Library Cards and Borrowing Materials Policy

At its regular meeting this evening, the Library Board approved the revision of the Circulation of Library Materials Policy, which has been renamed the Library Cards and Borrowing Materials Policy, effective Thursday, July 23.

The revised policy formalizes current procedure, with one exception.  The former Circulation of Library Materials Policy had given patrons with lost or damaged items the choice of paying for the item or bringing in a replacement.  The revised Library Cards and Borrowing Materials Policy does not give patrons a choice; the lost or damaged item must be paid for.

Also, while it is not listed in the policy below, there will no longer be a limit on checking out audiovisual items.

Please review the updated policy, copied and pasted below, and ask if you have any questions.


Library Cards and Borrowing Materials Policy  

Forsyth County Public Library welcomes all visitors to access materials, attend programs, and utilize resources.  In order to check out materials or reserve public rooms, a patron must have a Forsyth County Public Library card.

Library staff are authorized to use their best judgment to occasionally make exceptions to this policy.

Library Cards

Library cards are issued to individuals at any age.  If the applicant is under 18, approval of a parent or guardian is required.

Library cards are issued at no charge to each of the following:

·       Full-time or part-time residents of Forsyth County
·       Forsyth County property or business owners
·       Current or retired FCPL employees
·       Employees of Forsyth County Government
·       Employees or currently enrolled students of any public or private educational institution in Forsyth County

Applicants not meeting one of the criteria listed above may be issued a library card for an annual fee of $60.00.  These out-of-county cardholders are eligible for most privileges of Forsyth County resident cardholders, with the exception of the Mailbox Books service.

Applicants must provide documentation that shows identity and current address to receive a library card. 

Cardholders may authorize additional users on their cards.  Library cardholders, and parents or guardians of cardholders under age 18, are responsible for all items checked out on their library cards. Cardholders should report a lost or stolen card as soon as possible to avoid being held responsible for materials checked out by others.

Cardholders are responsible for notifying the library of any changes in their contact information, including address, phone number, or email address.  All cards with a three-year period of inactivity will be removed from the system.

A 21-day temporary library card number, good for using most online resources remotely as well as for placing up to three holds on library materials, may be obtained by filling out an online library card application.

Loan Limits and Loan Periods

Cardholders may have up to 75 physical materials checked out at one time.  Additional limits may be placed on materials checked out through Outreach.

All physical materials that check out may be borrowed for two weeks.  Some physical materials, such as reference books and newspapers, do not check out.

Digital materials, materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, and materials borrowed through Outreach may have different loan periods.

Physical materials that have not been requested as holds by other patrons may be renewed up to two times, for a total of six weeks checked out.  Renewals may not be available for materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan.

Physical materials may be returned to any FCPL branch at any time.

Overdue Fines

Overdue fines are charged at a rate of $0.20 per day per item.  The maximum overdue fine amount is $5.00 per item.

Notifications about overdue fines are provided as a courtesy.  Failure to receive notification of overdue fines does not absolve cardholders from paying overdue fines.

If a cardholder’s fines and fees total $10.00 or more, the library card is blocked from further use until the total amount due is under $10.00.  In addition, if a cardholder owes $10.00 or more in any combination of fines, fees, or long overdue materials, the account is referred to a collection agency that specializes in libraries, and an additional processing fee is charged to the account.

Overdue fines are not charged to current library staff members, current Library Board members, or former Library Board members who completed their appointed term of office.

Lost and Damaged Materials

Cardholders are responsible for returning borrowed materials in a similar condition as when borrowed.  If materials checked out on a card are not returned, or if they are damaged to the extent that they must be replaced, the cardholder is responsible for paying for the item.  The replacement cost for each item can be found in the library catalog.

If packaging or component parts from media are not returned, the cardholder will be charged a replacement fee.

The replacement fee for materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan will be determined by the lending library and will often include additional fees.

Refunds will not be issued after the cardholder has paid for the lost or damaged item.