Circulation Policy

Circulation Policy Florence County Library System Approved by the Board of Trustees September 11,2023 Purpose and Contents The purpose of the circulation policy is to maximize public access to library collections and resources by setting reasonable guidelines for registration and usage, in concert with local library policies and SCLENDS consortial agreements. Policy Contents SCLENDS Types of Patron Accounts Library Card Identification, Expiration, and Replacement Loan Periods, Renewals, & Fees Miscellaneous (Holds, ICLs, Privacy) SCLENDS 2.1 As a member of the SCLENDS library consortium, the Florence County Library will attempt to develop circulation policies and procedures that contribute to a consistent patron experience throughout SCLENDS member libraries. Types of Patron Accounts 3.1 Adult Resident: Patron must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of or property holder in Florence County in order to register for a library card account. A property holder is defined as an individual who pays taxes on land in Florence County. Adult residents are not charged for library cards. 3.2 Juvenile Resident: In order to register for a library card account, patron must be a child 17 and under whose parents or guardians are residents of our property holders in Florence County. Parents or guardians will either present a birth certificate or the child must be present in order for a card to be issued to the child. For children 17 and under, a parent or legal guardian must meet the eligibility requirements, complete the application, and accept responsibility for materials borrowed by the child by signing the library application. If a parent or legal guardian is a Florence County Library cardholder, his or her library card must be in good standing in order to sign for a child's card. Children 13 years and under must have a parent sign the "Internet Acceptable Use Agreement" for them to have Internet access.

3.3 Adult non-resident: A person 18 years of age or older who is neither a resident of, nor a property holder in Florence County, and who has paid the annual nonrefundable, non-residency fee of $25.00. Patron will have, for the duration of the membership, all of the borrowing privileges of an Adult Resident. The annual non-residency fee is waived for individuals who are students or employees in Florence County: Students: A student may obtain a library card if they provide proof of a local address (dorm and apartment addresses are acceptable). Employed: Anyone who works in Florence County may receive a library card with current proof of employment. Proof may be a recent work ID or pay stub within the last 90 days. 3.4 Juvenile non-resident: A child 17 and under whose parents or guardians are not Florence County residents or property holders who have paid the annual nonrefundable, non-residency fee of $25.00. They have, for the duration of the membership, all the borrowing privileges of a Juvenile Resident. Parents or guardians will either present a birth certificate or the child must be present in order for a card to be issued to children 17 and under. For children 17 and under, a parent or legal guardian must meet the eligibility requirements, complete the application, and accept responsibility for materials borrowed by the child by signing the library application. If a parent or legal guardian is a non-resident Florence County Library cardholder, his or her library card must be in good standing in order to sign for a child's card. Parent/Guardian: A person must state that they are the parent or legal guardian in order for them to register a juvenile for a library card. Children 13 and younger must have a parent sign the Internet Acceptable Use Agreement for them to have Internet access. A parent or guardian may add a juvenile to their non-resident library card for Internet access. This does not increase the number of items that may be checked out on a card. 3.5 Family Card: A family card may be purchased by a non-resident for a fee of $25. The individual registering for the card may add family members who live in the same household to the card. Any family member added to the notes field may use the card to access the computers. Note: Only thirty items may be checked out per card. 3.6 Institutional: To enable the bookmobile to provide more adequate service, certain institutions among its clientele, such as daycare centers, are granted an institutional membership. Institutional members are able to have up to 50 items charged to their account at a given time. Institutional transactions can only be made through the bookmobile. An institution's director must sign the borrowing agreement.

Library Card Identification, Expiration, and Replacement 4.1 Identification: Library card applicants must present both a valid, original photo ID (not a picture or copy) and verification of current address to obtain a library card. Some forms of identification, such as driver's licenses, may satisfy both photo and address requirements.

Acceptable forms of identification include: Valid driver's license State, government, school, or military ID Pre-printed checks or bank statement Utility bills Rental or lease agreement DSS, Medicaid, or Medicare cards Vehicle registration Passport Voter registration card

If name or address status changes, it is the responsibility of the cardholder to inform the library of those changes. A password must be used in conjunction with an individual's library card to check library accounts online and is necessary for use of public computers in the library. Passwords are assigned at registration or upon patron request. The library uses the last four digits of the patron's phone number as their password upon registration. After this the patron is able to change their username and password from the OPAC. 4.2 Expiration: Resident library cards must be renewed/updated every 24 months. Patrons must provide proof of address and identification in person in order to renew their library card. This ensures accurate contact information and verifies continued residency. Non-resident cards must be renewed every 12 months. 4.3 Replacement: If a library card is unusable due to natural wear; it will be replaced at no charge. If a library card is lost, stolen, or intentionally damaged, a $2.00 replacement charge is required. 4.4 If a patron wishes to check out materials but does not have their library card with them, they may use their ID a maximum of 3 times for check out. After using their ID for checkout 3 times, the patron must purchase a replacement card. Acceptable forms of identification for check out or Internet access without a library card are driver's licenses, state issued ID, student IDs, or any other forms of picture ID. A child without their library card may provide a student ID or other form of picture identification with their full name listed. A parent or legal guardian responsible for the account may also provide their own form of picture identification to access the child's account.

Loan Periods, Renewals, Fines & Fees 5.1 Maximum items out: New patrons are restricted to checking out three items at the time of their first transaction. Upon the return of these items, the patron may have up to thirty items charged to his/her card at any given time. 5.2 Renewals: Circulating library materials may be renewed for a maximum of two additional checkout periods, with the following exceptions: Items on hold for another patron may not be renewed Items more than three weeks overdue may not be renewed Interlibrary Loan items (requests for renewal of these materials must be made in advance to the Interlibrary Loan staff) After all renewals have been exhausted and an item has been returned, a patron may check out the item again after 24 hours. 5.3 Checkout periods: The following table lists checkout periods for various library collections.

Type	Duration	Notes
Books	3 weeks
High Demand/New Items	2 weeks
Audiobooks / Music CDs	3 weeks
DVDs	!week	Maximum of 10 out.
Juvenile Holiday Books	2 weeks	Maximum of 5 out; no renewals.
Juvenile Activity Kits/Theme Kits/Playaway Views & Launchpads	2 weeks	Must be checked out on ADULT card; patron must register at the Children's Services Desk.
Juvenile Playaways	3 weeks	Maximum of 3 out.

5.4 Fines: In order to promote equal access to library services for all citizens, the library does not charge late fines for overdue items.

5.5 Overdue notices: As a courtesy reminder to patrons, the library will make every effort to send notices regarding overdue materials. Patrons may select communication options for notices at the time of registration. 5.6 Loss of privileges: A patron who has overdue materials which have not been returned will not be allowed to check out additional materials until the items are returned or replacement cost is paid. 5.7 Lost item replacement: Patrons are expected to pay the cost of any lost item as listed in the item record. If a price cannot be found in the item record, the following default charges will be made: Hardbacks: $20.00 (adult), $15.00 (juvenile/young adult) Paperbacks: $5.00 Audiobooks: $50.00 per title or $10.00 per individual CD Music CDs: $15.00 Playa way lanyards: $1 per Playa way battery covers: $1 per MP3 Disc: $20.00 Children's Bags: $1.00 DVDs: $20.00 per title or $3.00 per lost DVD case. If a lost item is found and returned, no charges will be placed on the patron account. Refunds are not given for lost item replacement charges if a lost item is later found. 5.8 Damaged items (unusable): When a library item is damaged through abuse or neglect to the extent that it is no longer in a suitable condition to circulate, the full replacement cost will be charged. Damaged items (usable): When a library item is damaged through abuse or neglect but is still in condition to circulate or is repairable, a damage fee will be levied. The senior Circulation staff member present will determine the amount of this fee, which is not to exceed the item's replacement cost. Miscellaneous 6.1 Holds: A hold may be placed on any circulating item that is currently checked out by any patron in good standing or otherwise limited due to a circulation status such as "claimed

returned". Patrons are limited to the 10 holds at any given time. Holds placed by different patrons on the same item are handled sequentially in the order the requests are made. When the requested material becomes available, the patron is notified and the item is held for that patron in the circulation area for seven days following the date the item is received. If the item in question is currently checked in, the item can be held for 1 day in the circulation office for the patron to return for the item. After 1 day the items will no longer be held for the patron and will be reshelved 6.2 Intra-consortium loans (ICL): Patrons may request materials from other library systems within the SCLENDS consortium. Such requests must be made through the library catalog or website. 6.3 Inter-library loans (ILL): Patrons in good standing may request materials that are unavailable in the SCLENDS consortial collection through Inter-Library Loan (ILL). The library charges a $1 fee to offset mailing costs for ILL service. Any additional fines or fees charged by the lending library will be passed on to the borrowing patron. ILL requests involving such fees will not be made without the patron's authorization. All requests to renew ILL items should be directed to the ILL Librarian. 6.4 South Carolina State Library cards: Cards issued by the South Carolina State Library may not be used to check out FCLS materials. SCSL cardholders check out FCLS items using a Florence card, a card from a county library member of SCLENDS, or by purchasing a non-resident card if they are not a resident of any SCLENDS member county. 6.5 Privacy: In accordance with Section 60-4-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and SCLENDS consortial agreements, the library recognizes all circulation, registration, and other records identifying the names of library users with specific materials to be confidential in nature. Such records shall not be made available to any individual or any agency of state, federal, or local government 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. All requests for such records must go to the Library Director. 6.6 Exceptions: This policy is intended to cover the most common situations regarding library circulation and registration, and is not an exhaustive guide. Exceptions to this policy may be made with the permission of the Library Director. This policy may be revised by the Board of Trustees.