Circulation Policy

East Cleveland Public Library
Circulation of Library Material Policy

I.  Library Card Eligibility

A.  Adult Cards

    1. Library cards are issued free of charge to anyone who resides, owns property, works, or attends school in Ohio. Adults age 18 and over must present a government-issued photo ID and proof of a current Ohio address. A library card will not be issued if any accounts associated with the applicant are in collection or have fines exceeding $50 (based on the government-issued photo ID).
    2. Temporary residents must provide both permanent and temporary or school addresses. Out-of-state students attending an institution of higher learning in Ohio must provide their permanent and their college addresses, as well as a student ID.

B.  Educator cards

    1. Educator cards are issued free of charge to an individual with proof of employment at a school or licensed preschool/daycare and a current government-issued photo ID. An educator’s card will not be issued if any accounts associated with the applicant are in collection or have fines exceeding $50.00 (based on the government-issued photo ID). An individual may have a regular card and one educator card.
    2. Proof of employment may be either of the following: valid paystub within the last thirty (30) days or a valid School ID badge.
    3. Cards expire on July 31 of each year.  Employment and address verification must be provided each year to renew the card.
    4. Educator cards may only be used at East Cleveland Public Library.  Holds may be placed only on materials owned by East Cleveland Public Library.

C.  Juvenile Cards

    1. Juvenile cards are issued to minors under 18 and require the signature of a parent or legal guardian, who must be present at the time of application, provide a government-issued photo ID and proof of a current Ohio address and assume responsibility for all activity (including payment of all fines and fees incurred) on the card. Non-parental custodians must show proof of guardianship. A Library card will not be issued if any accounts associated with the applicant are in collection or have fines exceeding $50 (based on the government-issued photo ID).
    2. If a parent or guardian wishes to restrict their child from borrowing movies, they may choose to do so as part of the Library card application process.

D.  Three for Me Cards

    1. Three for Me cards are issued to minors ages 12 and under. These cards do not require the signature of a parent or guardian. The child’s name, birth date, and address must be provided by the child or an accompanying caregiver.
    2. Three for Me cards can only be used to check out children’s books from East Cleveland Library. Up to three items may be out on a Three for Me card at any one time. Overdue fines are not charged for children’s books. This card cannot be used at other libraries and may not be used to place holds or check out materials other than children’s books.

II. Borrowing Privileges and Requirements

  1. East Cleveland Public Library issues library cards that allow cardholders to borrow material from participating CLEVNET member libraries, subject to individual library policies. Only one CLEVNET card is permitted per individual, with the exception of Educator and Three for Me cards.
  2. To prevent loss of library material and to protect cardholders from fraudulent use of library cards, the library requires customers to present a library card or a valid form of government-issued photo ID for each transaction.
  3. Cardholders are responsible for all material checked out on their cards, and if such material is returned late, damaged, or lost, they are responsible for paying fines or replacement fees.
  4. Cardholders are responsible for ensuring that their library records, and those of any minor children, include current contact information. Borrowing privileges must be renewed every two years to ensure that contact information is updated.
  5. When presented with a valid library card for a transaction, library staff will generally not ask for additional identification.
  6. If fines and fees total $15 or more, the cardholder will not be allowed to borrow or renew material, including eMedia.
  7. Golden Buckeye cardholders and senior citizens with proof of age are exempt from fines for overdue material.

III.   Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Cards

  1. Cardholders are responsible for reporting lost or stolen library cards immediately.
  2. The owner of a lost or stolen library card is responsible for all material checked out on that card up to the time that he or she reported to the library that it was lost or stolen.
  3. The cardholder may request a replacement for a lost or stolen card in person at the library.
  4. Badly damaged or worn cards will be replaced, free of charge, upon request.

IV. Thresholds / Loan Limitations

  1. 50 items*
  2. $1,000 value*
  3. The threshold for educator cards is 100 items or $2,000 value.*

* These policies work in tandem; if the dollar amount threshold is met before the item count threshold, loans will not be allowed.

4. To ensure a wide selection of material for all, customers may only check out three no-hold movies at a time.

V.   Renewals

  1. Cardholders may renew eligible items in person, by phone, or online via the CLEVNET catalog.
  2. Online renewals require the library card number or customer’s username, and PIN. Telephone renewals require a library card number or an item number.
  3. Under no circumstances will library card numbers be released via telephone.

VI. Placing Holds or Requesting Materials from other Libraries

A.  Placing Holds

Customers may place holds on most materials found in the library catalog.  The library belongs to the CLEVNET consortium and thereby shares a catalog and materials with member libraries.  There is no charge for borrowing materials from other member libraries, and customers may initiate their own requests through the library catalog or website or ask for staff to help request materials from CLEVNET libraries.

B.  Interlibrary Loan

Material may also be requested from libraries outside of CLEVNET via interlibrary loan.  The library attempts to obtain material from other libraries for free whenever possible. However, some libraries charge a small fee for their material. Interlibrary loan fees over $15 must be paid by the customer. Additionally, customers may be charged a small handling fee if they request interlibrary loan material but do not pick it up from the library once it has arrived.

VII. Returns

East Cleveland Public Library material may be returned to any Ohio library. Material that is returned to a CLEVNET member library will be discharged from the customer’s library card upon receipt by that library. Material that is returned to non-CLEVNET libraries, including Cuyahoga County Public Library, will be discharged from the customer’s card when it is received by East Cleveland Public Library.

IX. Loan Periods, Renewals, and Holds*

Item

Loan Period

Renewals

Holds Allowed

Newly released feature films

7 days

0

Yes

Other movies

7 days

2

Yes

DVD sets of 3 discs or more

14 days

1

Yes

Magazines

7 days

2

No

Bestsellers

14 days

0

No

New books

14 days

5

Yes

Wireless hotspots

7 days

0

Yes

All other material

21 days

5

Yes

*Eligible items may not be renewed if there are outstanding holds. Some popular materials may not be eligible for holds to ensure a wide selection of new materials is available to customers.

*Extended loans may be made available to customers upon request and are subject to approval of staff in Adult or Youth Services.

X.   Fines and Fees*

Item Type

Daily Fine / Fee

Adult or teen book, magazine, or audio recording.

15¢ per day

Juvenile book, magazine, or audio recording

Fine-exempt

Movies

50¢ per day

Wireless hotspots

$5.00 per day

Lost or damaged item

List replacement cost

Replacement of lost library card

$0.50

 

 

 

The maximum overdue fine per item shall be $5.00, with the exception of the Hotspots, which is $15.00. Overdue fines shall not exceed the cost to the library of the item.

*These policies apply to material owned by East Cleveland Public Library. The library lends material from other CLEVNET member libraries, and the policies of the owning library apply in those transactions.

XI. Lost or Damaged Items

  1. An item more than 28 days overdue is considered lost, and the cardholder must either return the item and pay the overdue fine or pay to replace the item.
  2. The library cannot issue refunds for lost and paid items.
  3. Damage to material beyond normal wear and tear is the responsibility of the cardholder. Replacement charges are assessed for damaged items.
  4. Replacement copies of material purchased by the customer will not be accepted for lost or damaged items.
  5. All cardholders must pay for lost or damaged material regardless of the fine-exempt status of the item or the borrower.
  6. Customers seeking a reduction in fees for material lost due to theft must provide a copy of an official police report filed at the time of the theft and containing an itemized list of library property. All decisions in such circumstances are subject to Administrative approval.

XII. Payment

East Cleveland Public Library accepts payment of overdue fines and replacement fees for all CLEVNET libraries by cash, check, or credit card. Payment may be made in person, online, or by mail.

XIII. Collection Agency

In order to protect its investment of public money in library materials and services, the library works with a collection agency to retrieve long-overdue material or excessive unpaid fines.

  1. A customer account with total charges of $50 or more that is 60 days past due will be sent to collection, and a $10.00 non-refundable service charge will be added to the account.
  2. The collection agency will contact the customer by phone and letter over the following 120 days in hopes of resolving the problem.  At the end of the 120-day period, the collection agency reports accounts that remain delinquent to three major credit agencies.

XIV. Bankruptcy

The East Cleveland Public Library will comply with Discharge of Debtor decrees by bankruptcy courts. Once the library is notified that a bankruptcy has been filed, collection activity is suspended on the customer’s account and on the accounts of any minor children (to the extent that the charges existed prior to the date of the bankruptcy filing) until the library is notified of the outcome.

  1. Cardholders who have:
    • Filed for bankruptcy,
    • Named East Cleveland Public Library as a creditor,
    • Received a discharge, and
    • Presented the appropriate documents to the library

Shall have outstanding balances for fines, fees, and collection agency charges removed from their accounts.  Only East Cleveland Public Library charges owed as of the date of the decree will be waived.

XV. Authority

The Executive Director or designee has the authority to waive or modify any part of this policy at his/her discretion if warranted by extenuating circumstances.