through interlibrary loan.
15. Potential use.
16. Budgetary limitations.
17. Need for duplicate materials in the existing collection.
18. Space limitations.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, WITHDRAWAL AND REPLACEMENT OF FICTION, DRAMA AND POETRY INCLUDE:
1. Representation of culture.
2. Originality.
3. Literary quality.
4. Strength of characterization and plot.
5. Sustained interest.
GIFTS, DONATIONS AND MEMORIALS
All money donated to the Library will be used to meet the needs of the Library. Donating individuals may request the funds to go towards a specific item for the Library. All donations and memorials are subject to the criteria listed above. Such donations that are found acceptable will be catalogued and placed in the regular area. A memorial memo will be placed on the inside cover of the item.
Upon receipt of a gift of money for memorial, the following procedure shall be taken:
1. The donor will be notified with a note of thanks that the money has been received and that the family of the person in whose name the gift was given will be notified.
2. A note will be sent to the family with the donor’s name and amount sent.
3. If a specific purchase is to be made with the amount sent, this will be noted also.
4. If a particular book (s) is to be purchased, the note will contain a statement that a bookplate with the person’s name will be placed in the book (s).
5. These steps will be made expediently or within ten (10) working days.
Gifts shall meet the same selection criteria as purchased materials. Gifts are accepted subject to the following limitations:
1. The Library retains unconditional ownership.
2. The Library makes the final decision on acceptance, use, or disposition.
WEEDING
An up-to-date, attractive, and useful collection is maintained by retaining or replacing essential materials and removing, on a systematic and continuous basis, those works that are worn, outdated, or of little historical significance, or no longer in demand.
Selection of materials for discarding or weeding is based on the following criteria:
1. Materials worn out through use.
2. Existing briefly or temporary materials which are no longer timely.
3. Materials no longer considered accurate or factual.
4. Materials which have had little recent use and are of questionable value.
5. Excess copies of a title no longer in demand.
HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING LIBRARY MATERIALS
The Carnegie Public Library Monte Vista Branch recognizes that many materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons.
Responsibility for the reading materials obtained by a child rest with their parents or legal guardians. Selections of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that books may come into the possession of children.
Patrons requesting that materials be withdrawn from the collection may complete a REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION of a book or other library material form. The request will be placed on the agenda of the next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. THEIR DECISION WILL BE FINAL.
The Board of Trustees recognizes the “Right to Read” and “Intellectual Freedom Policies” which are outlined in the body of the State Library Policies.
MEETING ROOMS
A deposit of $25.00 is required to confirm reservations for the Large Meeting Room downstairs and will be returned to the group or individual when the room is left clean and orderly. The key must be returned to Staff following the use of the room. An “Agreement for the use of the Meeting Room” should be filled out and given to the Director or Staff Member upon the request of room reservation.
REGULATIONS FOR THE USE OF THE ROOM:
1. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco are not permitted in the building.
2. No red colored punch or Kool-Aid or drink is allowed in the meeting room due to its staining.
3. The meeting room and kitchen area must be left clean and orderly.
4. Any decorations are limited to table decorations only. Nothing shall be hung from the ceiling, walls, or on the doors.
5. All library activities will have priority.
6. Any claims, liabilities or damages to the building will be the responsibility of the individual or group agreeing to the use of the meeting room.
7. All lights must be turned off and the outside door must be locked before any group leaves the building. The key to the library must be returned by noon the following day, Monday through Saturday. Deposits will be returned at this time.
8. The Library reserves the right to deny any request for the use of its facilities.
9. If the key checked out is lost or not returned, the cost of rekeying of all doors with that key and duplicate keys will be the responsibility of the liable party.