Circulation Services Policies

 

I.    LIBRARY CARD ELIGIBILITY/REGISTRATION

Library cards are issued upon request and free of charge to all who pay library taxes to the Messenger Public Library of North Aurora.

A.    In-Person Application

Anyone who pays library taxes to the Messenger Public Library of North Aurora can apply for a library card at the Messenger Public Library User Services Desk. Adults must present a photo ID and current proof of residency in the Village of North Aurora to obtain a library card. A parent or guardian (responsible party) must present proof of residency and sign the library card of an applicant under age 18.

B.    Examples of Accepted forms of Photo ID:

Driver’s License
State ID
Military ID
Foreign Consulate ID
Passport

C.    Examples of Accepted Proof of Residency

Current mortgage or lease documents
Current utility bill
Current bank statement, printed personal check, or payroll check showing name and address
Current property tax bill
Current credit card, insurance, cable TV, or medical billing statement

Non-acceptable: Personal mail, change of address forms, and post office boxes are not acceptable as proof of residence.


II.    TYPES OF LIBRARY CARDS

A.    Resident Card
Resident cards do not have an expiration date

Anyone who pays library taxes to the Messenger Public Library of North Aurora is eligible to receive a library card. Residents 18 and older may register for library cards in person. A photo ID and current proof of residency are required. A parent or guardian (responsible party) must be present and sign the registration form and library card for residents under 18.


B.    Cards from other Illinois libraries
Reciprocal Borrowing patron privileges are valid for 1 year

The Messenger Public Library participates in the Reciprocal Borrowing Program operated under the auspices of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) and the Illinois State Library. [https://www.railslibraries.info/about/resource-sharing-plan]

Reciprocal Borrowing patrons must register the library card issued by their home library and do not receive a Messenger Public Library borrower card.

Reciprocal Borrowing patrons have similar borrowing privileges to Messenger Public Library cardholders with the following exceptions:

•    Interlibrary loan materials
•    Requests for purchases
•    Wi Fi Hotspots


C.    Non-resident Card
Non-resident cards are valid for 1 year

Non-residents living outside of the Messenger Public Library service area and not within another library service area may apply for a non-resident card. Applicants for a non-resident card must present a photo ID, proof of residency, and pay a fee based on their current property tax bill in order to receive a library card. https://www.messengerpl.org/content/board-and-policies/policies-and-documents/non-resident-card-fee Payment of the non-resident card fee entitles each member of the payee’s family at that address to be issued a library card.


D.    Non-resident Renter Card
Non-resident renter cards are valid for 1 year.

Non-residents who rent and reside in a property outside of the Messenger Public Library service area and not within another library service area may apply for a non-resident renter card. Applicants for a non-resident renter card must present a photo ID, proof of residency, and pay a fee equal to 15% of their monthly rent in order to receive a library card. Applicants must present a current lease or rent receipt.

E.    Non-resident Taxpayer Card
Non-resident taxpayer cards are valid for 1 year.

A non-resident who owns taxable property in the Village of North Aurora may register for a library card. Only one non-resident taxpayer card will be issued per taxable property. Non-resident taxpayers must present a photo ID and current property tax bill in order to receive a non-resident taxpayer card.

F.    School Accounts
School accounts are valid for 1 year.

Any school located in the Village of North Aurora is eligible for a School Account at the Messenger Library under the following conditions:

1.    The school has a Principal or designated staff to act as the main contact for the Youth Services Department of the Messenger Public Library.
2.    The school and the Library develop a mutually acceptable written agreement regarding services and materials to be provided to each institution
3.    The school Principal designates specific staff authorized to use the card
4.    The school agrees to be financially responsible for all materials checked out on the card
5.    The library card is used solely for school-related purposes
6.    The library card remains on file at the Library and is requested by authorized individuals each time they visit the Library
7.    Picture ID will be shown at checkout.

All such cards are valid for use only at the Messenger Public Library for dates established in the user agreement. Agreements are renewed annually and must be approved by the Youth Services Department.

G.    Cards for Kids (Cards for Kids Act.”  75 ILCS 16/30-55.60)
Cards for Kids cards are valid for 1 year.

Any non-resident student (Grades K-12) enrolled in a public or nonprofit school, who does not have his or her principal residence within a public library service area and whose household incomes fall at or below the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Income Eligibility Guidelines, cannot be charged fees for non-resident library cards.  The student must be eligible for a school lunch program that operates under the Community Eligible Provision of the USDA National School Lunch Program.  (http://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/income-eligibility-guidelines.)

A parent must apply for the library card and act as the responsible party for any fees accrued on the card. All normal overdue fines and charges for lost/damaged items apply.

 

Senate Bill 3497 (Extension of the Cards for Kids Act)

The Messenger Public Library Board of Trustees has approved waiving non-resident fees for persons under the age of 18.

 

 

H.    Veteran’s Non-resident Library Card
Veteran’s Non-resident cards are valid for 1 year.

Any Illinois resident who has served as a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or State active duty, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of the United States Reserve Forces who has received an honorable discharge is eligible for a library card at no charge if the following conditions apply:

The non-resident fee shall not apply to veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 70% who are exempt from paying property taxes on their primary residence. 1) The non-resident fee shall not apply to the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who has previously qualified for this exemption prior to his/her death.

Qualifying veterans or surviving spouses must present documentation from the county where they reside that indicates that their residence is exempt from paying property tax.
      
I.    Other Card Registration
A library card may be issued to an individual not meeting all of the registration criteria if, in the judgment of the Library Administrator, special circumstances exist that warrant and justify issuing such a card.

 

J.    Other Library Users
Persons not eligible for borrowing privileges are welcome to use library materials and resources within the library.

III.    CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES

A.    A library card is issued to an individual and is not transferrable. Patrons are responsible for all materials checked out on the card, including those resulting from the use of a lost or stolen card. A patron’s responsibility for checked out materials does not end until the materials, including all parts (jackets, discs, cases, booklets, etc.), are returned in good condition.

B.    Lost or stolen library cards must be reported to the Circulation Department immediately. Cardholders are encouraged to report lost or stolen items with personal identity information to the North Aurora Police Department.

C.    Library cards are the property of the Messenger Public Library and may be restricted or revoked at any time. Library cards are automatically invalid when a patron moves outside of the Messenger Public Library service area.

D.    Any material circulated by Messenger Public Library may be borrowed by patrons without regard to age. A parent or guardian (responsible party) is responsible for their minor child’s use of library materials and services, including payment of any fines or charges.  

E.    A patron will have their borrowing privileges suspended if their library card has a total of $20 or more in fines and fees.

F.     In order to check out items in the library, patrons must present a valid library card, photo ID   or a registered library card within the SWAN mobile app on their phone.  Photo representations of a library card other than the SWAN mobile app must be supported by a photo ID.  If patrons in good standing are not able to present any of the above items, they may provide their name, telephone number and birth date to verify their library account in order to check out.

G.    Messenger Public Library cardholders in good standing may sign up for reciprocal borrowing privileges with Illinois libraries that are not members of the SWAN library consortium.  These library privileges will be valid for 1 year or until the expiration date of the patron’s Messenger library card, whichever occurs first.  

IV.    LOAN PERIODS

A.    Messenger Public Library Materials Loan Periods
See the “Materials/Loan periods/Limits/ Table.”

B.    Eligible materials will be automatically renewed twice if they are not on hold for another patron with the following exception: Quick Picks. Renewal requests may be made in person, by phone, via the library’s website or using the SWAN mobile app.

C.    Reference books, newspapers, and the Quiet Reading room collection of current issues of periodicals do not circulate.

V.    RESERVES (Hold requests)

Messenger Public Library cardholders may place a hold on items that are checked out or otherwise unavailable. Reserves may be placed in person, by phone, via the library’s website or using the SWAN mobile app.

Reserves are held at the library for 7 days.

Patrons will be notified by email, text messages or phone when materials are available.


INTERLIBRARY LOAN SERVICES

Messenger Public Library cardholders may request materials not available in the SWAN Library Consortium through interlibrary loan services (ILL). Materials borrowed through ILL will circulate in accordance with the policy of the lending library. See the ILL Policy.

 

VI.    FINES AND FEES

A.    Messenger Public Library Materials Overdue Fines and Fees

Messenger Public Library does not charge fines for overdue items. Patrons are responsible for overdue fines for items checked out at libraries other than Messenger Public Library, when those libraries charge overdue fines for late items.

Notices are sent as a courtesy when materials are overdue. However, borrowers are responsible for returning or renewing materials on time and paying all fines whether or not a notice has been received.

B.    Charges for lost or damaged material

If materials are lost, or damaged and judged by library staff as being unsuitable for the collection, the patron must pay the replacement cost.

A lost item that is found and in good condition may be returned to the library within 30 days of payment and the replacement cost will be refunded less any overdue fines.

Generally, an item that has been lost longer than 30 days will not be accepted back into the collection except at the discretion of the Head of Circulation Services or Library Director.

The library does not accept replacement items in lieu of payment of replacement costs for lost or damaged materials. Replacement items will be purchased by the library from library vendors.

C.    Library card replacement

In the event that a library card is damaged, or reported lost or stolen, a replacement card will be issued with a photo ID and payment of a $1 replacement fee. The original card will be invalidated at the time of replacement.

D.    Borrowing restrictions

Library staff may deny borrowing privileges to cardholders:
•    With long overdue items
•    With over $20 in fines or fees
•    Who are not able to present their library card or other identification
Restrictions for reciprocal borrowing patrons are outlined in section IIB above.
Some collections are restricted to use by Messenger Public Library cardholders



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