REGISTRATION AND CIRCULATION POLICY

1. Eligibility for a Library Card

Every resident, permanent or temporary, of Washington County, is eligible for a free library card regardless of age.

Patrons registering for the first time will fill out a registration form, sign the responsibility statement and provide identification for address verification. The preferred form of identification is the Virginia State Driver's License. Other acceptable forms of identification include a current utility bill, tax payment receipt, or other document showing proof of residency.

Applicants under the age of 18 will be required to have the signature of a parent or legal guardian on the application form. Applicants who are married and under the age of 18 are not required to have the signature of a parent or guardian.

Residents shall be defined as persons:

a. living in Washington County

b. owning property in Washington County

c. owning a business in Washington County

d. working in Washington County

Residents of Bland, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Wythe-Grayson, and Johnson (TN) counties and the city of Bristol shall be eligible for a free library card under reciprocal borrowing agreements. Students, faculty and staff of Holston Associated Libraries, Inc. are entitled to limited borrowing privileges.

All other non-residents will be charged an annual fee of $5.00 per registration.

Individuals affiliated with the Barter Theater and other temporary residents may have library cards issued for the period they are in the area, up to two (2) years from date of issue. They must list both local and permanent addresses on the registration form.

An institutional card may be issued to any organization upon written request and provided names are listed for the people in the organization who are authorized to use the card. The number of approved users is limited to six. One person must be designated as responsible for library materials and this individual must sign the letter of request and will be required to fill in the standard library registration form.

The first library card is free. A charge of $2.00 will be made for replacement of cards that are lost, stolen or damaged. Replacement cards will not be issued to patrons if there are overdue items charged to the patron.

A patron's card expires two years from the date of issuance and every two years thereafter. Adult patrons will be asked to update registration information when the card is renewed. Juvenile cardholders will be asked to update registration information; however, no parental or guardian signature is required for the renewal of the card.

Library cards issued at the Main Library or at any of the branches or the bookmobile are valid at each of them.

2. Circulation of Materials

Books, paperbacks, books on tape, compact discs, vertical file materials, and magazines may be checked out for two weeks. Videos are checked out for a period of three (3) days.

The number of books that may be checked out on each library card is limited to 50. Temporary residents may obtain a maximum of 10 items at one time. However, a borrower may check out a maximum of five books on a specific subject.

Reference materials, newspapers, and current issues of magazines may not be checked out.

Reserve material for special projects have a restricted checkout period, and only two items may be checked out at one time. To encourage prompt return of items, fines are $.25 a day.

Three video cassettes per card may be checked out for three days and are subject to additional regulations. Video circulation privileges are not extended to affiliates of Holston Associated Libraries, Inc. (See Appendix for Video Loan Conditions.)

A maximum of five Books on Tape may be checked out on one card for two weeks.

Compact discs are limited to two per card and are checked out for two weeks.

Audio-visual equipment is available for loan to businesses, clubs, and organizations for a charge of $5 per day. The equipment is checked out only to adults.

Materials borrowed at one location, except magazines, video cassettes and audio-visual equipment, may be returned to any other location in the system.

3. Renewals

All materials except thematic kits, video cassettes and audio visual equipment may be renewed up to two times, either by telephone or in person, provided there have been no reserves placed on the item(s) by other patrons.

4. Reserves

Patrons may reserve up to 5 items at a time by filling out the Reserve Form. Library staff will make up to two attempts to contact by telephone patrons who have placed items on reserve. If the second attempt to reach a patron has failed, a notice will be sent by mail. After a patron has been contacted by telephone or after a notice has been mailed, the material will be held for three (3) business days before being returned to the collection.

5. Overdue Materials

The first overdue notice is mailed when materials are overdue two (2) weeks. If materials are not returned or renewed, the second notice is mailed two (2) weeks after the first overdue notice. The final notice, which is an invoice charging the patron with replacement cost of the overdue item (s), is sent four (4) weeks after the first notice. Overdue video notices are mailed when the video is 2 days late. Two additional notices are mailed at five (5) and seven (7) day intervals. The final notice is an invoice for the replacement of the video.

If a patron insists that an item has been returned and our records clearly show that the item has not been returned, the patron must fill out a Claims Return Form. A "Claims Returned" is not accepted for more than two (2) items.

6. Limitations on Borrowing Materials

The use of the Library and/or its services may be limited when excessive demands made by groups or individuals tend to curtail service to the general public. Such demands for staff time, available materials, or space would prohibit attention and service to other individuals or groups.

The use of the Library may be denied for destruction of Library property, in or out of the Library, disturbances of other people in the Library, and other objectionable conduct on the Library premises.