|
RADFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY POLICY MANUAL The
primary functions of the Radford Public Library are: A.
To assemble,
preserve, and make available books and related educational materials in
organized collections in order to promote an enlightened citizenship and
enriched personal lives. B.
To serve the
community as a general center of reliable information. C.
To provide
opportunity and encouragement for children, young people, and adults to
educate themselves continuously. The
Library Board adheres to the two statements of the American Library
Association, The Freedom to Read Statement and the Library Bill of Rights,
which appear in the Appendix. II.
Selection Policy The
purpose of this policy is to further the stated objectives of the Radford
Public Library. It will serve to
guide librarians in the selection of materials and to inform the public about
the principles upon which selections are made. The
goals of selection are: to maintain a well-balanced collection of materials
for information, reference and research; to support the democratic process by
providing materials for the education and enlightenment of the community; to
provide recreational resources; and to maintain a strong collection of
current and classical literature. The
responsibility for selection lies with the professional staff of the library,
which operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library
Board. The staff and public may recommend
titles to be added to the collection. A. General principles of selection: 1.
Selection is based
on the merits of a work in relation to the needs, interests, and demands of
the Radford community. 2.
Responsibility for
the reading of children rests with their parents or guardians. Selection shall not be inhibited by the
possibility that books may come into the possession of children. Appropriate material for all ages shall be
provided in the library’s collection. 3.
The following
criteria should be considered in selection: *Contemporary
significance or permanent value *Accuracy *Authority
of author *Relation
of the work to the existing collection *Price,
format, and ease of use *Scarcity
of information in the subject area *Availability
of the material elsewhere in the community or through interlibrary loan *Popular
demand *Duplication
of material already in the collection *Critical
reviews B.
Gifts The
library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that
items that are useful to the library collection will be retained, while other
items will be disposed of in whatever manner the library deems best, i.e., by
giving them to the Lamplighters, our Friends of the Library, for their used
books sales, by exchanging them for other books the library needs, by selling
them, or by discarding them. Memorial
books purchased by the library with donated funds will meet all library
selection guidelines and will have a gift label affixed to the material. C.
Collection Re-Evaluation Obsolescence,
damage, and normal wear-and-tear make the discarding of books a continual
process. A careful study of each book
should be made, especially non-fiction titles, taking into account the
following: number of copies in the library, provision for other coverage in
the field, other similar material, and demand for material on the particular
subject. Generally, recommended
titles that are still accurate will not be discarded, or will be replaced
when they become badly worn. D.
Objections to
Material in the Collection If
an individual or group wishes to make a formal complaint about an item in the
library’s collection, they may complete the attached Library Materials
Comment Form. The form will then be
reviewed by the Library Director and the Library Board, who will respond in
writing to the complaint. III.
Borrowers Anyone
who resides, works, owns property, or goes to school in the City of Radford,
or has a Radford mailing address, is entitled to a free library card. If a library card is lost before it
expires, a charge of $1.00 is required to replace it. Students at Radford University will also
be issued free library cards, but with a one-year expiration date to allow
the library to maintain current address records. Radford
Public Library participates in a reciprocal borrowing agreement with other
libraries in the planning district.
The New River Public Library Cooperative consists of the Radford
Public Library, Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, Pulaski County Library,
and the libraries of Giles County.
Under the reciprocal borrowing arrangement, registered library users
from each jurisdiction will be entitled to borrowing privileges at the other
libraries. Under this agreement, each
library will be responsible for overdue collection of materials checked out
from their library. Exceptions
to these guidelines may be made on a case by case basis for others who want a
library card. IV.
Library Procedures A.
Circulation
Procedures 1.
GENERAL: All materials may be loaned for a two-week period
and may be renewed for two additional two-week periods. Renewals may be made in person, by
telephone, or online. Items on the
New Book shelf may be renewed just once, and no item that has a reserve will
be renewed at all. Holiday books may
be limited in season. Borrowers may
be limited to three items on a particular subject if the collection is small
in that area; exceptions will be granted as needed. Magazines will check out except for the most current issue and
reference magazines. In some cases,
Reference material and items in the library’s local history Special
Collection may be checked out overnight to a registered library user for
research purposes upon request. 2.
FINES: A charge
of ten cents per day is made for each library day that a book or any library
material is overdue after a four-day grace period. The maximum fine per item is $3.00, except for paperbacks that
have a maximum fine of $0.25. The
maximum fine to any individual patron at one time is $15.00 when all items
are returned. Fines are not intended
to be punitive nor to limit access to the library collection, but to
discourage abuse of borrowing privileges.
Borrowers who have items that are three months or more overdue will be
denied borrowing privileges until all items are returned or have been paid
for by the borrower. 3.
DAMAGED BOOKS: Books that are lost or damaged beyond repair will
result in a fee being charged to the borrower in the amount of the cost of
the material or a standard replacement cost for a similar title. For books that are damaged but repairable,
the borrower will be charged an appropriate repair cost. 4.
RESTRICTIONS: No
library material shall be restricted, unless it is a reference book or part
of the library’s Special Collection. 5.
CONFIDENTIALITY: In
accordance with the American Library Association’s “Policy on Confidentiality
of Records,” library employees shall be advised that circulation records and
other records identifying the names of library users are confidential. These records shall not be made available
to any agency of federal, state, or local government, or any individual
except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized
under the authority of, and pursuant to, federal, state, or local law
relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discovery procedures or
legislative investigative power. The
library shall resist the issuance or enforcement of any such process, order,
or subpoena until such time as a proper showing of good cause has been made
in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Parents of minor children who are responsible for materials checked
out on their children’s cards may have access to information on overdue items
on those cards. B.
Reference
Procedures The
Radford Public Library will provide as current and complete a reference
collection as possible, giving limitations of budget, and the staff will
search all questions of this nature.
When answers or information are not found in library sources, other
avenues shall be investigated, including the Library of Virginia, electronic
resources, other area libraries, and interlibrary loan. V.
Miscellaneous
Policies A.
COOPERATION: The
Radford Public Library will make every effort to cooperate with other libraries,
through interlibrary loan and other cooperative arrangements. B.
HOLIDAY CLOSURE
POLICY: The Radford Public Library will close for
the following City of Radford holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King
Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and the Friday that follows, and Christmas Day. The library will stay open on Veteran’s
Day in November, then close for a compensatory holiday on Christmas Eve. In addition, the library will close on
Easter Sunday and all Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The library will close at 5 PM instead of
8 PM on the day before all City of Radford holidays that the library
observes, and at 5 PM on every night during the week between Christmas and
New Year’s Day. Further, the library
will close any weekend days that are adjacent to City of Radford holidays
when appropriate. C.
INCLEMENT
WEATHER POLICY: When weather
conditions affect the safety of roads, the Library Director may choose to
close the library early for the safety of library employees and users of the
library. Every effort will be made to
keep the library open, particularly during the hours from 10 AM until 5 PM
Monday through Friday. Extreme
weather conditions and powers failures will be considered on a case-by-case
basis. Employees are expected to work
their regular shifts when the library is open, but if weather conditions make
it impossible for them to get to the library, they will be given the option
of making up missed hours at a time to be determined by their supervisor, or
taking vacation leave if they are eligible. D.
EXHIBITS AND
DISPLAYS: All exhibits and displays in the Radford
Public Library will be subject to the following regulations: 1.
Library programs
and exhibits will have first priority for available display space. 2.
All posters,
exhibits, and displays in the library must have the prior approval of the
Library Director. 3.
All permanent
additions to the library (plaques, landscaping, etc.) must have prior
approval of the Library Board. 4.
All posters,
exhibits, and displays that outside groups or individuals wish to put in the
library must fall within these guidelines: the subject matter must be of
community interest; the event or display must be of a civic, cultural,
educational, or recreational nature; the group sponsoring the event/display
must be non-profit. 5.
Due to limitations
of space and the primary intended use of that space for library purposes, the
library reserves the right to limit the number of displays, posters, or
exhibits at any one time. 6.
Unless specific
arrangements are made beforehand, all posters or displays become property of
the library and will be disposed of at regular intervals. E.
HAND-OUT
MATERIALS 1.
It is the policy of
the Radford Public Library to permit and encourage the distribution of free
pamphlets, brochures, and other similar materials from the library in a
manner consistent with the provisions of this policy. 2.
A display rack will
be provided at the library for the distribution of free hand-out materials. 3.
Material permitted
to be displayed for free distribution at the library shall be of an
educational, cultural, or informational nature, or having regard to matters
of community or civic interest. 4.
Materials of for-profit
activities or consisting primarily of appeals for contributions shall not be
included for display or distribution. 5.
Display of material
for free distribution shall be subject to prior approval by library staff
based upon review in accordance with the standards set out in this policy. 6.
Material in the
hand-out rack will be reviewed and removed regularly, based on currency or
lack of space. Items will be disposed
of by the library staff unless specific prior arrangement has been made. 7.
Any person
aggrieved by a determination regarding display and removal of materials in
accordance with this policy may appeal the decision to the Library Board. 8.
Notwithstanding the
other provisions of this policy, organizations such as the Lamplighters,
having for one of their primary purposes the support of libraries, may be
permitted to display materials consisting primarily of appeals for
contributions. F.
COMMUNITY
MEETING ROOM POLICY Use of the Community Meeting Room at the Radford Public Library will be subject to the following regulations: 1.
Library functions
will have priority over any other use of the room. City of Radford government agencies have second priority. Non-profit community groups and
organizations may reserve space on a first come, first served basis. 2.
The meeting room is
available for public gatherings of a civic, cultural, or educational nature,
but not for social gatherings nor for commercial purposes. No admission fee may be charged for
meetings. 3.
All meetings held
in the library meeting room must be open to the public. 4.
Reservations for
the room will not be made any further than three months ahead of time;
regularly scheduled meetings must be renewed at three- month intervals to
give new users an equal chance at reserving the room. No group may reserve a room for more than
52 times in a single year or five days in a single month. 5.
Meetings may
involve no more than 46 people, as directed by the Radford Fire Department. 6.
Generally, meetings
should coincide with the normal operating hours of the public library. Meetings that run past closing time or
begin before opening time must make prior arrangements to do so. In such cases, the group will be
responsible for ensuring that the doors are locked and the lights turned off
before leaving. Groups that require a
key to enter will leave a $5.00 refundable deposit until the key is returned
the following day. 7.
All groups using
the meeting room will assume responsibility for any damage to the room or its
contents. Groups are responsible for
their own set up of chairs and tables, and must clean up and return the room
to the condition in which they found it within their reserved time. The room should be left in neat and
orderly condition. Groups will be
held responsible for damages to any library facilities, including furniture,
carpeting, and equipment. 8.
No smoking is permitted in the meeting
room or anywhere else in the library.
Light refreshments are allowed with a $10 cleaning fee. 9.
Loud talk or any use of the room that
disturbs in any way the library or library users is prohibited. No signs, poster, displays, or decorations
may be put up without prior permission. 10.
The fact that a
group is permitted to meet at the public library does not in any way
constitute an endorsement by the Library Board or administration of the
group’s policies or beliefs. 11.
The Storytime Room
is designed for library children’s programs and these shall have first
priority for use of this room. If the
room is not being used for a library program, other groups or individual may
schedule use of the room subject to the following rules: a. No more than 12 people may meet in the room at
one time. b. All meetings in the room must coincide with the
library’s public service hours. c. Absolutely no refreshments may be served in the
room. d. All other rules for the use of the Community
Meeting Room that apply shall be enforced. 12.
The Adult Education
Room is designed for individuals who need quiet, private space for
educational purpose. This room may
used on a first come, first served basis by up to two people at a time for
tutoring or other educational use. It
may only be used when the library is open and all of the relevant rules above
apply. G.
UNATTENDED
CHILDREN/DISRUPTIVE PATRONS: The Library Board and the staff of the Radford Public
Library hope that all children who use our facility find it to be a
comfortable and inviting place to be.
The library offers regular programs for children and encourages the
love of reading. However, the
happiness and safety of young children left alone at the library can be a
serious concern. Children who
are left unattended at the library can become bored, frightened, or
disruptive. The following rules are
designed to address those concerns for children in a responsible manner: 1. Parents are responsible for their children while they are in the library. Children under 10 years of age should not be left unattended. 2.
Older children and
adolescents who come to the library without a parent or guardian are welcome
for appropriate use of the library, e.g., doing homework, researching,
reading, etc. Vandalism and
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
Disruptive behavior for all library patrons is defined as any noisy or
violent action inappropriate to a business setting and would include running,
fighting, throwing, loud or abusive talking, obstructing doorways, or any
other activities that interfere with library use. 3.
Children of all
ages must be picked up by the library’s closing time. When library staff is unable to locate
parents whose children are left in violation of this policy, the police
department will be contacted for a referral to social services. 4.
Library staff is
directed to call the police if any library user behaves in a way that
threatens the safety of others. 5.
Violators of library
behavior rules may be asked to leave the library and library grounds, may be
required to come to the library only under the supervision of a parent or
guardian, or, in the most serious case, may be banned from the library for a
period of time. H.
INTERNET
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY: The internet is a resource that enables
library patrons to access information beyond that contained in the library’s
collection. While the internet
contains a vast amount of information, it also provides access to sites containing
material that some patrons may find offensive, and some material that may be
illegal. The library does not monitor and has no control over information obtained on the internet, and cannot be held responsible for its content. Access points change rapidly and not all sources on the internet provide accurate, complete, or current information. Parents and guardians of minor children must assume responsibility for their children’s use of the internet through the library’s connections. The
Radford Public Library upholds and affirms the right of each individual to
have access to constitutionally protected material. The library also affirms the right and responsibility of
parents to determine and monitor their children’s use of library materials
and resources. All
users of electronic information resources such as the internet at the public
library are expected to use these resources in a responsible manner
consistent with the educational and informational purposes for which they are
provided, and the public setting in which they are offered. Use of library resources is a privilege,
not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a suspension of that
privilege. Examples of unacceptable
use, some of which have legal consequences, include, but are not limited to
the following: 1. Violation of computer system integrity 2. Unauthorized tampering with computer hardware or
software 3. Violation of software license agreements and
copyright laws 4. Violation of another user’s privacy 5. Use of sounds or visual images that are
disruptive to other library users 6. Illegal acts using library computer resources 7. Sending, receiving, or displaying graphics that
may reasonably be construed as obscene Library staff will
provide limited assistance with electronic resources as time permits. The library offers books, videos, and
periodicals about the internet.
Internet sessions will be limited to 30 minutes, with the possibility
of time extension when no one is waiting for the workstation. Only two people are permitted to use a
workstation at one time. Library internet users
must agree to the above terms and conditions before use. If the person is under 18 years old, they
must confirm permission of their parent or guardian. APPENDIX 1.
Materials
Comment Form 2.
Radford Public
Library By-Laws 3.
Library Bill
of Rights 4.
Freedom to
Read Statement LIBRARY MATERIALS COMMENT FORM AUTHOR: ______________________________________ TITLE: ________________________________________ PUBLISHER: ____________________________________ DATE OF PUBLICATION:
_________ CALL # ___________ What brought this
item to your attention? (e.g.,
reviews, word of mouth, etc.) Have you
read/reviewed the entire item? To what do you
object? Please be specific. What work would you
suggest as an alternative or complement to this item? Your Name:
_________________________ Phone: _________ Complete address:
___________________________________ Do you represent an
organization? If so, please give organization
name: ____________________ Signature The Library Director
and Library Board will consider your comments and respond in writing as soon
as possible. |