Policies

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Taylor County Public Library does not discriminate against people with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodation for all employees and customers with disabilities.

The Director shall be designated as the ADA coordinator. All complaints in regard to ADA violations shall be referred to her/him. The Director shall make reasonable accommodations and advise the Board when such has been done. If the accommodation cannot be done or poses extreme financial considerations, the Director shall advise the Board of such, with the reasons and/or estimates of cost.

Checkout

Due to limited resources, patrons may checkout 1 DVD per person. Patron must be 16 years or older to checkout DVDs and must present a picture ID with address to register. If DVDs are not returned the patron may not checkout anymore DVD material.

Patron may checkout up to 10 total items from the bookmobile.

Patrons may remain on the bookmobile to browse and checkout material, but must exit when finished checking out material.

Cash is not accepted at the bookmobile.

All material is inspected and cleaned when returned to the bookmobile. Any item exhibiting signs of pests of any kind, including bed bugs and roaches, will immediately be discarded. Any signs of bugs from any borrower will result in bookmobile privileges being suspended until proof of professional treatment of borrower’s home is provided.

General Policies

The bookmobile follows the Taylor County Public Schools closings and delays during inclement weather.

The bookmobile operates on a strict schedule and will be at each stop for only the allotted time.

Safety rules must be followed while on the bookmobile. Patrons may be asked to leave if rules are not followed.

No belligerence or other inappropriate behavior will be allowed on the bookmobile. Persons who act in an inappropriate manner will be asked to leave the bookmobile and may have their privileges either placed on probation or suspended.

No firearms are permitted on the bookmobile. No animals other than service animals are permitted on the bookmobile.

New Patron Registration:

• Must have a picture I.D. and proof of a current address.

• May check out 5 books, 2 DVDs, and 2 CDs on your initial visit.

• Must be a patron for 2 weeks to check out reference books and equipment.

• Photo of patron should be taken and attached to account unless they object.

  New Junior Patron (under 16 years of age) Registration:

• Must be with a designated responsible party at time of registration

• Responsible party must have a library card in good standing (Late fines of $5 or less and

  no outstanding overdue materials). If the responsible party does not have a library card,

  they must register.

• May check out 5 books on initial visit.

• Junior patrons may NOT check out equipment, DVDs, or music CDs.

  Book Check Outs:

• Patrons who declined to have their photo taken and attached to their account must be prepared to show photo identification at time of checkout. The library reserves the right to refuse checkout without proper identification.

• Patrons must have a balance no greater than $5 to check out materials.

• Materials that have been reserved by another patron may not be renewed.

• Materials may not be checked out in someone else’s name who is not present, unless

  prior written permission has been granted and recorded in the patron’s account.

• Materials may be held on the reserve shelf for 3 business days.

• After initial 5 books are returned, 30 items can be checked out per adult borrower.

• A book may be renewed up to 3 times as long as it is not on hold for another patron.

• Books may be renewed via telephone or online, as long as the item is not on hold for

  another patron.

  DVD Check Outs:

• If a new patron, only 2 DVDs may be checked out the first time.

• Must be 16 years of age and have a valid driver’s license or official state I.D.

• DVDs may not be checked out in someone else’s name who is not present, unless prior

  written permission has been given and recorded in the patron’s account.

• May borrow DVDs for 7 days, up to 4 at a time.

• DVDs may not be renewed.

• Late fee for DVDs is $1 per day.

  Lost or Damaged Books/Materials:

• Materials lost or damaged beyond reasonable repair by patrons, or while in their care, must be paid for according to the latest replacement price.

• The Cataloguer will determine the replacement price. Payment Policy:

• Payment of fines and fees may be made in the form of cash, or debit cards/credit cards for fees $1 or more.

• Checks are accepted only for donations, books in memorial purchases, or for out-of-town rental of the Community Room if prior arrangement has been made with the Director.

  Phone Policy:

  • No public phone available.

  • No children behind the circulation desk.

    Fax Policy:

  • Fax machine is employee operated.

  • There is a $.50 charge per page for all pages faxed or received.

    Copy Machine:

• Copy machine is employee operated.

• Black and white one-sided copies are $.20 a page.

• Black and white two-sided copies are $.30 a page.

• Color one-sided copies are $.40 a page.

• Color two-sided copies are $.60 a page.

Patron Privacy:

• When registering a new patron, keep private information as quiet as possible. Have them fill out the new registration card and then put the information in the computer. When asking patrons for updated private information, give them the option to write it down.

• Never give out any patron information such as phone number/address to anyone, under any circumstance. If in question, see the Director.

• Community room reservations are private. Do not give anyone the book to choose the dates they want to reserve.

• Do not give out patron check-out information, such as who has a certain book. Equipment Policy:

• Must be 18 years of age and present photo ID at time of checkout.

• Must have a registration in good standing with checkout activity for at least 2 weeks.

• Equipment is checked out for 2 days, 3 days if checked out on a Saturday.

• To check out equipment, scan the appropriate barcode located inside the front cover of

  the Audio-Visual Equipment Reservations calendar book. Mark the dates it is checked

  out for in the Audio-Visual Equipment Reservations calendar.

• When returned, equipment should be scanned in and checked by a staff member.

The purpose of the Taylor County Public Library is to provide all individuals of the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.

The Collection Management Policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.

The Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by Taylor County Public Library and are a basis for this policy.

Selection:

Materials are selected based on reviews in professional journals or actual examination and evaluation of materials. The purchasing decision is based on:

• Individual merit of each item

• The item’s merit as it fits into the greater literary canon

• Popular appeal and demand

• Suitability of material for patrons

• Existing library holdings; the library will make every effort to present all sides of

  controversial issues.

• Budget

• Format

• Reviews

  Textbooks:

  The Library does not buy textbooks used by the local schools, colleges, or universities, as it is the responsibility of the libraries of those institutions to provide copies of these course materials to their students.

  De-selection or Weeding:

  Materials that no longer meet the needs of the community and no longer support the library’s collection will be withdrawn and disposed of in accordance with this Collection Management Policy. Doing so improves the quality of the collection and is proven to increase circulation by removing worn, outdated items.

Weeding Process:

The weeding procedure for the Taylor County Public Library Collection:

• Identify items that are candidates for weeding. CREW method: Continuous Review,

  Evaluation and Weeding.

• Identify items that are of value to the collection, recognizing older titles that are still important to the library collection.

• Identify items that might be valuable. Internet resources such as Bibliofind and Alibris are to be used to determine the potential value of an older book.

• After items are identified for removal, they are removed from the catalog program and the library tabs and markings are removed. Depending on the condition, materials will be given away for free, discarded, or placed in a library used book sale.

  Censorship

  The selection of library books and materials is predicated on the library patron's right to read, and similarly, the patron’s freedom from censorship by others. Many books are controversial, and any given item may offend some persons. Selections for this Library will not, however, be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the merits of the material in relation to the building of the collection and to serving the interests of the readers. This Library holds censorship to be a purely individual matter and declares that -- while all patrons are free to reject for themselves books and other materials of which they do not approve -- they cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others.

  With respect to the use and circulation of library materials by children, the decision as to what a minor may read is the responsibility of the child’s parent or guardian. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that books may inadvertently come into the possession of minors.

  Reconsideration of Material Request by Patron

  Any patron who seriously requests reconsideration of materials will be given a "Request for Reconsideration of Library materials" form to complete.

  The completed Reconsideration form will be submitted to the Director, who will evaluate the original reasons for the purchase and the book in question. The objections will be considered both in terms of the library's materials selection statement and the opinion of the various reviewing sources used in materials selection. The Director will communicate his/her decision in writing to the complainant.

  If the complainant still feels that his objections have not be considered adequately, the matter will be placed before the Board of Trustees. The Director will provide each Board member with copies of the complaint, the Director's response, pertinent book reviews, and copies of the book being reconsidered (if enough can be borrowed). Each Board member shall notify the Director when he/she has finished reading the book and at the Board meeting after everyone is finished, the issue shall be put to a vote. Each Board member shall vote to retain or remove the book. Any member who is unable to attend that meeting, shall communicate his/her vote to the Chairman of the Board prior to that meeting. A simple majority will prevail. The Secretary of the Board will notify the complainant of the Board’s decision.

• The room is available to nonprofit groups for philanthropic, educational, cultural, or civic purposes free of cost. Donations or free-will offerings may not be requested. Non-profit organizations or educational institutions offering classes or seminars may be permitted to charge a fee with prior approval from the Library Board of Trustees

• The room is available for a fee for personal events (baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties) and for profit/business events for a fee. To reserve the room, a fee of $75.00 will be collected prior to the reservation date. After the event, if the room is cleaned (following basic instructions) and nothing is damaged, $25.00 will be returned. ($50.00 rental fee, $25.00 cleaning/damage deposit). DEPOSIT MUST BE PAID WITHIN ONE WEEK OF RESERVATION APPROVAL or reservation will be removed from reservation calendar.

• Groups are responsible for any damages, missing property, or additional cleaning that might be needed after use. If there are extensive damages to the room during your event (for profit or non-profit) you, the responsible party, would be responsible. There is live video monitoring in the room.

• The library Community Room is intended primarily to provide space for library- sponsored activities and programs that help the library fulfill its mission. This will always be the first priority and the library always reserves the right to alter the Community Room schedules according to the library’s needs. The library will attempt to provide at least two weeks of prior notice for any reservation cancelation.

• Groups are responsible for any room set-up and are to leave the room as it was found. No tacks, nails, or adhesive tape are to be placed in or on doors, walls, or furniture.

• The President, Program Chairman, or leader of the group is responsible for acquiring a PIN to unlock the Community Room door if the room is to be used after hours. The pin will only be issued in person at the library the day of the event or program.

• Use of the meeting room’s audio visual equipment is permitted. The group leader must alert staff to the use of AV equipment prior to the meeting. The AV remote is to be left in the Community Room.

• The library is unable to store any items for groups using the Community Room.

• A contact person and phone number, and brief description of the event is required for booking the Community Room. After booking, a group representative must sign a copy of the meeting room policy. The group representative must 18 or older and present at the

  meeting.

• All events are assumed to be open to the public unless you are paying to reserve the room for a private event.

• Community Room space is intended for specific events rather than for regularly scheduled, on-going meetings. Use of a space with a frequency of once a month or greater will be considered a regularly scheduled meeting. Meetings may be scheduled up to 2 months in advance and persons or groups may have 3 meetings scheduled during that time. The Director reserves the right to consider allowing higher frequency meetings.

• Lights and AV equipment must be turned off and all doors must be locked when leaving.

• Smoking and alcoholic beverages are prohibited, as are open flames, such as candles,

  incense, or the like.

• Please notify the Taylor County Public Library at least 48 hours in advance if you must cancel a meeting in order to allow for other bookings. Your reservation fee, if a private

  event, will not be refunded if we do not have proper notice.

• Should any organization not abide by the stated rules and regulations, further use of the Community Room will be forfeited.

• The Taylor County Public Library Board is the final authority concerning any disputes concerning the Community Room.

  Disclaimers

  • In allowing a group to use the Community Room, the Library Board and library staff do not imply any endorsement of the group’s beliefs, policies, or program. No group shall in any of its publicity state or suggest that the library, the Library Board, or the library staff sponsors or endorses the meeting, the group or any particular set of ideas.

  • Groups may identify the library and provide its address in their publicity as the location for the meeting, but may not invite potential attendees to contact the library. The name, address, or phone number of the library may not be used as the official address/headquarters of an organization.

  • The library assumes no liability for injury to people, damage to their property, or loss of property belonging to individuals or groups using the library’s meeting rooms. The library is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

General Usage

Taylor County Public Library offers Internet access to any library visitor under the following provisions:

• Users must have a Taylor County Public Library account in good standing (fines of $5 or less and no overdue items) to use a computer. Exceptions will be made for out-of-town visitors on a case-by-case basis.

• Usage is limited to one 2-hour session per day. Multiple sessions will be permitted under special circumstances.

• If longer than two hours is needed for serious computer work such as job applications, testing, etc., notify library staff 10 minutes prior to end of session, and an extension of the 2-hour session may be granted.

• Parents or guardians, not the library or its staff, are responsible for the Internet information selected &/or used by their children.

• Patrons’ sessions may be monitored by library staff and can be terminated for any violation of the computer usage policy.

• Taylor County Public Library is not responsible for information that you may find offensive or inappropriate.

• Public use computers will be shut down for the day 15 minutes before close of business. Patrons may not use the Internet for any unethical or illegal activity, included but not limited to:

• Transmitting, receiving, or displaying of pornographic materials.

• Use of harassing or obscene communications.

• User must respect the legal protections of data, software, copyright, and license laws.

• Users may not use the library’s computers to make unauthorized entry into any other

  computer network or database.

• Users are not permitted to delete, add to, or modify the library’s installed hardware or

  software.

• Users are not allowed to perform nay operation that would threaten library computers’

  security.

Due to the evolving nature of the Internet/computer, service policies are subject to change without notice and at the library’s discretion. The library reserves the right to terminate a patron’s access to the Internet/computer for any violation of our current Internet Access Policy.

Usage by Minors

In accordance with Children’s Internet Protection Act and Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, library computers are equipped with blocking and filtering software designed to restrict minors’ access to materials that are obscene, pornographic, or may be harmful to them.

• Children under the age of 12 may use public computers only in the presence of an accompanying adult.

• Minors 12 years and older may use the computers without an adult present only if prior written permission has been granted by a parent or guardian.

The Taylor County Public Library Board believes that it is fundamentally important that the public perceives that all policies and decisions of the Board are fairly and impartially determined, and that the personal financial interests of the Board members do not conflict with the interests of the Library. To that end, the Board has adopted the following policy:

1. A Board member shall not participate, directly or indirectly, in the making of any contract on behalf of the Library in which he or she has a personal financial interest; nor shall a Board member participate in any decision or recommendation involving the Library in which they have a personal financial interest.

2. Any Board member aware of a personal conflict of interest regarding a matter coming before the Board shall bring this to the attention of the Board. The President of the Board shall rule as to whether the situation constitutes a conflict. If a conflict exists, the Board member shall abstain from voting and excuse him/herself from any discussion regarding the matter by leaving the room, and shall not be counted in determining the quorum if that has not already been established for the meeting. These points shall be recorded in the Minutes of such meetings.

3. In the event that the President has a conflict or perceived conflict, the Vice-President will fulfill the role of investigating and ruling on the conflict.

4. A Board member shall not participate in any way in deciding whether to hire any person related to him/her by blood or marriage closer than a second cousin, as an employee of the Library.

5. The Board, in accordance with this policy and applicable law, shall deal with any conflict of interest brought to its attention.

The Copyright Law of the U.S. (Title 17 U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproduction of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. Responsibility for possible copyright infringement lies solely with the user, and the Taylor County Public Library District disclaims any responsibility or liability resulting therefrom.

Display space is available in the library for educational, artistic, and cultural materials that promote interest in the use of books, library materials, and information. Preference will be given to exhibits that are timely and of general interest. The library director may reject any exhibit or display that does not fit with the mission of the library or that is not neat and presented in an attractive manner.

Display Rules and Regulations:

• Arrangements for exhibits must be made in advance with the Library Director or Adult Program Librarian.

• Displays that focus on a public issue (including elections and political issues) must include information about major aspects of differing points of view.

• Displays that are solely commercial in content are not appropriate.

• Placement of exhibits must be mutually agreeable to both the library and the exhibitor,

  and should in no way interfere with normal operation of the library.

• Labels for exhibit items must be neat and legible.

• Displays must be suitable for all patrons. Items of a suggestive nature are prohibited.

• Displays are presented for no longer than one month, but generally will be displayed for 2 weeks.

  The library will take reasonable care to ensure the safety and security of all items displayed.
  If display items are not retrieved within 1 week of being notified, the library reserves the right to dispose of the items as it deems necessary.

  The library provides a public bulletin board for patrons to post announcements. The content of the postings will be regulated by library staff and any postings that are deemed inappropriate will be removed.

  The library does not necessarily espouse the views of any group wishing to post announcements for coming events. Announcements may be posted for no more than four weeks for any non- library event.

General Purpose

Fiscal Responsibility Policy

It is the policy of the Taylor County Public Library that public office not be used for personal gain, and that Board of Trustees members and the Director are to remain objective in their duties and responsive to the needs of the public they serve. Accordingly, the Director and Board members must maintain the highest commitment to their responsibilities as stewards of the Library.

District Funds

The Taylor County Public Library Board defines all district funds as “Public Funds." This includes, but is not limited to, all sums actually received in cash or negotiable instruments from all sources, whether or not the money has ever been deposited into a Library account. Any money controlled by the Library, including gifts, fines, fees and all funds received from any source, are considered “public funds” and are governed by this policy.

Personal Use of District Assets

Neither the Director nor any Board member will use or permit the use of Library funds, vehicles, equipment, telephones, materials, or property for their own personal benefit or profit. Neither the Director nor a Board member will ask or require a Library employee to perform services for the personal benefit or profit of a Board member or the Director. The Director and all Board members will safeguard Library property, equipment, moneys, and assets against unauthorized use or removal, as well as from loss due to criminal act or breach of trust.

Segregation of Fiscal Duties and Internal Controls

No one person should control or perform all key aspects of a transaction or financial event. Segregation of duties is an important internal control activity that helps detect errors in a timely manner and deters improper activities. Internal controls instituted by the Library will assist the board in maintaining adequate fiscal oversight of the expenditure of funds.

The Taylor County Public Library shall institute a system of internal controls and a segregation of duties which meet or exceed the 32 guidelines outlined in the Kentucky Auditor of Public

Accounts - Recommendations for Public and Nonprofit Boards (March 2010 revision). The adequacy of these guidelines and our compliance efforts should be reviewed after each audit and as otherwise needed. Procedures shall be modified to correct any deficiencies discovered during regular audits or at any other time. This document is available at:

https://auditor.ky.gov/cpatools/Documents/2010BoardRecommendationsLetter3-4-10.pdf

Policy Enforcement

All Library employees, the Director, and Board members are bound by this policy.

Any alleged violation of this policy by Library staff shall be investigated by the Director. If actual violation is determined, the Director shall impose sanctions appropriate to the degree of violation, up to and including termination. Any employee impacted by an action under this policy may appeal to the Board, as allowed by the district’s general employee policy.

Any alleged violation of this policy by the Director shall be investigated by the Board, or by a committee appointed by the Board for this purpose. If actual violation is determined, the Board shall impose sanctions appropriate to the degree of violation, up to and including termination.

Any alleged violation by a Board member shall be investigated by the remaining Board members. If actual violation is determined, the Board may impose sanctions as warranted, up to and including requesting the resignation of the Board member. At the option of the Board, and in accordance with KRS 65.007, the fiscal court may be requested to instigate removal proceedings for any Board member found in violation.

The Library District reserves the option of reporting any significant violation of this policy to appropriate law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.