Muir Library Policies

POLICIES

OF THE 

MUIR LIBRARY

Approved January 7, 2013

Updated May 11, 2021

Updated Jan, 2022

Updated July, 2022

Updated July 2023

Updated Jan 2025

GENERAL POLICIES OF THE MUIR LIBRARY

CONTENTS

Use of the library

Library Behavior……………………………………………3

Children…………………………………………………….. 3

Registration………………………………………………….4

Overdue material…………………………………………….4

Circulation time for material…………………………………4

Gifts………………………………………………………....4

Building use………………………………………………….5

Computer…………………………………………………….5

Printer & Copier………………………………………………5

Internet Acceptable Use Policy……………………………….5

Materials selection policy…………………………………………….6

Policy by format of material………………………………….6

Policy by subject of material………………………………….7

Withdrawal procedure………………………………………..8

Gifts………………………………………………………….8

Reconsideration of materials…………………………………9

Reconsideration form………………………………………...10

Library Bill of Rights…………………………………………11

Freedom to View Statement………………………………….12

Closing of the library…………………………………………………13

Cooperation with other institutions…………………………………..13

Revision of policies…………………………………………………..13

USE OF THE LIBRARY

1. Muir Library serves all residents of the county and residents of Minnesota with a valid patron card. Service will not be denied because of age, religion, race, economic, or political status. The library’s services are also available to any Minnesota library card holder according to the terms of the reciprocal borrowing agreement. 

2. To ensure a safe and positive library experience for all, please do not:

• Engage in illegal activity.

• Engage in disruptive behavior or unsafe behavior.

• Harass library users or staff.

• Use loud, abusive or profane language.

• Take photographs or videos of library users without their permission.

• Enter the library with hygiene conditions or unsanitary belongings that interfere with the use of the library by patrons or staff.

• Enter the library without shoes or clothing covering both upper and lower torso.

• Remove shoes or clothing while inside the library.

• Enter staff only areas.

• Engage in any activity prohibited by the library's computer and internet use policy.

We ask patrons to follow all Muir Library policies and guidelines. Violations of policies or guidelines may result in removal from the facility and/or suspension of library privileges. 

 Denial of library services is by the director’s recommendation with review by the library board.

3. Muir Library welcomes children to use its facilities and services. It is our desire to make library visits both memorable and enjoyable for the children. However, the safety of children left alone in the library is a serious concern. Responsibility for the behavior and well-being of children using the library rests with the parent and not with the library’s staff. 

Therefore, it is Muir Library Policy that all children under age eight (8) must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or other responsible person at least sixteen (16) years old. Children under the age of 16 are not considered appropriate guardians for younger children in a library setting. Library staff cannot supervise children in the Library.

If a child under eight (8) years of age is left unattended in the library and library staff determine that the child’s behavior has become a problem for other patrons or the library staff itself, the library staff will attempt to locate the child’s parents to resolve the problem. If a parent cannot be reached, the Winnebago Police Department or the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office will be called to escort the child home or keep the child until parents can be located. Library staff are not permitted to remain after hours with an unattended child or to give a child a ride home. If a parent cannot be reached by the time the library closes, the police will be called to escort the child home or keep the child until parents can be reached.

In any situation involving the safety of youth and specifically whenever parents (or other caregivers) or law enforcement personnel are contacted, library staff will complete an Incident Report. 

1. Children

1. Children can apply for a library card at age 5; children under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign an application form with proof of mailing address and an identification card before they can receive a library card.

2. Any restriction of the reading or the selection by children and young adults rests with their parents or legal guardians.

3. If anyone in the household has a blocked card, no new cards will be issued until blocks are cleared.

2. Registration

1. When applying for a library card, an identification card and proof of residency is required.

3. Overdue Material

1. The library does not charge fines for overdue materials. Bills for unreturned materials will be mailed with a replacement cost for material and a processing fee of $5.00 after an item is about a month overdue. When materials are returned in good condition, the bill is removed from the patron’s account.

2. A patron’s card is blocked when billed materials total $5.00 or more. 

4. Circulation of materials is as follows:

1. Books (print, audio)…… 3 weeks – may be renewed twice but no renewal if reserved

2. eBooks (print, audio)……2 weeks – no renewal if reserved

   1. No more than 5 eBooks may be borrowed at any one time for a cardholder. This is limited by the Traverse des Sioux policy set with Overdrive.

3. Magazines………………1 week

4. Reference books………...1 day

5. Puzzles………………….1 week

6. CDs …………………….3 weeks

7. DVD ……………1 week – may be renewed once but no renewal if reserved

   1. No more than 5 DVDs may be borrowed at any one time for a cardholder.

   2. Each individual cardholder is responsible for the DVD and must pay for damage or loss.

5. The policy for accepting gifts given to the library is as follows:

   1. Materials are accepted on condition that the library has the authority to do whatever it wishes with the materials.  (See materials selection policy).

   2. Gifts of money, real property and/or stock will be accepted; if there is any condition attached to these gifts, it must be approved by the library board before the gift is accepted.

6. Building Use

   1. Library use only in the main library. Gatherings of community members must be approved by the library and will take place during the regular hours of the library.

   2. Staff, volunteers and board members will have access to the staff room.

   3. The Muir Library provides a meeting room for the public’s use. The meeting room is made available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use. The meeting room is available for single meetings or a limited number of meetings that constitute a distinct series of programs. Regularly scheduled meetings may be held in a meeting room provided no other request is made for use of the room. Library programs, Friends of the Muir Library programs, Winnebago City Council and Faribault County Library Board meetings will be given first priority for use of the facilities. During regularly scheduled hours of library operation, the meeting room is available free of charge to nonprofit groups for educational, cultural, civic or public service activities which are open to the general public. Businesses or commercial groups may utilize the rooms provided they pay a fee for their use: $10 per hour, including set-up and clean-up time.  Payment for the meeting room rental is due the day of the event. Payment fees are based on the number of hours reserved, not the number of hours used.  Refunds will NOT be provided to groups using the room for fewer hours than originally reserved.  Groups are advised that the Muir Library is an alcohol and smoke-free facility. This room is not available for rental for private parties such as bridal showers, birthday parties, etc. Reservations for the meeting room may be made three months in advance. Reservation information will include the name and phone number of the person responsible for arrangements; name of the organization and purpose of the meeting; date and time needed; and estimated number of people attending. The library has four 8-foot tables and 24 folding chairs available for use. Kitchen facilities and supplies are not available. A projector screen is available for use, but licensed movies may not be shown in the meeting room without proof of the organization’s license to show movies. Organizations using the meeting room are responsible for discipline and for leaving the facility in reasonably clean condition without damage. Permission to use the meeting rooms does not constitute an endorsement by the Library of a group’s policies, programs or beliefs. In case a question arises about the objectives and activities of any organization or group requesting use of the meeting rooms, the Library Board will have final authority in granting or withholding permission to use the facility.

7. Computer & Wireless Policy

   1. Patrons do not need a library card to use the library computers.

   2. Patrons can reserve the computer for 1 hour per day.

   3. Patrons using the wireless connection are not required to have a library card.

   4. All internet connections are filtered to conform to CIPA regulations. Please direct a patron to the director if he/she would like unfiltered access on the computer.

   5. The library cannot guarantee the performance or reliability of the wireless connection or public computer hardware, nor can it guarantee performance of the software that runs on public computers.

   6. All copyright laws apply when using the computer and the internet.

8. Copier, Printer, Fax, Scan Policy

   1. Patrons are not required to have a valid library card to make a copy.

   2. There is a 15 cent charge per sheet; 25 cents for both sides of the paper.

   3. If patrons furnish their own paper, 10 cent charge per sheet, 15 cents for both sides of the paper.

   4. Color printing (not copying) is available. There is a   75 cent charge for each colored side printed.

   5. There is a $2/page charge for sending a fax. The charge is $1/page to receive a fax at the library. 

   6. Patrons may scan documents to one of the public computers and send or save them on their personal devices. The library recommends saving the documents with a flash drive or sending them in an email using the attachment feature. There is no charge for scanning.

9. Internet Acceptable Use Policy

It is the policy of the Muir Library to provide free access to information to users of all ages, while attempting to protect them from unwanted exposure to graphically depicted obscenity and child pornography and to restrict access by minors to materials harmful to minors.

Users wishing to access the Internet at the Muir Library must agree to comply with the following Rules of Conduct:

1. Internet computers will not be used for illegal activity, to access illegal materials, or to access materials that by local community standards would be obscene.  

2. Users will obey copyright laws and licensing agreements.

3. Users will not make any attempt to gain unauthorized access to restricted library or Internet files or networks, or to damage or modify computer equipment or software at the library or at another location by using library connections.

4.   Users will not disclose, use or disseminate personal information regarding minors without written authorization of the parent or legal guardian of the minors involved.

5. Access and use of Internet workstations:

  a.   Users must sign up to use the Internet in person or by phone.

  b.   Access sessions will be limited to 60 minutes, unless otherwise authorized by library staff.

   c.   Users must end their session and leave the terminal when asked to do so by authorized Library staff, even if they have not completed their access session.

   d.   Installation, downloading, or modification of software is prohibited.

  e.   By mutual agreement, no more than two persons may share one access session as long as their behavior or conversation does not disturb other users or Library staff.

  f.   Prompt payment is required by users who incur charges for printing or other authorized fees.

  g.   Users will respect the privacy of other users, and will refrain from attempting to view or read material being used by others.

Library employees are authorized to take prompt and appropriate actions to enforce the Rules of Conduct, and/or to prohibit use by persons who fail to comply with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy as stated or implied herein.  To preserve their own personal safety, users should avoid disclosing personal information over the Internet.  Parents are responsible for their children’s use of the Library resources and facilities.  Parents are requested to monitor their children’s Internet use.

MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY

The Library Board has adopted and subscribed to both the ALA Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement as the basis of orientation and philosophy in selection of materials.

The Library Board upholds the principle of intellectual freedom as necessary for the freedom and welfare of everyone. It will therefore oppose any effort toward proscription, censorship or other abridgement of individual rights.

Library materials are selected through the use of professional reviewing media, basic lists of standard works and evaluations by the librarian. Recommendations and requests from patrons are welcome and encouraged. Such requests do not automatically result in purchases if they do not meet the criteria outlined in the policy.

POLICY BY FORMAT OF MATERIAL

1. Printed Books

   1. Hardcover purchases are, in most cases, preferable as most suitable for collection because of their longer durability.

   2. Paperbacks are purchased to meet the demand for current best-sellers or when the book is unavailable in any other acceptable and alternate edition.

2. Textbooks are not purchased unless they relate to general needs and little material is available from any other source. Such material is deemed the responsibility of the schools.

3. Periodicals are based on the library’s current subscriptions.

   1. Subscriptions to magazines are based on availability, cost and popularity of patrons. A variety of magazines will be available at the library.

   2. Magazines are saved for the current year, unbound. After the current year, they are discarded due to limited storage space.

   3. Subscriptions to newspapers include several current papers of interest on the national and state level as well as local city newspapers.

   4. Local newspapers (Faribault County Register) are saved for a year. Other newspapers are recycled at least once a month.

4. Non-Print Materials 

   1. At present, the non-print materials collected at the library include:

      1. Compact Disc and MP3 Audiobooks

      2. Compact Disc Music 

      3. DVD and BluRay

      4. eBooks and eAudiobooks with contract with Overdrive

5. Government Documents are not actively collected at this library. The library is not a depository for government documents. Only the most popular government documents are purchased for the collection. These are primarily reference books of statistics.

POLICY BY SUBJECT OF MATERIAL

1. Fiction – Popular demand is strongly considered in fiction selection. In general, fiction selection is designed to provide at least some material for the wide range of public tastes.

2. Non-Fiction – In general, the following criteria are applied to non-fiction material selection:

   1. Current utility and/or permanent value

   2. Authority and competence of presentation

   3. Relation of item to the rest of collection (for example: an excellent book may not be purchased if the library’s collection in that subject area is adequate)

   4. Relative importance of work in comparison with similar works

   5. Equality of context treatment

   6. Binding and usefulness of format

   7. Current and expected demand

3. Reference – The most complete reference collection would not provide answers to all reference questions. The goal is to provide reference material only on the most frequently requested information. Cost is an important criteria considered in regards to reference material. The availability of the MINITEX reference services is sufficient for infrequently asked questions or information in expensive works. More and more credible sources have online information available.

4. Legal and Medical Books – Only materials of general interest to the lay person are purchased. Care is taken that reviews indicate the authority and competence of the authors.

5. Genealogy and Heraldry – Only general works and reference volumes on the procedures of genealogy are considered for purchase. Patrons wishing to do extensive family research can be referred to the museum and Interlibrary Loan.

6. Local History – Material on the history of the county and its communities is actively sought through the museum and state and county historical societies. 

7. Political and Social Issues – Attempts are made to provide information on the entire spectrum of political and social issues. Materials are never automatically excluded from selection because they are likely to be objectionable to those in the community holding differing views.

8. Religious Materials – A well balanced collection representing all the major religions of the world is the library’s goal. Sacred scriptures of the various religions are included as are authoritative studies in the history of religion, theology, as well as comparative religions.

9. Sex Education – General books on sex information that are well-balanced, authentic and up-to-date and scientific in treatment are considered for purchase.

10. DVD – Selections to be considered for ordering are from the following categories: information, cultural, educational, family, documentary, popular and classic.

WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE

In order to maintain a well-balanced and useful collection, a continual practice of withdrawal is required. The library cannot possibly serve as an historical archive for little used and dated material. This task must be left to larger libraries. The exception to this is in the area of works of purely local historical interest which can be retained. The retention of outdated or no longer used materials would cause the waste of much needed shelf space. It also would hinder patron access to useful materials in the collection. To facilitate the task of withdrawal, the following guidelines will be followed:

1. Works that are outdated and/or contain inaccurate or no longer useful information will be withdrawn. This is especially true if a later edition of the same or a similar work is available.

2. Works that were once popular but are no longer in demand will be withdrawn after careful consideration of their merit and potential usefulness.

3. Worn or mutilated copies will be rebound or replaced only if current demand or usefulness warrants it.

4. Prime considerations for withdrawal of materials are: frequency of current circulation, community interest, accuracy and/or artistic merit.

5. Standards suggest the removal of 5% of the collection annually.

6. As materials are withdrawn, they will be evaluated for possible usefulness elsewhere. In such cases the materials will be donated to appropriate agencies or sold.

GIFTS

The library welcomes gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that they will be evaluated in the same manner as purchased materials. If found not to be useful, the materials will be sold, donated to other agencies or discarded. Books kept for book sales will be discarded after one year. 

Cash donations are also welcomed and selection will be made either by the librarian or by the librarian in consultation with the donor. In either case, the selection of materials should correspond to the library’s established selection policy except that consideration of cost may be less important. An appropriate book plate listing the donor and/or the donor’s request will be placed on the material.

Real Property and/or stocks will be accepted. If there are any attached conditions, they must be acceptable to the Library Board and the City Council.

RECONSIDERATION

A patron who objects to the library’s ownership of specific library materials may complete the form available at the library or on the library’s website. Such requests will be forwarded to the director. The director and selected board members will reply to such requests about the selection of the materials with information from reviews and by reassessing its value to the collection. Patrons may schedule a conference with the director to discuss the material in detail. The director will report such conferences with a summary to the Library Board, give a written decision concerning the retention or removal of the material and forward such decisions to the patron and to the Library Board. Should a patron not be satisfied with the decision, the patron may schedule a meeting with the Library Board to appeal. The Library Board will hear such an appeal and shall issue a written decision for the patron and the Library Board minutes.

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

Your Name________________________________________________ Date______________

Address_________________________________________ Phone_________________________

Title of material_________________________________________________________________

Author_________________________________ Publisher_______________________________

1. Why do you object to this material?

2. To what specifically in the material do you object? (page numbers, chapter, etc.)

3. What do you feel might be the result of reading/viewing this material?

4. Is there anything good about this material? What?

5. Did you read/view the entire item? _____________ If not, what part did you read/view?

6. What do you believe to be the theme of this material?

7. Are you aware of the judgment of this item by professional critics?

8. What review of this material have you seen?

9. What would you like your library to do about this material?

Signature of Concerned Patron

LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries that make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfm 

FREEDOM TO VIEW STATEMENT

The Freedom to View, along with the freedom to speak, to hear and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:

1. To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.

2. To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.

3. To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.

4. To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.

5. To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public’s freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989 and endorsed January 10, 1990 by the ALA Council.

http://www.ala.org/vrt/professionalresources/vrtresources/freedomtoview 

CLOSING OF THE LIBRARY

In interest of public safety the library will be closed during inclement weather if the following conditions are met:

1. school closed and /or

2. law enforcement recommends no travel

COOPERATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS

The library recognizes the necessity of cooperation with other libraries and institutions in order to provide services to its patrons. Consequently, the library works closely when possible with other public, academic and school libraries. The library has a formal cooperative contract for sharing resources with member libraries of the Traverse des Sioux System as well as State Libraries and also honors patron cards from other regions participating in reciprocal privileges.

REVISION

Library policies are revised by the Library Board as time and circumstances require and shall be reviewed annually at the beginning of each year.