Tempe Public Library
Circulation Policy

Approved by the Library Advisory Board
May 7, 2007

I. PURPOSE

The circulation policy of the Tempe Public Library exists to facilitate community access to the materials and information contained in the Library’s collections.

II. TEMPE PUBLIC LIBRARY CARDS: ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION

In order to borrow materials from the Tempe Public Library, library users must register for a Tempe Public Library card. Cards are issued free of charge to Tempe residents and Maricopa County residents.

A.  ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION

Applicants for Tempe Public Library cards must show identification with a current residential address and provide their date of birth. Identification with only a post office box number or with a motel or hotel address is not considered valid. Although not required, applicants are requested to provide a Social Security number and their e-mail address at the time of registration. The Library may, at any time before the expiration date, require that current address identification be shown; so borrowers should bring appropriate identification in addition to their Tempe Public Library card. The following are considered acceptable identification:

a valid Arizona driver's license, driver’s instruction permit, or identification card issued by the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division with photo and current residential address; or,

a residential property tax statement for a Tempe residential property with the name of the applicant along with both a copy of a current utility bill for that property and an official photo identification card from a school, government agency, etc; or,

an official photo identification card from a school, government agency, employer, etc, along with another piece of identification displaying the current residential address: a current rent receipt or lease agreement, utility bill, a bank checkbook with current address imprinted on checks, current bank statement, or canceled mail postmarked within the last week, or,

a resident alien card or consulate identification card.

For applicants under the age of sixteen (16), a parent or legal guardian must be present with the applicant and sign the application. Young people between sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) years of age will be issued a Tempe Public Library card upon presentation of acceptable identification; the Library will provide written notification to the parents or legal guardians of children within this age group that their child has been issued a Tempe Public Library card. Parents or guardians will be responsible for all items checked out on their children’s cards.

B.  CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY

1.  TEMPE RESIDENTS: Any person who shows proof of residence within the city limits of Tempe may get a Tempe Public Library card at no charge. Tempe resident cards are valid for a two year period.

2.  RECIPROCAL BORROWERS: With the approval of the Tempe City Council, the City of Tempe has entered into a reciprocal borrowing agreement with the Maricopa County Library District to provide library services to residents of Maricopa County. Residents of neighboring communities that do not have a reciprocal agreement with the Library District are charged at the non-resident rate. Reciprocal cards are valid for a one year period.

3.  NON RESIDENTS:

a.  Volunteers who have given at least 100 hours of service to the city of Tempe during the past twelve months may be given a card at no charge while they continue their volunteer service.

b.  Owners of businesses in Tempe may be given a personal card at no charge when they present proof of such ownership.

c.  Applicants who do not meet any of the above requirements may purchase a card for a non refundable fee of $30 per year.

4. COMPUTER USERS: A Tempe Public Library card is required to use the Library’s public access computers. A special “computer use only” card will be issued to individuals who reside outside of Maricopa County and thus do not qualify for a no-fee library card. Applicants are required to provide photo identification to receive a “computer use only’ card.

III. LOAN PERIODS AND LIMITS

The following loan periods and limits have been established to provide library users with an adequate amount of time to both use library materials and return them so that they are available in a reasonable amount of time for other users.

A. LOAN LIMITS: A library user may have up to 50 items checked out at any time. Loan limits for specific media types are as follows:

1. Videos: Ten (10) items

2. DVDs: Ten (10) items

3. Recorded music on compact disc: Ten (10) items

4. Recorded books on tape or compact disc: Ten (10) items

B. LOAN PERIODS: The majority of items within the library's collection may be borrowed for twenty-eight days. If the due date falls on a holiday when the library is closed, the loan period will be extended until the next day that the library is open. Special loan periods have been established for the following library materials:

1. Rental Books: Fourteen (14) days

2. Videos and DVDs: Seven (7) days

3. Compact Discs: Seven (7) days

4. High Demand Items: Library materials that are in high demand by library users will be temporarily assigned a fourteen (14) day loan period.

5. Circulating Magazines: Fourteen (14) days

C. RENEWALS: Two twenty-eight (28) day renewals of items with standard loan periods are permitted, if the item is not reserved for another library user. Two seven (7) day renewals of videotapes, DVDS, and recorded music on compact disc are permitted if the item is not reserved by another library user. Items may be renewed in the library, by telephoning the automated telephone renewal system, or via the “My Account” feature on the Library’s online catalog. In order to renew via online catalog, a library user must use a personal identification number (PIN) or password. Library users who wish to renew by phone or via the online catalog are advised to do so in advance of the due date in case their items cannot be renewed.

D. NON CIRCULATING ITEMS: Selected magazine and newspaper titles may not be taken out of the building as their physical format is very susceptible to damage; they are often impossible to replace in case of loss; and they are frequently used as reference sources. In addition, books that have been designated for reference use do not circulate. In general, these are titles that are not designed to be read from cover to cover but are used to find answers to specific questions, and must be available at all times to the Reference staff in order to respond to requests for information from the public as efficiently as possible. The Library Director or a Library Supervisor may grant exceptions to this rule.

E. RETURN OF ITEMS: All items must be returned to the Tempe Public Library, either within the Library or via the 24-hour drive-up book drop.

IV. FINES AND FEES

A. OVERDUE MATERIALS: Overdue fines are assessed for items returned past their due date to encourage library users to return their materials by the designated return date so that they are available for other users. Fine rates are as follows:

1. Standard Loan Period Items: 25¢ per day

2. Circulating Periodicals: 25¢ per day

3. Interlibrary Loan Items: $1.00 per day.

B. MAXIMUM FINE: In order to encourage return of long overdue materials, there is a maximum per item fine of $15.00, exclusive of book damage and processing charges, for overdue materials returned within one year. After one year, the fine is the cost of the book. The maximum fine does not include any fees that may be accrued as the result of referral to a collection agency.

C. WAIVER OF FINES AND FEES: The Circulation staff has the option of waiving or reducing charges if they determine that extenuating circumstances so warrant.

D. DAMAGED ITEMS: Charges are also assessed for lost or damaged materials to encourage library users to take proper care of public property. The following charges will be assessed for materials returned damaged:

$1.00 for each damaged page (torn or with erasable pencil marks), bar code label missing, etc.

$2.00 for each plastic book jacket that must be replaced.

$10.00 for each book that needs to be rebound.

$15.00 for each multimedia album.

$3.00 for each video squeeze box.

$3.00 for each compact disk or DVD case.

$10.00 for each missing or damaged booklet or other accompanying material that is packaged with an audiocassette, a compact disc, or a video.

E. REPLACEMENT COSTS: In those instances when an item has been lost or damaged severely enough to require replacement (such as a missing page, markings made with a pen, original accompanying material lost), the library user will be charged the original replacement cost of the item, plus a $5.00 nonrefundable processing fee to cover the cost of cataloging and preparing the item for circulation. An exact copy of a lost or damaged item that is in excellent or new condition may be accepted as a replacement. Replacements for lost or damaged audio-visual materials must be in a sealed original container.

F. TEMPE PUBLIC LIBRARY CARDS: Library users must present a valid Tempe Public Library card for check out of all library materials. Library users who have lost their Tempe Public Library cards may apply for a new card by showing valid identification (see section I.A above) and paying a non refundable $2.00 replacement charge. If they later find their first card, it must be destroyed or returned to the library for disposal.

G. OVERDUE NOTICES: In order to remind library users that they have outstanding overdue items, two notices will be sent out: one each after items are seven (7) and twenty-one (21) days late. The second notice will be in the form of a replacement notice for the cost of the item and will notify the user that they may be referred to a collection agency if materials are not returned. Library users have the option of having notices delivered through the mail, by telephone, or to their e-mail account. Failure to receive a notice will not be considered grounds for waiving a fine, as library users are responsible for keeping track of the due date of their library material

H. COLLECTION AGENCY SUBMITTALS: Delinquent library users who have accounts with balances of $25.00 or more will be submitted to a collection agency approximately four weeks after the second overdue notice, or replacement notice, is sent. When a library user’s account is submitted to the collection agency, he or she will be assessed a non-refundable collection agency fee of $10.00, in addition to the regular library fines specified elsewhere in this policy. Users whose accounts have been submitted to a collection agency must respond within 120 days or their accounts will be reported to a credit reporting agency.

I. PAYMENT OF FINES: The Library will accept the following forms of payment for fines accrued:

1. Cash, money orders, or a cashier’s check.

2. Personal check made out to the "Tempe Public Library" on a check drawn on a local bank with proper ID and for the exact amount of the fines.

3. Credit Card: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.

In those instances in which a user may not be able to pay the entire amount due to the Library, the Circulation Services Supervisor or her designee can set up a monthly payment plan for a minimum of $10.00 per month.

J. REFUNDS: If a library user locates an item within one year after he or she has paid for it, a refund will be issued for the cost of the item minus any overdue fees accrued on the item. The $5.00 processing fee will not be refunded. Library users who request a refund must provide the receipt that was issued by the Library at the time payment was tendered. Refunds for amounts of $50.00 and under will be issued immediately. Refunds for amounts over $50.00 will be mailed directly to the library user from the City of Tempe's Accounting section.

V. SPECIAL SERVICES

A. RESERVES: Library users may place a reserve on a specific item that is currently checked out or for which there is a waiting list. When the item is returned to the Library, the user will be notified that the item is being held for them at the Check-out Desk until a specified date. Library users have the option of having notices delivered through the mail, by telephone, or to their e-mail account. A library user may have no more than twenty (20) outstanding reserve requests at any one time. Rental books may not be reserved. Library users are responsible for notifying the Library if they no longer need a requested item and wish to be removed from the waiting list. Library users will be assessed a $1.00 fee for each reserved item that is not picked up upon notification.

B. INTERLIBRARY LOAN REQUESTS: Library users may request that the library attempt to locate and borrow for their use a specific book or magazine article that is not available in the Tempe Public Library's collection. Library users who fail to return material borrowed for them via interlibrary loan will be charged for the cost of the item (as determined by the lending library), plus a $30.00 processing fee. Library users who request an item via interlibrary loan and fail to pick it up upon notification by a library staff member will be assessed a fee of $5.00 for each unclaimed item. For more information regarding this service, see the Tempe Public Library Interlibrary Loan Policy.

C. RENTAL BOOKS: The Rental Book collection provides library users with an option for obtaining popular fiction and non-fiction titles currently on national best-seller lists. The rental fee for items in this collection is 15¢ per day per item.

VI. DENIAL OF BORROWING PRIVILEGES

To ensure that no one library user accrues an excessively high fine, library users will have their borrowing privileges denied when they have one item that is overdue by 28 days or when their fines exceed $15.00. Any library user who has been referred to the collection agency will be denied borrowing privileges until all delinquent materials are returned and/or all fines and fees are paid in full. A library user may also have borrowing privileges denied when the library has reason to believe that the user has changed address; when this is the case, the library user must present current acceptable identification (see II.A above) before being permitted to check out any more materials.

VII. RESPONSIBILITY

Library users are responsible for all materials checked out on their card or on the cards of children for whom they have assumed responsibility. If library users allow others to check-out materials on their card, those materials are still the responsibility of the card owner. Lost cards should be reported immediately; library users are responsible for all materials checked out on their card up to the time that they report the card as lost.

VII. CONFIDENTIALITY OF USER RECORDS

Pursuant to Arizona law (ARS 41-1354), the Tempe Public Library shall not disclose any record or information that identifies a user of library services as requesting or obtaining specific materials or services or as otherwise using the Library. Records may be disclosed only in the following circumstances:

If necessary for the reasonable operation of the Library, as determined by the Deputy Community Services Manager—Library.

On the written consent of the library user.

On receipt of a court order.

If required by law.

Any person who knowingly discloses any record is in violation of this section and is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.