Circulation Policy

The purpose of the library’s circulation policy is to make the best possible use of the library’s collection by the greatest number of borrowers.

LIBRARY USAGE

The Roslyn Public Library Board welcomes the use of the Roslyn Public Library by individuals of all ages to support their personal, educational, and professional needs. Library cards, with borrowing privileges, will be issued to Kittitas County residents without charge, as long as they reside within a jurisdiction that pays for library services, such as cities with existing library services, cities that contract for library services, or the unincorporated areas of the county, if the Board of County Commissioners contracts for library services.

CHECK-OUT PRIVILEGES

A patron must have a Roslyn Library card issued to them, or be listed as another borrower on a Roslyn Library card, in order to check out library materials.

Applicants who request a library card from the Roslyn Public Library must show personal identification that includes verification of current street address. Examples of acceptable identification are a valid driver's license, state ID card, a utility bill in the person’s name, a rent receipt or property tax statement, vehicle registration, bank or credit account statements, or official documents similar in nature to the preceding examples, all of which must show the applicant's name and current street address.

Temporary residents may obtain a “Temporary Library Card” by providing proof of a local address and their permanent home address with valid personal identification. Temporary cards are valid for three months and are renewable at the Librarian’s discretion. Temporary card-holders enjoy all borrowing privileges except the use of Inter-Library Loan. Temporary card-holders are limited to 3 items checked out at one time.

An organization, such as a school, day care center, or retirement facility, may acquire an Institutional library card under the following conditions:

  • The individual who is legally authorized to enter into contractual obligations for the organization will fill out an Institutional Library Card Application form and submit it with a letter on organizational letterhead giving authorization for the library to issue or renew a card to the organization. Names of authorized users within the organization must be stated.
  • The organization must notify the library of changes in authorized users and contact information.
  • The Institutional library card will be kept at the library circulation desk, and the library will require photo ID from authorized users at the time of check out. No items will be loaned without presenting ID.
  • The organization is responsible for lost or damaged items checked out using the Institutional library card. If the organization allows library materials to leave the organization’s premises, the organization retains the responsibility for the materials.

Residents of other cities within Kittitas County may be issued a Roslyn Library card, per the 2009 Reciprocal Borrowing Interlocal Agreement Between All Cities’ Public Libraries in Kittitas County, as long as they hold a library card in good standing from their home library. All Roslyn Library policies and procedures must be followed for Roslyn Library materials, and materials borrowed from the Roslyn Library must be returned to the Roslyn Library. Items not returned to the Roslyn Library may incur user fees.

In the case of cities that do not contract for library services, a $35 annual fee for Roslyn Library borrowing privileges will be imposed. Reciprocal borrowing privileges do not extend to residents of cities who do not provide library services, either through a library or a contract; residents must pay annual fees at each library from which they request borrowing privileges.

By signing the application form the applicant or reciprocal borrower agrees to the following:

  1. Be responsible for all use made of the library borrower’s card;
  2. Obey the rules and regulations of the Roslyn Public Library;
  3. Promptly pay for all lost or damaged materials and any other charges incurred; and;
  4. Provide timely notification to the Roslyn Public Library of any change of address and phone number.

Children under 18 years of age must have their parent or guardian’s signature and proof of address to apply for a library borrower’s card.

A parent or guardian's signature on a child's application form constitutes his\her permission for the child to have a borrower’s card, and signifies a willingness to assume financial responsibility for all material checked out on the child's borrower’s card.

Lost library borrower’s cards can be replaced for a $1.00 charge.

Borrower’s cards expire after one year, to ensure that address and contact information remains current. Cards are removed from the system after three years of inactivity.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The purpose of this policy is to assure Roslyn Public Library patrons that their privacy will not be abridged in their quest for information.

All records, formal and informal, in the Roslyn Public Library relating to individual patron registration and circulation of materials by specific patrons are considered to be confidential in nature. The library will protect the privacy of any borrower who uses the library to the extent allowable by law. The library shall not make inquiry into the purposes for which a patron requests information, books, or other library materials, except insofar as the library may be helpful to such patrons in finding what the patron wants. The library shall not release any information about its patrons or their reading to individuals or to any private or public agency, local, state or federal, without an order from an appropriate court of law. For more information on the Patriot Act, please see http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/.

The library will not disclose any library record which discloses or could be used to disclose the identity of a library user.

Information concerning unreturned overdue library materials checked out by individuals may be divulged or made public by the library in seeking to recover such materials.

CIRCULATING MATERIALS

  1. Books

    Books may be checked out for three weeks.  Adult patrons may check out 5 books at a time and children may check out 10 books at a time. New borrowers are limited to (3) materials at their first check-out. Non-residents are limited to (3) materials checked out at once. Other borrowers may be restricted as well, at the discretion of the library staff.

  2. A/V Materials

    Three books on CD, three audiobooks  and three VHS tapes each may be checked out per borrower’s card with a one renewal limit.

  3. Periodicals

    Currently periodicals may be taken on the honor system since they are not being cataloged.

  4. Equipment

    Equipment that belongs to the Roslyn Public Library is not generally available for borrowing outside of the library facility. However, such property may be checked out at the discretion of the library director and by signing the “Borrowing Agreement for Library Equipment.” All equipment and peripherals must be returned to the library facility within 7 days of check out. Borrowers are responsible for replacing damaged or lost equipment or peripherals.

RENEWALS

Books and other materials may be renewed by phone, online, or in person. An item that has a reserve or “Hold” on it may not be renewed. Audio-visual materials may be renewed only once.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

To make the reference collection accessible for the use of the librarian and the public, these materials must be available in the library at all times. For this reason, most items are not generally circulated. A photocopier is available for patrons to copy information from the reference materials. Patrons are encouraged to discuss their informational needs with the librarian.

SUSPENSION OF CHECK-OUT PRIVILEGES

Check-out privileges are suspended when a patron has overdue materials, fines, or other unpaid charges posted to his\her card number for 180 days or more. Privileges will only be reinstated when all overdue materials are returned and any fines or charges are paid. Persons expressing financial hardship in paying fines and charges may, at the discretion of the librarian, be allowed to work their fines and/or charges off at a rate of $5.00 per hour (minimum, one hour.)

The Roslyn Public Library will attempt to recover books and materials that have not been returned on time by its patrons.

The overdue item will be counted “Missing” by the ILS after 180 days. If the item is not recovered, the ILS marks it “Lost” after another 180 days. In the case of audio/video materials, once an item in that format is removed from the ILS system, the borrower will be charged a processing fee of $5.00, regardless of whether the item is returned after it was removed from the ILS system.

All money that is collected to replace materials or for processing costs will be given to the City of Roslyn to be used to replace the materials. The librarian will keep track of the materials to be replaced. A different title or media may be purchased as replacement if it is deemed necessary or desirable by the Librarian.

For materials that have been damaged beyond reasonable repair, the patron will replace the item or pay to replace it within 30 days. If the item is not replaced or paid for by that time, the patron will lose his or her library privileges.

INTERLIBRARY LOAN ITEMS

A patron may request material from another library through inter-library loan when the material is not available at the Roslyn Public Library at the librarian's discretion.

After any loan request has been mailed to a lending institution, the patron is responsible for all loan charges and postage even if the patron cancels the request for the inter-library loan or does not pick it up after notification

RESERVED MATERIALS

All circulating items may be reserved. Reserved materials will be held for seven days after notification. The material will then be shelved or turned over to the next person on the reserve list.

Any exceptions to the above procedures will be only at the discretion of the librarian.

Adopted by the Roslyn Public Library Board of Trustees, May 6, 2002. Revised June 18, 2005; January 3, 2007; March 5, 2008; April 10, 2010; May 23, 2012; June 11, 2014.

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Made possible with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Washington State Library, Office of the Secretary of State.