New Loan Rules starting Monday, July 8
We are pleased to announce some exciting changes at the Summit County Library!
A lively debate amongst librarians throughout Colorado in recent months, concerns the purpose and scale of the fines libraries levy on overdue items. These discussions have resulted in a rethinking of library policies with regards to fines, and check out policies.
Stating the case for eliminating fines, Michelle Jeske, City Librarian states, “Research does not support the notion that fines result in significant improvement in the return of materials. It is important for us to focus our efforts on creating value for customers in the form of access and programs.”
Starting on July 8th, the Summit County is pleased to introduce a host of changes aimed at encouraging library usage and simplifying the checkout procedures.
Chief among these is the adoption of a single set of procedures for all types of media - books,DVDs, magazines and CD audiobooks. Going forward ALL media types will be checked out for a period of two weeks, with a seven day grace period. Items returned after the grace period will incur fines at the flat rate of 25c for each day overdue.
We have abolished the 4 DVD limit and our patrons may now take home as many as they choose. For our Summit County visitors who choose to purchase a guest card, they are also no longer limited to just 4 items.
Abolishing or reducing fines might be expected to encourage a more relaxed attitude towards returning items on time. Against this we must weigh the deterrent effect that fines may have on parents in encouraging their children to become avid and joyful readers.
In this regard, within the next couple of months we look forward to introducing library cards for children. We strive to maintain a balance between encouraging children to make free use of the valuable resources that libraries have to offer and acting as responsible guardians of the public purse.
To keep up to date with these and other planned changes, please visit our webpage at www.summitcountylibraries.com or join us on Facebook.
06/27/19
