Adopted 5/22/2007
Legal Service Area
Any resident of the Otsego District Public Library legal service area may apply for a library card. The library’s legal service area consists of Alamo Township, the City of Otsego, Otsego Township, Trowbridge Township, and Watson Township.
Proof of Identification and Residency
A library card will be issued immediately upon showing proof of identity and proof of residency in the library’s legal service area. Patrons 18 and older must present an acceptable form of identification such as:
State-issued driver’s license or identification card
U.S. passport
Foreign passport
Alien registration card
Military identification card
Employee identification card or badge
Bank or credit card
Student identification card
Checkbook with address
In addition, proof of residency must be verified by one of the following items:
Michigan driver’s license or identification card
Current utility bill
Current auto insurance card
Current vehicle registration
Lease agreement
Voter registration card
Current bill from a major credit card
And any other proof deemed acceptable by a library manager
General Borrowing Guidelines
By receiving borrowing priviliges, the patron agrees to comply with all rules and regulations of the library, to pay all fines, to make good any loss or damage to library materials incurred while in use and to give immediate norice of any change of address or phone number. Children 17 and under may fill out a library card application, but their parent or guardian must sign it--giving permission for the minor--and agreeing to be the responsible party for all items borrowed by the minor. Children 17 and under may not check out DVD/VHS items that are R-rated.
Upon presentation of an Otsego District Library card or a valid picture ID, materials will be loaned to the patron. If a card is not presented and the staff member is reasonably sure of the identity of the patron, the loan will be permitted. Library staff may ask the patron for verification of identification.
Materials will be loaned only to those persons with borrowing privileges in good standing with the Otsego District Library. Interlibrary loan of materials to qualified libraries will be honored when it is deemed advisable to do so.
Loan Periods and Late Fine Amounts
All books except “New Fiction” and “Hot Spot” 3 weeks
“New Fiction” 2 weeks
“Hot Spot” 1 week
Magazines 1 week
Audiobooks 3 weeks
Videos, DVDs and Music CDs 1 week
Fines: .15 cents per day for all materials except videos and DVDs; .50 cents per day for videos and DVDs. One day of “grace” is extended to patrons who can return items one day after they are due, thus eliminating the fine for being late that one day. If late items are returned any time after that first day, however, a fine will be calculated for every day late.
Overdue fine rates will be reviewed periodically by the library.
A limit of ten DVD/VHS items (total) may be checked out at one time per patron, and a limit of three music CDs may be checked out at one time per patron.
Interlibrary Loan
The Library offers the specialized service of interlibrary loan to all library patrons residing in the legal service area of the library. Patrons can initiate their own interlibrary loan request by visiting http://elibrary.mel.org/.
Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements
Residents from several nearby communities have the ability to borrow materials from the Otsego District Library. Otsego has reciprocal borrowing contracts with the Allegan Public Library, Hopkins Public Library, Kalamazoo Public Library, Martin Public Library, Plainwell’s Ransom District Library, and the Van Buren District Library. Residents from those areas must first receive a card from their home library and then the application process is the same as for those residents in the legal service area. Library staff may contact the applicant’s home library to inquire whether the applicant is in good standing or not. The Otsego District Library participates in the Michicard system and honors Michicards.
Renewal of Materials
The renewal of materials may be done in person, by telephone, email, or self-renewal through the library’s online catalog. There is a limit of three renewals per item for all materials except videos and DVDs where there is a one-renewal maximum, and “Hot Spot” books where there are no renewals. An item with a reserve on it will not be renewed. Interlibrary loan materials are renewable upon the approval of the lending library. The renewal period is also determined by the lending library. An overdue item may be renewed and the fine taken care of the next time the patron comes in to the library.
Reserve of Materials
As a special service to library patrons, a reserve may be placed on eligible library materials by telephone, email, Internet or in person. There is no limit to the number of items that a patron may have on reserve. The patron will be notified when the reserve becomes available and must be picked up within 5 days. A reserved item may only be checked out on the card for which the original reserve was made.
Lost Materials
It is the responsibility of the patron to return materials in good condition. If an item is lost, the patron must pay replacement cost for the item. The replacement cost will be the actual cost of the item plus a $2.00 processing fee. The library will also accept an exact duplicate of the item that has been lost, in lieu of payment, but a $2.00 processing fee will still be assessed.
1. Refund or Found Items -- A patron who pays for a lost item may have the cost of the item refundedm if the item is returned within 30 days and is in good condition. The proof of payment (receipt) must accompany the material.
Denial of Use
Use of the library or its services may be denied for due cause. Such cause may be failure to return materials, or to pay penalties, destruction of library property, disturbance of other patrons, or any other objectionable conduct on library premises.