Institutional User Policy

The Institutional User category includes schools, senior citizens complexes, homes for special care, group homes, hospitals, and any other institution where library materials are signed out to the institution itself, rather than to a specific staff, student, member, resident or patient. Requests for institutional service can be made to the Coordinator of the nearest library branch.

Service will be offered whenever possible. Factors considered are the availability of staff and/or volunteer time, the distance to the institution from the library branch and the area of greatest need. The institution may designate someone to pick up and return books if library staff is not available to make the deliveries. The registration form will require the name and telephone number of a contact person from the institution.

Institutional Users will have an extended loan period of eight weeks, with the right to one further renewal period of 8 weeks. The Institutional User does not have Interlibrary Loan privileges or the right to borrow Talking Books.

Overdue notices for materials will be sent to the staff member responsible for the service or to the contact person from the institution if a volunteer from the institution is picking up and delivering books.

Overdue fines and fees for lost or damaged materials are not levied against Institutional Users. However, new materials will not be signed out to the Institutional User if charges for lost or damaged items reach $250, or if there are more than 200 overdue items outstanding. If a user claims as returned more than 10 items which the library records show as still outstanding, service will be suspended.

Updated August 1, 2008