Circulation Policy

Mountain Library Network Circulation Committee  

Circulation Policies for Mountain Library Network
Approved May 21, 2008

The following policies are proposed to ensure the successful operation of the Mountain Library Network and the cleanliness of a unified patron database.

 PATRONS:

 1.         Requirements for an adult patron card at any MLN Library: 

 A picture ID with a current address or two of the following:

                         Piece of recently cancelled mail received by patron at their current address

                        Driver's license

                        Social security card -- Do NOT enter this into the system

                        Birth certificate

                        Military ID

                        Passport

                        Check book with current address

                        Voter registration card with current address

 Children's cards will be issued according to local policy.  Local libraries are encouraged to obtain as much information as possible.

 The following information will be required on a patron screen:  Name, address, (mail and physical, if different), phone number, patron type, card number and issuing library.   It is also recommended that the following information appear:  Drivers license number, second address (if applicable) second phone number, birth date, and parent or guardian of a child.

2.         Institutional Cards:  Institutional cards are issued by individual libraries and are not issued as a consortium-wide card.  Libraries outside the issuing library system are not required to honor the institutional patron card.  It is recommended that in order to obtain an institutional card, the director of the organization submit a request on company letterhead and list the name of the person who will be responsible for the library materials.  The request must be signed by the director of the organization. 

 3.        Each patron is to have only one barcode number. 

 4.       Recommended Policy:  The first library card is free.  It is suggested that replacement cards will be issued at a cost of $1.00.  A note will be placed on the patron's record when a replacement card is issued. (i.e. 2^nd card, 3^rd card, etc.)  When issuing a new card, a patron must be warned that the old card is no longer valid at any library and should it be found, it should be destroyed. 

 5.        Library materials shall be checked out for varying lengths of time determined by the lending library's policies.

 6.        Patrons will be required to present their library cards to check out materials.

 7.        Patron cards will expire annually.  When a patron attempts to use an expired card, that individual library is responsible for updating the essential information and renewing the patron's card at that time.

 8.        A patron record can only be removed by the issuing library.

 OVERDUES:

 9.        Overdue materials and fines for each individual library or system will be dealt with according to that system's policies.

 10.       Notification for overdue material shall be the responsibility and province of the owning library, except in the case of ILL's.

 BLOCKS:

 11.      Global patron blocks will be automatically generated for: no address, no phone number, overdue materials, and fines.  

 Global patron blocks should be entered for: abuse of ILL privileges and incorrect address.  Explanation should be given on the patron screen when necessary. 

 HOLDS:

 12.      Holds for books will be placed only within the patron's home library system. 

 Requests for books owned by other libraries shall be considered an interlibrary loan request and are handled differently.

 ILL'S:

 13.       MLN members agree to abide by the WV ILL standards.

 14.       A Library has the right to deny ILL requests for new books until those books are six months old.

 15.       Each member library agrees to set up a routing system for ILLs so that one library does not bear the load of all ILLs. 

16.       All items belonging to any library in the Mountain Library Network can be returned to any of the libraries in the consortium.  Each library in the consortium has the responsibility to accept all items and return them to the owning library in a timely manner.

 17.      Interlibrary loans will be checked out to the borrowing library not the individual patron.  The materials must remain on the borrowing library's card and not be moved to the individual patron card.  The borrowing library is responsible for all record-keepinSHARING PATRON INFORMATION: 34. Do not give out MLN patron information to outside entities including non-MLN libraries. It is our recommendation that you cooperate with outside libraries by contacting the patron for them. g of the transaction to the patron. 

 18.      When an individual patron returns their interlibrary loan to the borrowing library, that library will check the book in and place it in transit before returning it to the lending library.

 RENEWALS AND FINES:

 19.       Library card numbers must be given to renew items.

 20.      Member libraries agree that they will not collect fines owed for other libraries materials.   Fines should be collected at the home library. 

21.       If a patron returns a book to a member library that is the property of another library, the receiving library will check the book in.  Fines will stop accruing then, but the book will not be considered returned until the owning library checks it in.  It will be listed as "in transit."  The accepting library is responsible for returning the item to the owning library in a timely manner.

 22.       Books requiring a deposit may only be checked out at the owning library.

 23.       If an obviously damaged book is returned to any library, that library will accept the responsibility for determining the patron who had the book out before checking the book in.

PATRON ENTRY:

 Name:

 24.       Patron's name will be entered using all capital letters.

 25.       The patron's full middle name is required.  If no middle name is given, NMN must be entered (SMITH, JOHN NMN).  If only a middle initial is given, NMN must be entered following the initial (SMITH, JOHN W. NMN).

 26.       Suffixes will be entered after the last name followed by a comma (SMITH JR., JOHN WILLIAM).

 Telephone Number:

 27.       Telephone numbers will be entered with area code followed by the number, using hyphens in-between, i.e. 304-123-4567.

 28.      If a patron does not have a telephone, zeros will be used, i.e. 000-000-0000.

 Unique ID:

29.      The Driver's License number should be entered for the Unique ID in the following format:
WVC849205.  The two-digit state code is first followed by the license number with no spaces in-between.

HOME LIBRARY:

 30.     A patron's home library shall be the one where they register.

 31.     A patron's home library is not to be changed unless the patron moves and shows identification to that effect.

 AGENCY CODE:

 32.     A patron's agency code must be the one where they reside.

 PATRON TYPE:

 33.     A patron's p-type is not to be changed unless the patron moves and shows identification to that effect.*

 * Exception: The colleges may change the patron type for their students who were initially registered at the public library.

SHARING PATRON INFORMATION:

Do not give out MLN patron information to outside entities including non-MLN libraries. It is our recommendation that you cooperate with outside libraries by contacting the patron for them.