Circulation Policy 

A.) Registration

1. All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid local or system patron card to borrow library materials.
2. Patrons must sign the following statement:
   1. I agree to be responsible for all items borrowed with the library card issued in the above name, including items borrowed with it by others with or without my consent unless I have previously reported the loss of my card.  I promise to comply with all library rules and policies both present and future, and to give prompt notice of change of address or loss of library card. Signature____________________________________ 
3. Identification is required.  A driver’s license or student ID is preferred, however, any other official ID or recent non-personal piece of mail may be acceptable. 
4. Proof of address is required. If local address does not appear on identification, a utility bill or statement may be used. 
5. Applicants under 13 years of age must have a parent or guardian give their consent on the application form before a new card can be issued.  If the parent has a current library system account, it must be in good standing. Parental signature is not required for children who are renewing cards. 
6. Materials cannot be checked out until a library card is issued. 
7. All library cards expire after three years. In order to renew a library card, patrons must clear all outstanding fines and bills (in excess of $10.00).  

B.) Lost or forgotten cards 

If a patron loses his/her library card, he should notify the library as soon as possible and request a replacement.  All patrons, adult and juvenile, are expected to bring their library cards with them if they intend to check out items.  An individual who repeatedly ignores this expectation may be denied the privilege of checking out materials until they present their card at the library. 

C.) Loan periods. 

1. 3 weeks for books, music cds and audiobooks. 
2. Interlibrary loans are due the date indicated by the lending library. 
3. Books may be renewed if there is not a waiting list for the title. 
4. Current issues of periodicals do not circulate. 
5. Non-current periodicals may be checked out for three weeks. 
6. Seven days for most videos. Some videos check out for two weeks. 

The director may establish the loan period for special collections, materials which are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection which are in a new format, e.g., computer software. 

There is no limit on the number of items a patron can borrow at one time. 

 D.) Holds

Holds may be placed by patrons either in person, over the phone. Patrons will be notified by email notice, telephone or library mailing when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve or for interlibrary loan services. 

E.) Fines and charges 

Videos $1.00 per item per day overdue. 

Non-Video Items $0.25 per item per day overdue 

Overdue schedule: 

After:

• 2 weeks : First notice sent 
• 4 weeks : Second notice sent 
• 6 weeks : Bill for overdue materials sent 
• 6 months : Item is purged from collection and no longer returnable 

Note : There is a city ordinance on Library Theft. 

 F.) Lost and Damaged materials 

If materials are lost or damaged so as to be judged by the library as being unsuitable for the collection, the patron must pay the replacement cost or provide same item replacement (clean and in acceptable condition). A $5.00 processing fee is applied. 

 G.) Confidentiality 

As specified in Wisconsin Statues 43.30, “records of any library which is in whole or in part supported by public funds, including the records of a public library system, indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library’s documents or other materials, resources or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records, or to libraries authorized under subs. (2) and (3).”  The Sparta Free Library adheres strictly to all sections of this Statute regarding the protection of the confidentiality of its users. 

Approved by Library Board September 4, 2003 

Revised May 2, 2016 

 

Collection Development Policy 

Purpose of the Collection Development Policy 

The Collection Development Policy, approved by the Sparta Library Board of Trustees, is one of the library’s fundamental policy documents.  It outlines the philosophies that create and shape the Sparta Free Library’s unique collection, the practices that maintain it over time and the guidelines that help the collection respond to community needs.  The collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to inform the general public of the principles of selection. 

Because of the high volume of materials published each year, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a collection development policy to serve as a framework for the growth and management of the library’s collection. 

The Collection Development Policy ensures that over time, the Sparta Free Library’s collection will continue to reflect and meet the needs of the community. 

Philosophy and Scope of the Collection 

The purpose of the Sparta Free Library is to provide the community with carefully selected materials to aid in the pursuit of education, information, research, and leisure.  The Sparta Free Library collects materials, in a variety of popular formats, which support its function as a major information source for the community. The collection also serves the popular and recreational needs of the general public, and reflects the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of today’s society. 

Customer use and need is the most powerful influence on the Library’s collection.  Circulation, customer purchase requests, and holds levels are all closely monitored, triggering the purchase of new items and additional copies of high demand items.  In addition to customer demand, selections are made to provide depth and diversity of viewpoints to the existing collection. 

The Library provides materials to support each individual’s needs, and does not place a value on one customer’s needs or preferences over another’s.  The Library upholds the right of the individual to access information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to others.  

Materials for children and teenagers are intended to broaden their vision, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement their educational needs, stimulate and widen their interests, lead to recognition and appreciation of literature, and reflect the diversity of today’s society. The reading and viewing activity of children is ultimately the responsibility of each child’s guardian, who guides and oversees their own child’s development. 

In its selection of materials, the Sparta Free Library Board of Trustees endorses the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement as integral parts of the policy. 

Responsibility for Collection Development 

The ultimate responsibility for the selection of library materials rests with the library director, who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Sparta Free Library Board of Trustees.  This responsibility is largely shared with the other professional librarians on staff.   

Criteria for Selection 

Collection development staff use their training, knowledge and expertise along with the following general criteria to select materials for the collection: 

• Individual merit of each item 

• Relevance to interests and needs of the community 

• Critical reviews, extent of publicity, and current or anticipated demand 

• Current or historical significance of the author or subject  

• Local/regional/state significance of the author or subject  

• Relevance to the existing collection’s strengths and weaknesses 

• Reputation and qualifications of the author, publisher or producer, with preference generally given to titles vetted in the editing and publishing industry  

• Suitability of format to library circulation and use 

• Date of publication 

• Price, availability, and library materials budget 

An item does not have to meet all criteria in order to be acceptable, and the lack of a review or the existence of an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title.  Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media.  Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not a part taken out of context. 

Requests for Reconsideration 

The Sparta Free Library recognizes that some materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons.  Selection of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the basis of the principles stated in this policy.   

Responsibility for the reading of children and teens rests with their parents or legal guardians.  Selection of materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that the materials may come into the possession of children or teens. 

Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, and no library material will be sequestered. 

The Sparta Free Library selects material using established criteria and full consideration of the varying age groups and backgrounds of customers.  Requests for removal of items from the collection or reconsideration of items in the collection may be made using a formal procedure outlined in Appendix B. 

Criteria for Weeding and Withdrawal 

The Sparta Free Library maintains an up-to-date, attractive, and useful collection through a continual withdrawal and replacement process.  The following criteria are used in selecting materials for withdrawal: 

• Damage or poor condition 

• Number of copies in the collection 

• Relevance to the needs and interest of the community 

• Current demand and frequency of use 

• Accuracy and timeliness 

• Local interest 

• Availability elsewhere, including other libraries and online 

Library staff and/or representatives of the Friends Foundation make all decisions as to the use, housing, and final disposition of withdrawn items. 

Gifts / Donations 

The Sparta Free Library accepts donations of books and other materials. The library retains the authority to accept or reject gifts.  The same criteria for selection which are applied to purchased materials are applied to gifts.  Library staff and/or representatives of the Friends Foundation make all decisions as to the use, housing, and final disposition of donations. 

Gifts or donations shall not be accepted in trust for a specific purpose, except upon formal written acceptance by the library board as to the terms of trust keeping. 

The Library does not evaluate or appraise the value of gift materials, but it can provide an acknowledgement of receipt of item if requested by the donor. 

Appendix 

A.) Collection Descriptions 

Adult 

• Fiction 
• Non-fiction 
• Large Print 
• Audiobooks
• Magazines 
• Newspapers 
• Graphic Novels 
• Paperbacks 
• Reference 
• DVDs 
• CDs 
• Video Games 

Young Adult 

• Fiction 
• Non-fiction 
• Audiobooks 
• Graphic Novels 
• Magazines 

Children’s 

• Fiction 
• Non-fiction 
• Audiobooks 
• Graphic Novels 
• Magazines 
• Picture Books 
• Book Kits 
• Board Books 
• CDs 
• DVDs 

 

B.) Request for Reconsideration of Library Material 

In order to request that a material be reconsidered, a patron must: 

• Be a library card holder, in good standing regarding fines/replacement fees/etc. 

• Have read, viewed, seen, or heard at least part of the material 

• Have reviewed the Sparta Free Library Collection Development Policy 

• Complete the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form, which is available at the library.  Only completed forms will be reviewed by the library. 

Individual titles may only be reviewed once every 5 years, unless substantial content changes have been made. 

Process: 

1. Submitted forms will be considered by the Library Leadership Team (Director, Adult Services Librarian, and Youth Services Librarian).  Requests will be reviewed in relation to the library’s mission and collection development policy.  The Library Director will reply to the complainant within thirty days of receipt of the request.
2. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, the complainant may request that a review of the Request for Reconsideration be done by a Review Committee consisting of two members of the Library Board, two selection coordinators, and one staff member.  The Review committee will present their recommendation to the Library Board.  The Library Board will make the final decision regarding the material based on this committee’s recommendation.  

No materials whose appropriateness is challenged shall be removed from the library or the shelf except upon the recommendation of the Review Committee, with the concurrence of the Library Director, or upon formal action of the Library Board of Trustees when the recommendation of the Review Committee is appealed to it. 

Approved by Library Board December 7, 2015 

 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
5. A person’s right to use a Library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background or views.
6. Libraries which 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.

 

THE FREEDOM TO READ

1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox or unpopular with the majority.
2. Publishers, librarians and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation contained in the books they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what books should be published or circulated.
3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to determine the acceptability of a book on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.
4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.
5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept with any book the prejudgment of a label characterizing the book or author as subversive or dangerous.
6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people’s freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large.
7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a bad book is a good one, the answer to a bad idea is a good one.  Adopted June 25 1953; revised January 28, 1972, January 16, 1991 by the American Library Association Council and the Association of American Publishers Freedom to Read Committee.

 

FREEDOM TO VIEW

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 possible 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 and 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.