Services The Circulation Departments in each library offer a variety of important services including: checking out, renewing and checking in library materials; creating and maintaining accurate patron records and accounts; shelving library materials and maintaining the public stack areas; recovering overdue, lost and missing library materials; processing book requests. Policies The Sarasota County Libraries Department Circulation Polices and Procedures were created to: make library materials widely available; provide maximum use of the materials collection; facilitate requests for material; to provide uniform polices for the retrieval of overdue materials. Overview Library Cards Reciprocal Borrowers Loan Periods Fines, Overdues and Charges Reserves Confidentiality Overview The library will serve all residents of Sarasota County and all employees of Sarasota County Government and Sarasota County Schools. The use of the library or its services shall be limited when excessive demands of a group or individual tend to curtail service to the general public. The use of the library or its services shall be denied for due cause, such as failing to pay penalties, stealing of library property, destroying library property, disturbing other patrons and other objectionable or illegal conduct on library premises such as outlined in the Patron Code of Conduct. Library Cards All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid library card to borrow library materials. A valid library card can be used at all Sarasota County Libraries. Sarasota County residents - free Reciprocal Borrowers - Manatee and Charlotte counties, and Tampa Bay Library Consortium - free Nonresidents - $15 for a three-month card, $25 for a six-month card or $40 for a yearly card (Please note: The fees for three, six and twelve month non-resident library cards are non-refundable.) Organizational/corporate     Free Sarasota County Resident Library Card Requirements             Adults:             Proof of residence in Sarasota County, including street address is required.              Any one of the following documents may serve as proof of residence:          Florida Driver’s License with a current Sarasota County address  Florida Identification Card with a current Sarasota County address  Sarasota County Voter’s Registration card  Sarasota County Vehicle Registration  Sarasota County yearly lease or rental agreement  Sarasota County current property tax receipt/bill  Deed to property in Sarasota County  Declaration of Domicile  Sarasota County Government Employee Identification Badge  Sarasota County School, College or University Identification Card  Sarasota County School, College, or University Report Card Children: Parent or guardian must approve the application form for children under 18. Parent or guardian will be called if an application is in question.  Lost or Forgotten Cards:  Persons are responsible for all materials borrowed on their card and agree to abide by library lending rules and all policies and regulations. If a person loses his/her library card, there is no charge for a replacement card. Patrons should report lost or stolen cards immediately. Any patron, who presents material for checkout but cannot present a library card will be allowed to checkout materials provided a valid ID proving name and address is presented. A “message” stating show/replace card, will be added to the patron’s record. The patron will be asked to present their card upon their next visit. If they are unable to, they will be asked to replace their card. If address has changed, proof of new address should be presented at this time. Messenger Pickup: Any library material can be picked up by messenger providing the messenger has the patron’s library card. Free Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements Charlotte County Agreement Charlotte County residents may receive a free Sarasota County library card by presenting their Charlotte County library card and one form of identification with their current address. Charlotte reciprocal cards will expire on June 30, each year and will be renewed as long as the reciprocal agreement is in effect. Materials borrowed from a Sarasota County Library must be returned to a Sarasota County Library. A courier system has not been established between the two counties. Charlotte reciprocal borrowers must abide by the same policies and procedures regarding overdue fines and replacement fees as Sarasota County borrowers. TBLC (Tampa Bay Library Consortium) Agreement (includes Manatee County) Libraries who are members of TBLC's reciprocal borrowing agreement have agreed to allow walk-in patrons to check out materials free of charge from any participating library. Patrons may use their own library card with a reciprocal borrowing sticker attached to check out materials. This program is available for patrons of participating libraries only. (http://tblc.org/reciprocal/patron_index.shtml) TBLC Borrower Responsibilities: Present home library card to a reciprocal borrowing library to register for library privileges in that library system. Be in good standing at your local library. Be informed and abide by the rules and polices of the participating libraries you use. Assume responsibility for all materials borrowed on your cards, including payment for lost/damaged materials, overdue fines or other fees. Return materials to any participating library in a timely manner according to the rules of the lending library. Participating TBLC Libraries: Bruton Memorial Library (Plant City) Citrus County Library System Clearwater Public Library System DeSoto County Public Library Dunedin Public Library East Lake Community Library Florida Metropolitan University – Pinellas Campus Gulf Beaches Public Library Gulfport Public Library  Hardee County Public Library  Hernando County Library System Highlands County Library System Largo Library Manatee County Public Library System New Port Richey Public Library Okeechobee County Public Library Oldsmar Public Library Palm Harbor Library Pasco County Library System Pinellas Park Public Library Safety Harbor Public Library Sarasota County Library System St. Pete Beach Public Library St. Petersburg College St. Petersburg Public Library System Seminole Community Library Tarpon Springs Public Library Temple Terrace Public Library  Zephyrhills Public Library Loans Material Loan Period Renewals Books, audio books, music cassettes and CDs 3 weeks Multiple times* New books     2 weeks Multiple times* Videos, DVDs and Blu-Ray DVDs 7 days Multiple times* Book Club Bags 8 weeks No renewals *Items may not be renewed if on reserve for another borrower.           Renewals: Materials may be renewed by telephone, online or in person with your library card. For instructions on how to renew your own materials online, please refer to the SUNCAT (library catalog) help page on renewals: http://sarac.co.sarasota.fl.us/screens/help_renew.html.  Extended Loans: Patrons may be granted extended loan periods for a special need. The library will determine which books or materials it will lend for extended loans. (For example, books in heavy demand may be excluded). Special Loans – Non-Circulating Materials: In certain cases non-circulating materials, reference material, government documents, periodicals, may circulate with special permission from the reference librarian. If permission is given, materials are checked out for a loan period determined by the reference staff. Fines, Overdues and Charges The library’s objective is to ensure return of all materials circulated. Overdue notices are a courtesy of the Library System. Failure to receive an overdue notice does not absolve the borrower of the obligation to return the materials on time. Patrons are notified by the SCLS’s telephone notification system or via email. Overdue notices are sent to library patrons not reached by phone or e-mail. Material Fines Max Fines Books and audiovisual materials (except videos, DVDs and Blu-ray DVDs) ¢.25/day $10 or item cost whichever is less Videos, DVDs and Blu-ray DVDs $1/day $10 or item cost whichever is less Billing notices: Bills are mailed to the patron if library material is not returned within six weeks of due date. Replacement cost of the material appears on the billing notice. Unique Management Materials Recovery Agency: Patrons that have an overdue item (60 days past due) and/or fines totaling $25.01 may be turned over to Unique Management for collection. The patron will be charged the replacement cost of each unreturned item plus a $10 processing fee. If the patron returns the item(s) after receiving notice from the Collection Agency, the amount may be reduced depending on the maximum fine amount. Once their account is clear, their card will be returned to normal borrowing status with full privileges restored. Claims Returned: When a patron has received an overdue notice and claims that the material has been returned, the shelves are checked to try to locate the material. If the material is found, charges are cleared from the patron’s record. If the material is not located, the patron is asked to look again for the material and a notation is added to the patron record stating not on shelf (NOS), the date the shelf was checked, the staff member’s initials and library. “Claims returned” must be made within three months of the due date. If a patron fails to report the material within the three month period, it will be treated as an overdue item and will remain outstanding on the patron’s record. Lost Materials: Any patron who borrows materials from the Sarasota County Libraries System is responsible for returning them in a timely manner and in good condition. When a patron reports the borrowed material lost or fails to return it, the patron will make restitution to the library by paying for the material. Damaged Materials: Patrons are responsible for damaged material when it can be determined that they are liable. Replacement fees for the damaged material will be added to the patron’s record. Library Privileges Suspension: When library privileges are suspended, the patron may not borrow library materials. Library privileges are suspended for the following reasons: Patron has materials that are more than three months overdue. Patron has outstanding fines in excess of $10 for overdue materials that have been returned. Patron owes for lost or damaged materials. Patron has been sent to Unique Management for collection. The patron's borrowing privileges are reinstated immediately once restitution is made. Reserves The reserve system is provided as a special service to individuals requesting a specific item owned by the Sarasota County Library System. Reserves may be placed on any item in the library’s collection with the exception of reference materials. Reserves may be placed by patrons with valid library cards in person, via the Internet or by phone. A patron may have no more than 5 reserves in the computer system at one time. Patrons will be notified by mail, phone or e-mail when materials are available. Please pick up your reserved materials when you are notified. Items will be placed back into circulation after 10 days.  Reserves may be made through Books-By-Mail in accordance with the above policies. Confidentiality All records, formal and informal, in the Sarasota County Libraries System relating to patron registration and the subsequent circulation by patrons of materials provided by the library are considered to be confidential in nature. In order to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy, the contents of registration and circulation records shall not be made available to anyone except under the written order of the County Libraries General Manager, such order having been issued pursuant to a proper legal process, order or subpoena under the law. Upon receipt of any process, order or subpoena, the person named and or served shall immediately report to and consult with the County Libraries General Manager to determine if such process, order or subpoena is proper and in full compliance with proper legal authority. In the event the legal process fails to sufficiently identify or name in specific terms or specifications the records on file in respect to an identified library patron, the request is considered to be defective and not binding upon the library and its personnel except under further due process of law. Any problems or conditions relating to the privacy of a patron through the Sarasota County Libraries System which are not specified in the policy statement shall be referred to the County Libraries General Manager, who, after consultation with the County Administrator and/or legal counsel, shall issue a written decision as to whether to heed the request for information. Policy is based on “Policy on Confidentially of Library Records,” adopted by the Council of the American Library Association, Jan. 20, 1971; revised July 4, 1975, by the ALA Council: and Florida Statue 257.261: “All registration and circulation of every public library, except statistical reports off registration and circulation, shall be confidential information. Except in accordance with proper judicial order, no person shall make known in any manner any information contained in such records … ” Patrons have access to their own files with appropriate ID. Legal parent/guardian may have access to their children’s files under the age of 16, to check on outstanding materials, etc., with appropriate ID. Patron records cannot be checked through telephone request without providing a valid library card number.