Circulation Policy

Purpose

A core service of the library is the loan of materials to individuals in the community.  The library does this by maintaining a database of registered borrowers and giving patrons in good standing access to the collections of the Cedarburg Public Library or through Interlibrary Loan.  In providing borrowing privileges, the library promotes use of materials, ensures the rights of borrowers, and protects the interests of the taxpayers.

Policy

1.  All residents who reside in the Monarch Library System, which includes Ozaukee, Washington, Dodge and Sheboygan counties, along with all residents of an adjacent public library system, with the exception of Milwaukee County, are eligible to apply for a CPL card per State Statute 43. 10.

(10) BORROWERS’ CARDS. Except as provided in sub. (11), all public libraries in a public library system shall honor the valid borrowers’ cards of a public library in an adjacent public library sys- tem, other than the Milwaukee County Federated Library System. The requirement under this subsection does not apply to the Milwaukee County Federated Library System.

The adjacent library systems are Bridges Library System, Manitowoc-Calumet Library System, South Central Library System and Winnefox Library System.  See attached map for counties.

City of Cedarburg business owners and school district employees who reside in Milwaukee County may still apply for a business card or institutional card.  The card will only be used for CPL material and the card will stay at CPL on file in the Circulation department.  The card may not be used for other libraries materials.  For all other residents of Milwaukee County, a fee card may be purchased for $75 that expires one year from date of issue.  Persons issued a fee card carry the same responsibilities and in-library privileges as other cardholders.  The card will be kept at the Circulation desk and only used for Cedarburg library material.

All library circulation records are confidential under Wisconsin Statute 43.30.

43.30  Public library records.

(1b) In this section:

(a) "Custodial parent" includes any parent other than a parent who has been denied periods of physical placement with a child under s. 767.41 (4).

(b) "Law enforcement officer" has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c).

(1m) Records of any library which is in whole or in part supported by public funds, including the records of a public library system, indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library's documents or other materials, resources, or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records, to custodial parents or guardians of children under the age of 16 under sub. (4), to libraries under subs. (2) and (3), or to law enforcement officers under sub. (5).

(2) A library supported in whole or in part by public funds may disclose an individual's identity to another library for the purpose of borrowing materials for the individual only if the library to which the individual's identity is being disclosed meets at least one of the following requirements:

(a) The library is supported in whole or in part by public funds.

(b) The library has a written policy prohibiting the disclosure of the identity of the individual except as authorized under sub. (3).

(c) The library agrees not to disclose the identity of the individual except as authorized under sub. (3).

(3) A library to which an individual's identity is disclosed under sub. (2) and that is not supported in whole or in part by public funds may disclose that individual's identity to another library for the purpose of borrowing materials for that individual only if the library to which the identity is being disclosed meets at least one of the requirements specified under sub. (2) (a) to (c).

(4) Upon the request of a custodial parent or guardian of a child who is under the age of 16, a library supported in whole or part by public funds shall disclose to the custodial parent or guardian all library records relating to the use of the library's documents or other materials, resources, or services by that child.

(5) 

(a) Upon the request of a law enforcement officer who is investigating criminal conduct alleged to have occurred at a library supported in whole or in part by public funds, the library shall disclose to the law enforcement officer all records pertinent to the alleged criminal conduct that were produced by a surveillance device under the control of the library.

(b) If a library requests the assistance of a law enforcement officer, and the director of the library determines that records produced by a surveillance device under the control of the library may assist the law enforcement officer to render the requested assistance, the library may disclose the records to the law enforcement officer.

Library staff will require those applying for library cards to present identification sufficient to establish their place of residence.  There shall be no charge for issuing or renewing a card.

Patrons applying for library cards will sign a responsibility statement which reads as follows:

“In return for the right to use the library.  I agree to take responsibility for all materials borrowed with this card.  I agree to give immediate notice of any change of address and to report loss of card.  A replacement fee will be charged for lost cards.”

The library will require that a parent or guardian must sign the application             form for their minor child (under 18 years of age)

Parents or guardians are responsible for their minor children’s use of library material, including payment of any fees or charges incurred by their children.

Each family shall have the right and responsibility of setting standards for their own children: standards applied to their child shall not be imposed on anyone else’s child.

Loan periods

4 weeks for books, cassettes, audiobooks and compact discs.  Exceptions for some material may occur due to a specific event, such as holiday books or reserve books, which staff will communicate.  New fiction may be checked out for 2 weeks

Reference books and current issues of periodicals do not circulate.

Non-current periodicals may be checked out for 2 weeks.

7 days for videocassettes and DVDs.

Interlibrary loans are due the date indicated by the lending library.

Materials may be checked out again if there is not a waiting list for the title.

The Library staff may set loan periods and limits on special collections, materials, which are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection which are in a new format, e.g. computer software.

Reserves may be placed by patrons. Patrons will be notified by their preference of telephone or electronic notification when the materials are available.  There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve or for interlibrary loan service.

The library may charge a fee or recover costs for the following situations:

• Lost library card replacement
• Items returned overdue
• Damaged items (list cost of item)(Patron may keep damaged item)
• Photocopies
• Laminating
• Faxing
• Library staff may deny borrowing privileges to cardholders:
• not presenting their card or other photo or electronic identification
• with a significant number of overdue materials not yet returned
• with significant fines or bills for unreturned material not returned
• who accumulate $100 or more in fines and fees at Monarch libraries
• reached the $5.00 fine threshold
• The library reserves the right to take measures up to and including legal action to recover materials not returned

Adopted by the Joint Library Board September 29, 1999

Revised by Joint Library Board February 21 and March 21, 2001 to correspond with new loan periods for videos and dvds. 

Revised by Joint Library Board September 25, 2001 to provide phone renewals.

Revised by Joint Library Board July 19, 2006 to deny borrowing privileges to those with fines and fees of $100 or more accumulated at Monarch Library System libraries.

Revised by the Cedarburg Public Library Board of Trustees on June 17, 2015.

Revised by the Cedarburg Public Library Board of Trustees on April 28, 2021