Riverside Regional Library

Circulation Policy

LIBRARY CARDS: 

A.            In-house use of the collections and materials at any Riverside branch is open to the public, but in order to check out materials from the library, a valid Riverside Regional library card is required.

B.           A free library card will be issued to any resident or property owner of the Riverside Regional Library’s service area upon presentation of proper identification—which includes a photo ID and/or presentation of documentation showing location within the Riverside service area.  For uniform issuance of library cards, Riverside will use the official number present on Missouri drivers licenses. For younger patrons, or persons without a Missouri drivers license, a Social Security number will be required.

C.           The service area of Riverside Regional Library is defined by state law and includes the residents of Cape Girardeau, Scott, and Perry Counties, with the exception of those people who reside within the 1965 city limit boundaries of the towns of Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee, and  Sikeston. These city residents pay their library taxes to support their city libraries and are therefore excluded from the free use of Riverside Regional’s services; they are subject to an annual user fee.  Residents of counties other than Cape Girardeau, Scott, and Perry are also subject to an annual user fee.

D.           Residents outside the service area of Riverside Regional Library may receive services for a one-year period upon, provided he or she apply in person and show proof of identity, and present payment of $24.00 for a family membership card, renewable annually.  This payment is non‑refundable.  The imposition of user fees for residents outside the service area of Riverside became effective July 1, 1996.  (revised by RRL Board 23 June 2005) 

E.            Children aged 15 and under must have written parental permission to get a library card.  Children 16 and older with proper ID may get a library or Internet card without parental permission.

F.            Parents and/or legal guardians of children under the age of 18 specifically assume the responsibility for library materials checked out by children in their care.  As such they are responsible for the payment of any overdue fines incurred by the child.  Parents and/or legal guardians are also responsible for replacement charges for accidental or intentional misuse, erasure, mutilation, or loss of library materials by the child. 

G.           Any teacher at a public, parochial school or licensed day care center, teaching students from the service area of Riverside Regional Library, may receive a library card regardless of residence, renewable each school year.  A  $5.00 fee will be charged for replacement of a lost card, and no exemption is granted from loss or mutilation of library material.  Riverside does not attempt to provide services which may in any way be considered a substitute for good school library service.  Its objective is to provide supplementary library service to children and young adults through schools as the best means of reaching children during the school year.  

H.           A $5.00 replacement fee will be charged for any lost library card 

I.              The library card may be used immediately upon issuance.  Limit of four (4) items the first time a patron checks out . 

J.           Patrons may check out materials at any Riverside branch in Jackson, Perryville, Scott City, Altenburg, Benton, or Oran, and return materials to any of these branches.  Presentation of a valid Riverside library card is required for removal of any library materials from any Riverside library. 

K.           All materials within the Riverside collection are available for loan to patrons at other Riverside branches subject to availability.  A weekly courier service delivers library materials from one branch to another, for use by patrons who have requested those materials.

LOAN PERIODS & RENEWALS:

L.        The Library will establish the length of loan periods, rates of extended use fees, number of renewal periods, and item and fine limits, and may adjust these rules from time to time in order to maximize usage of the collection by all library patrons and provide for maintenance and replacement of the collection.   Current limits are shown in the table below and apply to all branches.

M.       Through interlibrary loan and other mechanisms, Riverside will endeavor to obtain materials requested by patrons.  Lengths of loan periods for ILL materials are controlled by the lending library, and patrons may or may not be exempted from payments for extended usage of those materials. 

N.         If an item can be renewed, it may be done so by phone or in person. 

OVERDUE FINES & REPLACEMENT CHARGES:

O.       No fee is charged for materials returned within normal loan periods. Overdue fines will be charged for all overdue items. Patrons will be notified by the library of materials not returned in the normal loan period.

P.        Borrower cards are blocked when outstanding fines of $6.00 or more exist, irregardless of the type of item overdue.  Patron borrowing privileges will be revoked until some or all of the fine is paid. 

Q.        Items which are overdue and returned in book drops will still be charged overdue fines. 

R.        Videos returned in book drops will be subject to a penalty of $1.00 per video (whether returned on time or overdue).  Videos are not to be put in outside book drops.  Video drop boxes are available at some of the branches.

S.       Replacement costs will be charged for all library materials that have suffered accidental or intentional misuse, erasure, mutilation or loss by the patron.  Overdue fines will be charged in addition to the replacement cost.

REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS