Maine Statute Title 27, Chapter 4A section 121 Confidentiality of Library Records .pdf
Circulation and Borrowing Policy .pdf
RESIDENT MEMBERSHIP
The Liberty Library is a non-profit public library. The towns of Liberty and Montville support the library by appropriating funds at their yearly Town Meetings. For people who pay property taxes or reside in Liberty or Montville, there is no cost for membership. Accounts must be renewed and updated every year without additional fees, provided the member continues to meet the residential requirements and is a patron in good standing. Expired memberships affect due dates, the ability to request items, and the use of digital services. Memberships can be renewed at the library or by calling when the library is open. Members who do not renew their membership in three years are removed from the system.
NON-RESIDENT MEMBERSHIP
Anyone who does not reside or pay property taxes in Liberty or Montville may join as a Non-resident for $10 per account. This fee entitles the member to the same privileges and responsibilities as a Resident membership with a yearly fee of $10 upon renewal.
ADULTS
Adults wishing to register for membership must bring with them a form of identification, at least one of which bears their name and address. These forms of identification include, but are not limited to, driver’s license, utility bills, mail, or voter’s registration card.
CHILDREN
Children under the age of 12 must have a parent’s signature on any initial application for library membership. The application must be completed with both the child and adult present in the library. Children under the age of 18 may use the proof of residency provided by a parent or guardian.
OTHER BORROWERS AND ASSOCIATED ACCOUNTS
Other Borrowers: A member may add other names to their account, creating what is sometimes referred to as a family membership. The account is only searchable by the member’s name and the account is subject to the limits that apply to one account as explained below.
Associations: Individual membership accounts may be connected so that members may access each other’s accounts and place and pick up holds.
Parents may only access their child’s record at the library if they are listed as a borrower or association on that account. Access through family or associated accounts may be rescinded at any time. (See CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS.)
LENGTH OF LOANS
The Liberty Library circulates materials in a variety of formats. The member may borrow a total of 10 items per account at one time.
The following terms of loan are applicable as indicated:
| Length of Loan | # Allowed | # of Renewals | |
| Books | 3 weeks | 10 | 1 |
| Audiobooks | 3 weeks | 10 | 1 |
| DVDs | 2 weeks | 5 | 1 |
| Discovery Kits | 2 weeks | 1* | 1 |
| *by someone over 18 years |
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Reference & Library use only items may not be borrowed but may be used at the library.
Equipment, iPad, Passes, and other items each have their own terms.
Magazines may be borrowed on the honor system and returned within a reasonable time period. Outdated magazines will go in the free rack and do not need to be returned.
Materials may be renewed online prior to becoming overdue. Patrons may also notify the library if they need assistance with renewing.
LOST AND/OR DAMAGED MATERIALS
Materials borrowed via any mechanism are the responsibility of the library patron. Replacement cost (not original purchase price) is the responsibility of any patron who borrows and loses or damages library materials. In the case of children under the age of 18, it is the parents’ responsibility to pay for lost or damaged items. The replacement cost may include current or average retail cost for the item plus a processing fee. The Library Director will notify the patron of the cost and collect the fee.
INTERLIBRARY LOAN and HOLDS
When patrons want material that is not available within the Liberty Library, other libraries may be able to provide it. This process is an interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loan is free for library members. Requestors must have a valid Liberty Library membership and their account must be in good standing, i.e. not expired or no overdue/owed items.
Access to the materials from other libraries in MILS (Maine InfoNet Library System, a consortium of small Maine libraries) may be requested through the MILS catalog. Patrons use their 14-digit membership number and their PIN number. Requests may also be made from within the circulation system at the Library Desk.
If an item is not available in MILS, it may be requested from MaineCAT, a statewide catalog that combines and links library collections across Maine. Members choose ‘Liberty Library’ in the dropdown list and need to provide their name and 14-digit membership number.
The items requested via MILS or MaineCat are delivered to the library once a week by the Statewide Van Delivery Service. Items usually arrive in 1-2 weeks. Patrons will be notified by email that the item is being held at the library. Patrons without an email, or per request, will be notified by phone. If not claimed in 1-week, the item will be returned to the lending library.
Materials borrowed through interlibrary loan have a circulation period determined by the lending library, not the Liberty Library. Most materials may be renewed at least once. It is crucial that materials borrowed through interlibrary loan be returned in a timely manner. Habitual failure to do so may result in an individual’s loss of the privilege in order to preserve the privilege for other library patrons.
Members may also request an item from the Library Director who will see if their interlibrary loan can be fulfilled elsewhere. The correct information about title, author, ISBN, etc. must be provided so that the request can be fulfilled accurately. These items often come via USPS from out-of-state and will likely take longer to arrive. Members will not be charged postage, if necessary, for the return of these items to the lending library.
RECIPROCAL BORROWING
Liberty Library does not automatically issue library cards. However, if a patron wants one in order to use Reciprocal Borrowing, one may be requested. Patrons are emailed when their card is available and they must pick it up in person. With their Liberty Library card, the member identified on the valid borrower’s card may physically take his or her library card to another Maine library to borrow materials. (See list of participating libraries.) This is another way to do an interlibrary loan. These items count towards the member’s 10 item limit. These materials are the responsibility of the individual who borrows them, and are subject to all of the fines, rules, and regulations of the lending library. Items may be returned to the lending library or to the Liberty Library.
FINES AND FEES
The Liberty Library does not charge overdue fines. However, materials borrowed from other libraries may have a fee that the patron is responsible to pay. Replacement cost is the responsibility of any patron who borrows and loses or damages any library material. Fees must be paid by cash or check, as the Liberty Library does not accept credit cards. (See LOST AND/OR DAMAGED MATERIALS.)
Patrons who have material in any format which is more than 90 days overdue are also responsible for any and all collection and/or court costs incurred by the library in its efforts to secure the return of the material.
Printing is not available through the wireless network. The library has desktop and laptop computers from which you can print. The fee is $.25 per page for printing and for copies. The library does not offer fax service.
DIGITAL SERVICES
The Liberty Library subscribes to three digital services. Members in good standing may stream or download items, which do not count towards the 10 physical items.
- Download Library enables downloads of audiobooks and eBooks. It uses the cloudLibrary app on portable devices. (See Download Library HELP.)
- hoopla© Digital offers members a variety of digital services. Items have simultaneous use so there are no holds. Each Liberty Library account is limited to 5 items per month. (See hoopla Help.)
- ComicsPlus provides comics and graphic novels, which are available all the time and have no check out limit. (See ComicsPlus Help.)
Please note this information and conditions may change if the digital service changes.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS
The Liberty Library abides by Maine Statute Title 27, Chapter 4A section 121 Confidentiality of Library Records which states that the records of patron transactions and the identity of registered library patrons are confidential. The Liberty Library does not make available the records of patron transactions to any party except in compliance with the law.
If a member chooses to have “Other borrowers” or “Associations” on their accounts, then those people listed or associated may have access to the patron’s record. (See OTHER BORROWERS AND ASSOCIATED ACCOUNTS.) Any account, including a minor’s account, may only be accessed by people listed as other borrowers or by associated accounts.
Approved 6/24/2023