5.10 - Circulation

1. Presentation of Library Card
   1. A library card must be presented when checking out materials. Royal Oak Public Library recognizes that there will be times when a borrower does not have their library card available. In this event the library will check out materials upon presentation of valid Driver’s License or current picture ID. For youth without photo ID, the Library staff will ask identifying questions to verify their identity.
   2. The library extends services to residents of other communities per the Royal Oak Public Library Statement of Policies and Procedures, 5.30  Association with Other Libraries.
2. Standard Loan Periods
   1. The library establishes standard loan periods for the various materials in the collection. The loan periods are detailed in Policy 5.101 Circulation Parameters. These loan periods apply to all individual cardholders.
3. Special Loan Periods
   1. A vacation loan period (beyond 21 days) is available to all individual cardholders for books. Vacation loan periods cannot be applied to new titles.
   2. The loan period for interlibrary loan materials is specified by the owning library.
4. Non-Circulating Materials
   1. Reference materials, newspapers, and current issues of magazines do not circulate.
5. Renewal, Limits and Reserve of Materials
   1. Library materials may be renewed in person, by telephone, or online. Materials ineligible for renewal are outlined in Policy 5.101. There is a limit of two renewals per item. Items eligible for renewal are automatically renewed by the shared automation system (SAS).An item that has a reserve on it will not be renewed. If an item borrowed from another library is overdue, the overdue fine amount, if applicable, is still owed and must be paid directly to the other library.
   2. The renewal period for materials owned by other libraries sharing the SAS is determined by the policies of the library that owns the material. Renewals of materials borrowed from libraries outside the shared computer system through MelCat are determined by the lending library.
6. Limits on Materials
   1. To provide as wide an access as possible to the library's collection, it may be necessary to place limits on some materials. These limits will be set by the director and staff, based on the size of the collection.
7. Holds and the Hold Shelf
   1. Registered borrowers may place holds on eligible library materials by telephone (borrower must provide their library card number) in person, or online. Library staff will reserve a limit of four items at one time.
   2. The borrower will be notified via electronic mail or automated telephone notice when the hold is waiting to be retrieved. The item will be held for pickup for 7 days.
   3. The hold shelf is self-serve and located in a public area; the library observes borrower confidentiality by obscuring the item title on the hold shelf.
   4. The held item may only be borrowed on the card used when the initial hold was placed.
8. Replacement Cost
   1. It is the responsibility of the borrower to return materials on time and in good condition. If an item is lost the patron will be charged a replacement cost not to exceed the item’s cover price , which will cover any processing fees.
   2. If a lost item that has been paid for is returned within 30 days, the patron may request a refund.
   3. If an item owned by the Royal Oak Public Library is returned damaged, the patron will not be charged for the damage. If an item owned by another library (borrowed through TLN, MeL, or the MILibrary Card) is returned damaged, the patron is responsible for paying for the item, with the cost being determined by the lending library.
9. Notices of Account Status
   1. Borrowers are notified of the status of their accounts via electronic mail with an option for an additional text message, or automated telephone notice:
      1. A courtesy notice is issued three (3) days before items are due.
      2. An overdue notice is issued seven (7) days after items are due.
      3. A lost item notice is issued twenty-one (21) days after items are due.
   2. Materials not returned twenty-one (21) days after the due date are considered lost; a bill for replacement cost is sent to the borrower via e-mail and the replacement cost for the item is included as a fee on the borrower record. Lost item notices will be sent by mail if there is no valid email address on file.
10. Claims Returned
    1. The library allows the use of a "claims returned" function to clear disputed items from a borrower’s record. An account may have a maximum of 5 "claims returned" items that have not been found and cleared. Once the borrower has been billed for an item and the item status is "billed", the "claims returned" function may not be used for that item.
11. Suspension of Library Privileges for Accounts Exceeding Threshold
    1. Borrowing privileges are suspended for accounts which have accumulated a total of $15.00 in fees, A borrower must pay all fees in full in order to have their borrowing privileges restored.
12. Michigan Library Privacy Act
    1. Library employees observe privacy of borrowing and other library records in accordance with the Michigan Library Privacy Act 455 of 1982.

Adopted 5/23/2000; rev. 9/28/2004; rev. 11/23/2004; rev. 5/23/2006; rev. 6/25/2006; 8/26/2008; 4/28/2009; 5/26/2009; 9/22/2009; revised 8/24/2010; revised 8/23/2011; revised 7/22/2014; revised 8/23/2016; revised 6/23/2020; revised 7/28/2020; revised 1/26/2021, revised 12/14/2021; revised 06/27/23.