Library Policies

A.     HOURS OF BUSINESS:

Monday thru Thursday – 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM    Friday -- 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM    Saturday -- 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

B.     REGISTRATION:

All persons who have established residency within the Guthrie Center City limits and Guthrie County will be issued a borrower’s card, upon application, without fee.  Identification and one reference are asked for, without fee.  Identification and one reference are asked for.  A child will be issued a borrower’s card if the application for the initial card is signed by his parent or guardian. A duplicate card will be issued for $1.00 and automatically renewed every year on our circulation system. A Borrower’s card may be issued to a patron of another participating Open Access library at the discretion of the staff at no cost.

C.     BORROWING:

1.     New Patrons:  Check out only 3 items until proved reliable.

2.     Old Patrons:  May only have 2 CD’s at a time unless special permission is given by staff.

3.    Loan Period:  Books, periodicals, audio and video items are loaned for a period of 2 weeks.  Interlibrary Loans are for a period of 4 weeks and incoming requests are charged a $2.00 shipping fee.

4.    Overdues: No fines are charged but donations will be accepted.  Anyone having overdue materials with a 2^ndnotice issued will not be allowed to check out until the overdue is taken care of.

5.    Renewals: Can be made for 2 weeks unless there is a waiting list for the item or a book is on the best seller list. Renewals can be made by phone, internet, or in person and it isn’t necessary to bring the item to the library to renew it.

6.    Lost Materials:  Patrons who have lost an item will be charged the replacement price.  Should the lost material be found and returned, a refund of the replacement money will be made.  

Damaged Books:  Charges for damage will vary with the extent of the damages and could range from $1.00 to replacement cost.

7.     Misc.: Reasonable quiet to be observed. 

Food and drink only in designated areas.            No smoking in the library.           No pets in the library.  

Telephone may be used for short calls No social calls.  Cell phone calls are asked to be completed in the entry area or outside. 

Signs no bigger than 8 ½ x 11 posted in the case with staff permission.  

Reference material may not be taken outside the library.  

The equipment (camcorder, VCR, cameras, film screen & whatever else we term equipment) will not be loaned to other than our patrons.

We are an Open Access Library as of October 1, 1989.  Books & periodicals may be loaned to Open Access Patrons.  No special treatment will be given to others in Open Access that does not apply to our patrons.

D.    PRIVACY OF RECORDS POLICY

All records, formal and informal, in the Mary Barnett Memorial Library relating to patron registration and the subsequent circulation by patrons of materials provided by the Library are considered to be confidential in nature.

In order to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy, the contents of registration and circulation records shall not be made available to anyone except under the written order of the Library Director, such order having been issued pursuant to a proper legal process, order or subpoena under the law.

Upon receipt of any process, order or subpoena, the person named and/or served shall immediately report to and consult with the Library Director and the legal counsel of the City of Guthrie Center to determine if such process, order, or subpoena is proper and in full compliance with proper legal authority. In the event the legal process fails to sufficiently identify or name in specific terms or specifications the records on file in respect to an identified Library Patron, the request is considered to be defective and not binding upon the Library and its personnel, except under further due process of law.

Any problems or conditions relating to the privacy of a patron through the records of Mary Barnett Memorial Library which are not provided in the policy statement shall be referred to the Library Director, who, after study and consultation with the Library Board and/or legal counsel, shall issue a written decision as to whether to heed the request for information.

Printable policies available here--  CIRCULATION POLICY PDF       COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PDF