Library Card Information/Circulation Policies

A. Eligibility for a library card

Individual borrower's card

A library card for the Library System of Lancaster County will be issued without charge to any resident of Lancaster County who is five years old or more.

Library patrons who live outside Lancaster County are encouraged to go to the Pennsylvania library that serves their home area and apply for a card. The card should have a blue PA Access sticker. With this PA Access sticker, a Library System of Lancaster County library card is free. Library patrons who live outside Lancaster County and do not have a Pennsylvania library card with the PA Access sticker may obtain a Library System of Lancaster County library card for three years for $25.

Applicants or parents of applicants will need to produce proof of address using the list below.

A child under the age of 14 years of age must have the library card application signed by a parent or legal guardian who agrees to assume responsibility for the child's fines and cost of any lost or damaged materials as well as monitoring the materials borrowed by the child.

Proof of residence will include: a valid driver's license; a current identification card; a bill from a utility company or retailer addressed to the person and dated in the last three months; a tax bill for a Lancaster County property; working papers issued to a teenager; a copy of a current lease or deed for a Lancaster County property; checks with a pre-printed Lancaster County addres; valid Lancaster County college/university identification.

2. Institutional Card

An institutional library card is issued to a Lancaster County organization that assumes responsibility for all borrowed materials. The application must be accompanied by a letter on the letterhead of the organization applying for the card. This letter must state the organization's acceptance of responsibility for all borrowed materials and must be signed by the director of the organization.

Fines will be incurred for any materials not returned by the due date.

Special loan periods can be arranged upon request.

B. Use of the Library Card

A library card for the Library System of Lancaster County may be used at any public library that is a member of the Library System of Lancaster County.

Borrowing privileges may be suspended for the failure to return overdue books, failure to pay overdue fines, or failure to pay for lost or damaged materials. See specific lists below. The library will prosecute to the extent of the law permitted under the Retention of Library Propoerty Act (Section 6708, Title 18 PA Code, PA CSA 6708) and the Library Theft Act of 1982.

Library patrons are responsible for notifying any member library about the change of address within 30 days.

A lost or stolen library card can be replaced for $1.00.

C. Patron Registration

The following information will be taken as part of patron registration: municipality of residence; library of registration; and school district.

The following shall be requested at the time of registration, but will be optional on the part of the patron: birth day (required for minors); gender; race; email address; home or public school education; languages spoken at home other than English.

D. Circulation Periods

Circulation of library materials will be as follows:

Videos, DVDs, high demand items and best sellers circulate for 1 week. (Best sellers of 400+ pages circulate for two weeks.) All other materials circulate two weeks.

E. Renewal of library materials

Renewal of library materials can only be done if the items are not overdue. Renewal can be done at a member library circulation desk, by telephone or online. Renewal at member library circulation desks require the library card on which the items were checked out. Telephone renewal can be done by calling 394-1721. Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) are necessary to access the internet renewal page. PINs can be set through "My Account" on the online catalog. To reset a PIN, patrons are required to visit the circulation desk with personal identification.

F. Fines and Fees

Fees for overdue library materials will be as follows:
-20 cents per day for Adult and Young Adult materials with a maximum fine of $5 per item
-10 cents a day for Children's materials with a maximum fine of $3 per item
-$1 a day for all videos and DVDs with a maximum fine of $5 per item

G. Overdue Notices

1. First Notice at 3 Weeks
The first overdue notice will be sent to the address listed in the library records for the patron account when an item is three weeks overdue. The notice will include a list of overdue materials. This notice will including the following information. Failure to return the items listed in this notice within seven working days of the date of the notice will result in a suspension of a patron's borrowing privileges in each library in Lancaster County until the account is cleared. Failure to return these items within eight weeks after the original due date will result in a charge to the borrower's account for the replacement cost of the materials. A bill for this amount will be sent to the patron.

2. Second Notice/Bill for replacement at 8 weeks
The second notice is sent when the item is eight weeks overdue. This will be a bill for the replacement of the books and the lost book service charge. The patron may also return the book and pay the overdue fine. The library reserves the right to turn items twelve weeks overdue or more over to a collection agency. The library will then send a certified letter at twelve weeks. If there is no response from the patron, the library reserves the right to turn the matter over to a collection agency at fourteen weeks.

H. Lost and Damaged Items

Patrons who have lost or damaged library materials are responsible for paying the actual cost of the item. If patrons bring the damaged item to the circulation desk and pay for them at the time, they may keep them. Refunds for found items will be issued within 90 days of payment with presentation by patron of receipt or cancelled check.

I. Fine/Fee Collection

Library patrons or the parents of juvenile library patrons are expected to return library materials promptly and to pay any fines incurred.

1. Status of a borrowing privileges if the patron has outstanding account balance.
a. If an item is less than 21 days overdue, patron may retain borrowing privileges.
b. If an item is more than 21 days overdue, borrowing privileges are suspended until the materials are returned and the fine is paid.
c. If a patron's account totals more than $10, borrowing privileges are suspended unless the patron is paying through an approved installment plan, which will be entered into the patron record. It will be removed upon final payment.

2. Claims returned
On occasion, a library patron reports to the library that an overdue notice has been sent in error, and the items have already been returned. This is referred to as a "claims returned" response. The library will accept a patron's claimed returned response five times. Each instance will be noted in the patron's account. After five instances, the library will assume that there is a possibility of false reports of "claims returned." The most recent "claims returned" items will be considered overdue on the patron's account. The patron will be expected to return the items or reimburse the library for the lost materials according to the fee scheduled listed. Failure to pay for lost books will result in suspended library privileges until the account is settled.

J. Confidentiality

Pennsylvania State Law states that: "Records related to the circulation of the library materials which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the state library or any local library which is established or maintained under any law of the Commonwealth or the library of a university, college or educational institution chartered by the Commonwealth or the library of any public school or branch reading room, deposit station or agency operated in connection therewith, shall be confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except by the court order in a criminal proceeding." (24 P.S. Section 4428.)

The Library System of Lancaster County and member libraries will resist the issuance or enforcement of any such process, order, or subpoena until such time as a proper showing of good cause has been made in a court of competent jurisdiction. Upon receipt of such process, order or subpoena, library officers will consult with their legal counsel to determine if such process, order or subpoena is in proper form and if there is a showing of good cause for its issuance. If the process, order, or subpoena is not in the proper form or if good cause has not been shown, they will insist that such defects be cured.

This confidentiality policy applies equally to adults and minors. When an adult requests the records of a child, the library will respond only if the child consents to the request.

Staff may respond to telephone requests for information about materials checked out to patron accounts (adult or child) if the caller has the barcode number on the library card.

(Adopted 4/22/2003 by the Library System of Lancaster County)