Circulation Policy

I. General Guidelines

A) Basic Borrower Rules

1. Borrowers must have a valid library card in their possession to checkout library materials.
2. A fine shall be charged on each item loaned which is not returned according to these rules.
3. All damages to materials beyond reasonable wear and losses shall be made good to the satisfaction of the librarian.
4. Borrowers shall be held responsible for all materials drawn on their library cards and for all fines accruing on the same. Patrons are urged not to loan their cards.
5. Patrons may reserve circulating library materials.

B) Loan Period

1. Most books and other materials shall be loaned for a period of 21 days. Due dates shall not be set for days the library is closed.
2. Special classes of material may check out for varying periods of time depending on demand and collection size.
3. Materials can be renewed.

C) Fines and Fees

1. Fines of ten cents per day shall be charged for all overdue materials except videos and audio tapes/CDs which will carry a fifty cent a day fine and CD-ROMs and DVDs which shall carry a fine of a dollar a day. Fines shall not be assessed on Sundays and holidays.
2. Fines shall stop at $5 for all items except CD-ROMs and DVDs that will stop at $10.
3. Patrons shall be assessed a replacement fee for individual items lost or damaged based on the current retail price of the material plus a minimum fee of $3 to cover reordering and processing costs.
4. The library does not accept replacements or substitutions purchased directly by the patron for lost or damaged library materials as payment for an item. Any reordering of library items shall be done by the librarian and through library sources.
5. If lost items are paid for and then found before six month's time, the library will refund the cost of the book, but not the charge for the fine. After a six month period, no refunds will be granted.
6. Replacement costs of rare, valuable, or out-of-print material shall be determined on an individual basis by the library director.
7. A minimum fee of $25 shall be assessed for all returned checks.
8. A maximum service charge of 50% of the account total shall be assessed on all accounts turned over to a collection agency.
9. Delinquent patrons shall not be allowed to check out additional materials until all charges are paid in full and all items are returned. Patrons are delinquent if any of the following conditions apply:
   1. They have any fines on materials returned late.
   2. They have been billed for overdue materials.
   3. An adult patron has fines or overdues on his children's cards.
   4. The preceding thresholds shall be established periodically by the library director and shall be the same for all library patrons.
10. Patrons, who fail to return library materials and disregard overdue notices and bills, shall be referred to the contracted collection agency for collection. By signing for a library card patrons are agreeing to pay for any unreturned, lost or damaged library materials checked out on their account or on the account of a juvenile patron for whom they have signed. By signing, patrons also agree to pay all court costs and attorney fees associated with the collection of a delinquent account, in addition to the contracted collection agency’s collection fees up to 50% the total amount due on the delinquent account(s). Accounts are considered to be cleared only after all materials have been returned or paid for and after all outstanding fines have been paid.
11. Delinquent accounts may also be collected pursuant to state law (see Sections 76-6- 801, 76-6-802, 76-6-803, 76-6-804, 76-6-805, of the Utah Code.)

D) Library Cards

1. Residents and taxpayers of Brigham City and Weber County may apply for free library cards. A current driver's license with a picture and the patron's correct address and one other item with the patron's current address (i.e. a check, a recent piece of mail, a rent receipt, etc.) is sufficient identification. Otherwise, two forms of identification proving current residence are required at the time of application as well as some type of government-issued picture ID.
2. Parents or guardians shall be responsible for all materials checked out by immediate members of the family who are not yet 18 years of age. Application with the signature of a parent or legal guardian must be on file before a card will be issued to a person under the age of 18.
3. Non-residents may apply for a library card by paying an annual non-resident fee. This fee shall be established by the library director on January 1 of each year and shall be based upon the current cost per capita assessed in Brigham City to operate the library system. This fee is non-refundable.
4. Patrons shall give immediate notice of loss or theft of library cards or change of address. Patrons shall surrender their cards upon moving from Brigham City. Until notice is received by the library, patrons shall be held responsible for any materials checked out on lost library cards.
5. A charge of $2 shall be made for a duplicate library card.

E) Reservations

1. Reserved materials may be held for three days after the patron has been notified by phone, or seven days after a hold notice has been sent by mail. Reservations shall be filed in the same order they are listed in the hold queue.

NOTE: The term "materials" as used throughout this policy includes any library item which is loaned to a library patron including, but not limited to, books and non-print items.