Roanoke Public Library Circulation Policy

Access to Materials
General Information
Lending Information
Fine and Replacement Policy

Access to Materials: The Roanoke Public Library does not restrict access to any materials in the collection on the basis of color, religion, national origin, socio-economic status, sex, age, or place of residence. Free access to the library is essential to full service to the entire Roanoke community. Parents who wish to limit their own children” reading materials should accompany the children to the library to supervise material borrowing, not rely on the staff for such supervision.

General Information

1. Patrons must not share their library card with family members or friends. Lost or stolen cards, address, telephone, and name changes should be reported to the library as soon as possible.
2. Patrons must present their card each time they check out materials.
3. The Library cannot be liable for keeping patron’s cards at the library.
4. Patrons living in the Roanoke city limits get a library card for each family member living in the household who use the library at no additional cost.
5. Huntington County Teachers will receive a free library card with presentation of School ID.
6. Patrons living outside the city limits (those whose property tax is not contributed toward the library) will be charged a fee per household per year. Each member of a household using the library will be issued a card as requested.
7. The State Library announces PLAC card fees each year in January; patrons may pay this fee each year.
8. Materials are due on the due date before library closing.
9. Card replacement cost is $1.00.
10. A drop box is available at the library for return of loaned materials after hours.

Lending Information

A patron may reserve library materials either by telephone, Internet or at the front desk. It would be appreciated if cancellations of reserved materials were made as soon as possible. Reserved library materials will be held for one week.

Fines for overdue materials are 5 cents a day. Encyclopedias overdue will be 10 cents a day. Overdue videos/DVDs will be $1.00 a day.

Books: Books belonginf to the RPL may be checked out for two weeks and renewed at the library or online unless there is a hold on the book. Ma We recommend that no more than 15 books be checked out at once. Current seasonal/holiday books will be limited to six.

InterLibrary Loan: Books and materials requested through ILL will be checked out for a period of two weeks. Any material from out of state libraries may incur a handling charge. Prior to ordering ILL materials, patrons must sign a RPL InterLibrary Loan Agreement.

Audio Cassettes: Audiocassettes may be checked out for two weeks and renewed unless there is a hold on the item. We recommend a limit of six may be checked out at once.

Video Cassettes/DVDs: Videocassettes /DVDs may be checked out for three days. A limit of four videos may be checked out at once. Video loans DVDs will be renewed unless there is a hold on the item.

Encyclopedias: Encyclopedias and other reference materials may not be checked out of the library. The library has a set of encyclopedias that may be checked out, one volume at a time, check with the librarian. Encyclopedia loans may be renewed once.

Magazines: Magazines may be checked out for two weeks and renewed unless there is a hold on the item. We recommend a limit of six issues at once may be checked out.

Reference and Computer CD’s: Reference and Computer CD’s must only be used at the library. Patrons CD’s are not to be used on the library’s computers.

Fines and Replacement Policy

1. Overdue fines for books, magazines, and audio books are 5 cents per item per day.
2. Overdue fines for video/DVDs will be $1.00 per item per day.
3. Library staff will decide on age appropriateness of materials and thus may limit/deny items to be checked out to children.
4. The patron, based on present day actual replacement cost to the library, will pay replacement cost for lost, damaged, or incomplete items.
5. Patrons more than 5 weeks delinquent on returning library materials, or owing $3.50 or more in overdue materials will not be allowed to check out materials or use the library's resources until fines and/or replacement costs have been paid.
6. Patrons who are chronically overdue with items will be limited on the number of items they are allowed to check out.
7. The library staff will make a reasonable attempt to notify patrons of overdue materials and excessive fines. Courtesy calls will be made to remind patrons of overdue materials each month, and reminders mailed no later than 30 days after materials are due.
8. Courtesy calls for overdue videos will be made on the 3rd overdue day.

Adopted by Roanoke Library Board of Trustees January 11, 2000
Reviewed and revised 12/8/03 Reviewed and revised 12/9/08