Roslyn Public Library

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 present his\her own Roslyn Public Library borrower’s card in order to check out library materials.

Applicants who request a library borrower’s 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 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.

Residents of other cities within Kittitas County may be issued a Roslyn Library card, per the 2007 Reciprocal Borrowing Pilot Project 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, which will be verified by Roslyn Library staff and/or volunteers. 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:

Be responsible for all use made of the library borrower’s card;
Obey the rules and regulations of the Roslyn Public Library;
Promptly pay for all lost or damaged materials and any other charges incurred; and
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.

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

Books

Books may be checked out for three weeks with no limits on the number of books for most borrowers. New borrowers are limited to (3) materials at their first check-out. Other borrowers may be restricted as well, at the discretion of the library staff.

A/V Materials

Three books on CD, books on tape, and music CDs each may be checked out per borrower’s card for three weeks with a one renewal limit. Three DVDs and three VHS tapes may be checked out per card for one week with a one renewal limit.

Periodicals

Three magazines may be checked out per borrower’s card for one week.

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.

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. 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 circulation supervisor or the library manager, 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. All money that is collected to replace materials will be given to the Friends of the Roslyn Library 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 their library privileges.

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

Reference materials are items which are irreplaceable, expensive, and necessary tools to answer reference questions on a daily basis. 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.

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.

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.

Inter-library loan material will be held for fourteen days after the patron has been notified that the material has arrived. On the fifteenth day the material will be returned to the lending institution and the patron's record will be posted for any charges.

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.

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Libraries have a clear and unalterable responsibility for the dissemination of knowledge and of making knowledge available to all individuals. Freedom in the public library is the corollary of freedom of speech by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The freedom to read is essential to our democracy.

Historically, the public library was developed as an agency for the free, public, informal education of the individual. Books are among our greatest instruments of freedom and knowledge. They are the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice, from which come the original contributions to social growth. They are the source of mankind's history, knowledge, and ideas from the beginning of the recorded word. They are essential to the extended discussion which serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections. The Roslyn Public Library subscribes to these ideals.

Libraries do not advocate the ideas found in their collections. The presence of a book, magazine, or other materials in the library does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by the library.

It is in the public interest for libraries to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox or unpopular with the majority.

The Board of Trustees of the Roslyn Public Library believes that, while everyone is free to reject for themselves materials of which they do not approve, they cannot restrict freedom of others to read or inquire.

In the case of “graphic novels”, many come with ratings from the publisher on the back of the book. This is similar to a movie or video game rating. This is informational to the reader and the guardian of the reader due to the picture content.

The Board of Trustees of the Roslyn Public Library adopts and declares that it will adhere to and support:

The Library Bill Of Rights, American Library Association Council, 1996.
Intellectual Freedom Statement, The Washington Library Association, 2001.
American Library Association Code of Ethics, American Library Association Council, 1995.
Freedom to View Statement, American Library Association, 1990.
Freedom to Read Statement, American Library Association, 2000.

Collection Development

The Board of Trustees of the Roslyn Public Library recognizes that within Roslyn and the surrounding area there are groups and individuals with widely separate and diverse interests, backgrounds, cultural heritages, social values and needs. The Board further recognizes that the library was created to serve all of the people of Roslyn and the surrounding upper county area regardless of age, race, creed, national origin, or political or social views.

The objective of the Roslyn Public Library is to select organize, preserve, and to make freely and easily available to the people of the community printed and other materials, within the limitations of space and budget, which will aid them in the pursuit of education, information, research, recreation and in the creative use of leisure time.

Selection of all library materials shall be done by the Librarian, who may, at times, solicit recommendations from a person or persons with specific knowledge of a collection. Book suggestions are welcome and encouraged from the community, and we endeavor to respond to all requests either through purchases, interlibrary loans, or other means. The Librarian has final approval of selections added to the collection.

Selection of library materials shall be made on the basis of interest, information, and enlightenment of the people of Roslyn and the upper county and to foster the communication of ideas, to provide opportunity and encouragement for all to educate themselves continuously, to help people equip themselves for useful occupations and practical affairs, sharpen their competence to form sound judgments, increase their appreciation of their cultural heritage, and enrich their leisure hours. Factors to be considered shall include timeliness, effective expression, significance of subject, sincerity, responsibility of opinions, and evaluations in professionally recognized critical guides. No materials shall be excluded because of race, nationality, or the political or social views of the author. Library materials may be sequestered for the purpose of protection from damage or theft.

The library will accept gifts provided that they meet the general criteria for selection of materials and are in fair condition. Any books not selected for the collection may be sold for the benefit of the Roslyn Public Library.

The ratio of books purchased within specific subject areas will be determined by demand and availability and budget.

Serious works which present an honest aspect of life or of some human problem are selected for their positive values and are not necessarily excluded on a basis of coarse language or frankness.

The library recognizes and accepts its responsibility to provide books and materials for children and young people to broaden their educational background and experience, to open to them the profound experience of reading as a prerequisite and necessary tool for living, books and materials that enrich the quality of thought and expression and that provide recreation. To this end the collection will include as wide a selection as possible with due consideration given to the criteria of value and integrity, background and information authenticity, and style and presentation of the subject matter involved.

It is not the purpose of the collection to take the place of the elementary, junior high, high school or college library, although many of its books and materials may be used by students to augment school library collections. It is the responsibility of the public school system to supply these curriculum materials.

The Board of Trustees of the Roslyn Public Library further recognizes that discarding no longer useful materials from the collection is as important a part of maintenance of the library collection as the initial selection. Therefore, the discard policy of the library shall include the same factors considered for selection.

This policy is dedicated to a selection of those materials of the highest quality in order to assure an objective collection for the residents of the City of Roslyn and upper Kittitas County, the selection to be based upon principle rather than personal opinion, reason rather than prejudice, and judgment rather than censorship.

In order to maintain a balanced collection, the Roslyn Public Library reflects differing points of view. The presence of an item in the library collection does not indicate library endorsement of a particular belief or an author’s point of view.

Recognizing that it serves a varied community with a wide diversity of tastes and convictions, the Roslyn Public Library welcomes expressions of concern about the contents of items held in its collection. However, no book or other library material is automatically removed from the collection because of an objection to it. Instead, the Roslyn Public Library follows the following process:

Staff is available to discuss concerns and identify alternate materials that may be available. If a patron's concern is not satisfied through discussion with staff, a formal request can be put in writing. While an item is being reviewed, copies of it will remain on active status in the collection.

The Director or other staff member or volunteer will give the patron the form entitled "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” along with a copy of the Collection Development Policy.

The completed form, along with notes of any oral interviews with the patron, will be referred to the Director.

The material in question will be reviewed by the Director and professional reviews will be checked if possible.

Within four (4) weeks a written or oral reply of the Director's decision to retain or discard the materials will be made to the patron.

If the patron is not satisfied with this response, he/she may bring the matter before the Library Board. Upon receiving your request for review, the Board will handle the matter as a body at a regular or special meeting of the Board.

Within eight (8) weeks a written reply of the Library Board’s decision to retain or discard the materials will be made to the patron.

Adopted by the Roslyn Public Library Board of Trustees, May 6, 2002; Reviewed May 5, 2007, Revised May 9, 2009.

Adopted by the Roslyn Library Board of Trustees 2000, Revised August, 2005, Revised November, 2008.