Renewals placed in person or over the phone must be
placed 10 minutes before the Library closes. Renewals may be made
over the Internet at any time. Click on Card
Catalog and then Renew Books for more information.
Reservations
Library users may place up to four circulating items on
reserve. When an item is ready for them, the library will notify them by phone.
There are certain items, such as Reference and Genealogy materials, which can not be checked out or placed on reserve.
People with unpaid balances may place items on reserve, but
they must pay off their balance before they will be allowed to check out
the items placed on reserve. Reservations placed in person or over the
phone must be placed 10 minutes
before the Library closes. Reservations may be made over the Internet at
any time. This is done by finding an item in the
Card
Catalog. Click on the record for that item, and find where it
says, "To reserve this title, complete and submit this form:"
The form asks for a barcode, found on the back of the library
card, and the person's PIN. (If you don't have a PIN, you can
request on by clicking here.)
When an item is ready for a patron to pick up, the Library
will call and notify them that the item is ready, and give them at least
24 hours to pick it up.
If the Library is unable to talk to a person or leave a
message, then we will continue to attempt to call the person at various
times throughout the day. If after 24 hours the person cannot be
notified, and others are on reserve for the same item, the next person
on the list will be contacted, but the person skipped will still be
first on the list the next time the item is available. Once a
person has been skipped four times, they will be removed from the
reservation list.
Once a person has been notified that the item is ready to
be picked up, they will be given at least 24 hours to pick up the item.
If they fail to pick up the item within the time period given, they will
be skipped, but will be first of the list the next time the item is
available. Once a person has been skipped four times, they will be
removed from the reservation list.
Overdue Items
The Library circulates many
different formats of materials. Most circulating items fall into the categories
of Books, Books on Cassette, Videos, DVD's and Periodicals. Items are typically
circulated through the Library System's On-line Public Access Catalog (OPAC),
which tracks the item a Library user currently has checked out, when an
item is returned, and automatically calculates and charges late fees. There
are times in which certain items have to be circulated without using the
OPAC, but the following rules apply to these items too.
Books
Books returned past the
date due in the computer system will be charged at a rate of 10 cents per
day per item, for a maximum charge of $10 per item.
Books on Cassette
Books on Cassette returned
past the date due in the computer system will be charged at a rate of 10
cents per day per item, for a maximum charge of $10 per item. There will
be a $1 fee if a book on a cassette is returned not properly rewound.
Videos/DVD's
Videos/DVD's returned past the
date due in the computer system will be charged at a rate of $2 per day
per item, for a maximum charge of $20 per item. There will be a $1 fee
if a video is returned not properly rewound. Due to some video/DVD ratings,
and the higher fines, one must be at least 18 years of age to check out
a video/DVD. There is a limit of six videos per card, and a limit of two
DVD's per card.
Periodicals
Periodicals returned past
the date due in the computer system will be charged at a rate of 10 cents
per day per item, for a maximum charge of $5 per item.
Other
Other items returned past
the date due in the computer system will be charged at a rate of 10 cents
per day per item up to $2 per day per item, for a maximum charge of $20
per item. The daily rate will be set by the director of the Library System,
and the daily rate and a maximum rate will be posted on the item.
Unpaid Balances
Unpaid balances need to
be paid in full before a person may have full check out privileges. A person
who is listed in the Online Public Access Computer as a responsible person
to a dependent is responsible for the dependent's unpaid balance if the
charge occurred before the "dependent" turned 18 years of age. A person
18 or older who is listed as a dependent in the Online Public Access Computer
will be responsible for all unpaid balances to their account after they
turned 18 years old.
If a person has an unpaid
balance, and states that they are unable to pay off the balance, they may
pay either 50% of the balance, or $20, whichever is the smaller amount.
Users who make only a partial payment may only have two items checked out
at a time.
If a person has an unpaid
balance because of unrecoverable item charges, the entire balance must
be paid before they may check out any more items from the Library.
Unrecoverable Items
The Library will attempt
to notify Library users when they have overdue items. If a current address
is available, the Library will send out three different overdue notices.
The first notice, sent out when an item is more than 1 week overdue, will
be a gentle reminder. The second notice, sent out when an item is more
than 2 weeks overdue, will be more stern. The third notice, sent out when
an item is more than 3 weeks overdue, will include a statement about the
Arkansas State Law on the failure to return items borrowed from a Public
Library. However, failure to send or receive notices will not negate the
Library user's responsibility to return the item and pay the overdue charges.
When a Library user has an
item which is over 4 weeks overdue, staff will attempt to contact the person
by any means possible to try and recover the item. When the staff member
determines that an item is not recoverable, generally after an item is
6 to 8 weeks overdue, the item will be listed as "Lost," and the person
who lost the item will be charged a "Lost Fee." However, failure to contact
the Library user will not negate the user's responsibility to return the
item and pay the overdue charges.
The "Lost Fee" will consist
of the following: 1) The basic cost of the item at current rates, 2) The
maximum overdue charge for the item, and 3) A service charge of up to $5
to have the item removed from the computer database.
The basic cost of a lost
item will be the greater of the following: 1) The average retail cost for
replacing similar type items, or 2) The actual replacement cost for the
item if this is more than $5 over the average cost. The average retail
cost will be calculated and determined by the Director of the Library System
by evaluating recent purchases in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction,
Books on Cassette, Videos, DVD's, Paperbacks, etc.
Click Here to view the
current Overdue and Replacement Charges
schedule.
Library users, under the
direction of the Library Director, may replace a lost item with the exact
title and format of the item lost. However, overdue charges and the service
charge will be applied.
Damaged Items
Users who return items to
the Library damaged will be assessed a fee for the damage. Damage includes
items which have had barcodes, date-due cards or other Library markings
removed, water damage, torn pages, etc. If the item can be repaired, the
cost will be commensurate to the repair costs. If the item cannot be repaired
and must be replaced, then the cost will be commensurate to replacing the
item. Damage resulting from fragile conditions due to age or frequent circulation
would not be the fault of the user. The Library Director will set the fees
for repair costs, and replacement costs will be the same as the "lost fee"
(listed above), less the overdue charge if the item was not overdue.
Library Card Policy
Who can get a Library Card?
First time library cards
will be issued free of charge to the following people: Anyone 16 years
old or older permanently living within the boundaries of Jefferson County,
have property within the boundaries of Jefferson County, or who own a registered
business within the boundaries of Jefferson County. Children under 16 years
of age if their parent or legal guardian lives in the boundaries of Jefferson
County, has property within the boundaries of Jefferson County, or owns
a registered business within the boundaries of Jefferson County, and the
parent or legal guardian is willing to take full responsibility for the card.
People not permanently living within the boundaries of
Jefferson County, who do not have property within the boundaries of Jefferson
County, or who do not own a registered business within the boundaries of
Jefferson County, must pay a $10 yearly fee per person, which would allow them
to check out no more than two items at any given time, and would allow them
unlimited access to information databases which are offered to library card
holders for use outside of the Library.
Replacement cards cost $3.00.
The person must be in the computer system
with a clear account to
get a replacement card.
Acceptable ID
The primary ID should be
either an Arkansas Drivers License, or Arkansas ID card, either with the
current address. If the person can provide either of these ID's without
current address or a Military ID, they must provide one secondary form
of ID with current address. Secondary ID includes, but not limited
to: Utility bill, phone bill, Jefferson County Tax assessment/bill, car
registration, a personal checkbook.
If no primary ID is available,
two forms of secondary ID must be presented, each with a current address.
If the person lives outside
Jefferson County, but owns property in Jefferson County, Primary ID, or
two Secondary ID's, must be accompanied with proof of property ownership
such as Jefferson County tax assessment/bill.
If a person lives outside
Jefferson County, but owns a business in Jefferson County, Primary ID,
or two Secondary ID's, must be accompanied with proof of business ownership,
such as Jefferson County tax assessment/bill. If the business is listed
in the phone book, staff could call for verification of ownership to meet
proof of ownership.
References
Two separate residents who
live in Jefferson County, who each live at a separate address/phone as
applicant and live separate from each other, must be provided. (Out-of-county
people provide references either local or from their own county).
Issuing Cards
If a person has met the
acceptable ID, and they can be located in either the Phone Book or City
Directory, or have proven Property or Business Ownership within Jefferson
County, the library card will be issued immediately with no restrictions.
If a parent or legal guardian of children under 16 has met the acceptable
ID, and they can be located in either the Phone Book or the City Directory,
or have proven property/business ownership, or if the parent or guardian
has a current library card with a clear account, a card can be issued immediately
for the child.
If a person cannot meet the requirements to be issued
a library card immediately, then there will be a 5 day waiting period
before issuing a library card so references and other information can be
verified. If a person does not meet the requirements, but does not want
to wait before borrowing items from the library, they may deposit $10,
which will allow them to check out two items for up to 7 days. The
deposit will be refunded when the items are returned and references and
other information verified. If it is found that the person is not a
resident of Jefferson County, does not own property or a business in
Jefferson County, the $10 will be used as the yearly fee for
out-of-county residents. Deposit funds will be used to cover late
charges of items checked out, or replacement charges if the items are
not returned.
Gateway
Library Card
The Pine Bluff/Jefferson County
Library System is a Gateway Card participant. The Gateway card is an agreement to provide public library service to residents in Central Arkansas without charging a non-resident fee. The program covers residents in the following counties in Arkansas:
Arkansas, Cleveland, Conway, Dallas, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hot Springs, Jackson, Jefferson, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Van Buren,
and White
For more information,
including Brochure, Map, and On-line Library Card Catalogs, please click
here.
Policy on Fax Charges
Outgoing Fax
The cost for sending a personal
FAX would be $5.00 for up to three pages (standard paper sizes), and $2.00
for each group of three pages thereafter. The cost of phone charges for
this is included if the call is within the United States. For international
calls, the customer would need a phone credit card to charge to.
Incoming Fax
The cost for receiving a
personal FAX would be $1.00 per page. Information sent to a branch from
the reference department (such as a copy of a magazine article) is only
25 cents per page.
Policy on Interlibrary Loan
Library users may ask for the
Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library System to request items from other
Libraries outside the Library System, normally known as interlibrary loan.
These requests will be filled to the best of the Library System's ability,
knowing that there are certain items that other Libraries do not lend out.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a special service the
Library System provides to its patrons. To request an item through
Interlibrary Loan, you must have a valid library card with current
personal information and no fines.
Users will be charged $1.50
for each item which is acquired through the Inter-Library loan system.
Users will be responsible for late fees and the costs for unrecoverable
items under normal Library policy. A person may submit and have up to 5 active requests at a time.
Unattended Children Policy
Children are welcome in our libraries and we are
concerned about their safety and welfare. However, parents, guardians
and caregivers are responsible for monitoring the activities and
regulating the behavior of their children while the children are in the
library.
Children 6 years and younger must be in the immediate vicinity of a
parent or caregiver. Children under the age of 10 must not be left alone
at the Library, and must be supervised by a parent or caregiver who is
in the library with them. All caregivers must be at least 14 years of
age. Children ten or older may use the library alone. All patrons are
subject to the Policy for Loud and Disturbing Behavior in Library, in
which all Library users will be expected to act within these guidelines,
or they can be asked to leave the Library.
If a child under 10 is left unattended, or if any child under the age of
14 is deemed to be at risk of coming to harm (as in the case of being
left unattended when the library is ready to close), an effort will be
made to locate the responsible parent, guardian, or caregiver, unless
the child is sure that a parent, guardian or caregiver is picking the
child up in a reasonable time period. If necessary, the police, SCAN, or
a juvenile welfare-related agency may be called if children under 14
years of age are left unattended prior to regular opening time or have
not been picked up prior to closing time, or if children under 10 are
left at the Library unattended.
The Library respects the privacy of all library patrons and will
intervene only when, in the opinion of the library staff, the safety and
well-being of a child is threatened.
Policy for Loud and Disturbing
Behavior in Library
The Library should be a place
in which all people have the ability to use its resources in a quiet, non
threatening atmosphere. To assure this, certain basic rules must be maintained.
All Library users will be expected to act within these guidelines, or they
can be asked to leave the Library. It will be up to the individual staff
member, and the circumstances at hand, to determine if a warning should
be issued. The Police will be notified immediately if a user fails to leave
the Library when asked by Library staff. The rules are as follows:
Acceptable Use Policy for Public Computers
The Pine Bluff / Jefferson County
Library System's Computers are intended primarily as an information resource,
and a tool to assist people with the production of reports, essays and
other written communications. Internet access is available at some computers.
The Library System does not provide e-mail accounts. Games, news groups,
chat rooms and other similar areas of the Internet are prohibited in the
Library.
Computer users must use the
Internet at their own discretion. The Pine Bluff / Jefferson County Library
System does not protect persons from information found individually offensive,
and cannot validate or invalidate the content found on the Internet. Please
evaluate and scrutinize the information you find.
The Internet does contain
material that is inappropriate for viewing by children, and which may be
offensive to others. The Library's computers are easily visible by others,
and the viewing of pornographic material is prohibited. If computer/Internet
use results in the disruption of Library services, disturbs other Library
users, or if the use is inappropriate for a Library setting, the Library
reserves the right to end the session, and to ask violators to leave.
The Library Staff will monitor the Internet Use of all patrons to be sure
that such use does not violate Arkansas State Law, particularly if such use
which is harmful to minors as defined by Arkansas Code, section 5-68-501. Anyone
who violates the Library’s computer policy will have their computer privileges
suspended, and repeat offenders will have their computer privileges revoked. If
a person’s computer access is revoked, they may seek to have their privilege
restored after 6 months.
Certain computers have other
restrictions due to their location, and must be used as posted. For example,
computers in the Genealogy Room are to be used only for Genealogical and
Historical research purposes. Some computers are limited to persons 14
years of age and older, unless the younger person is accompanied by an
adult, while others are limited to kids 13 and under and adults assisting
kids. Time limits may be imposed if computer demand is greater than the
number of computers available.
People who violate
this policy will be removed from the computer, may not be allowed to use
computers in the future, and may be asked to leave the Library.
Policy on Donated Books,
Magazines, and Audiovisual Materials
The Pine Bluff / Jefferson County
Library System welcomes donations of books, magazines, and audiovisual
materials to the Library System. It is the policy of the Library System
to accept all materials donated to the Library which are in good physical
condition.
The Library reserves the
right to either add the materials to the Library's holdings, or give the
materials to the Friends of the Library for their book sales. The Friends
of the Library are officially organized entities which support the Library
System through the purchase of materials and equipment.
Once transferred to the Friends
of the Library, items become the property of the Friends of the Library
organization. After attempting to sell the items, they may dispose of them
as needed.
The Library will issue a
letter to all persons or organizations which donate items to the Library
thanking them for the donations, and listing the approximate number of
items donated to the Library. The Library will not put a dollar value on
the donated items.
Policy on Lending of Library
Artifacts
Library artifacts may be borrowed
by Museums, Arts & Science Centers, Universities, Colleges, Libraries
and other appropriate institutions that may have a valid need to borrow
the artifact for display. Library artifacts may be borrowed under the following
circumstances:
