At Essex Public Library, we offer public computer and Internet access in order to connect people to ideas and information to improve lives and strengthen our community. Before using a computer at our library, please be aware of the following policies and information:

• The library uses a PC management system to coordinate public computer use and printing. Bypassing this system in any manner will forfeit a patron’s access to the public computers.
• Patrons are limited to sixty minutes per session. If no one is waiting, the time may be extended. Users shall make the workstation available to others who are waiting when asked to do so by library staff.
• All public access computers shut down automatically ten minutes prior to closing.
• To comply with the Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and in accordance with Section 42.1-36.1 of the State Code of Virginia, all Internet computers accessible to the public in public libraries have filters that block access to child pornography, obscenity, and materials deemed harmful to juveniles. In accordance with the law, Essex Public Library has installed filters on all public access Internet computers. Library staff may disable or otherwise bypass filters required by this section at the request of a patron to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
• Filtering software may not block all material users might find offensive. Parents may still wish to supervise their children's Internet sessions. The Library cannot protect users of any age from Internet information which may be misleading or which some might find offensive or inappropriate. It is the responsibility of the user to judge the validity or appropriateness of material for themselves and their children.
• All patrons are expected to use this resource in a responsible manner and in compliance with state and federal statutes. Violation of local, state, or federal laws may lead to prosecution.
• The Library is a public place. Privacy and confidentiality cannot be assured. Users should be sensitive to other patrons.
• Altering the computer settings established on the workstations by the library, and other activities that disrupt the library, its patrons, or its network are prohibited.
• Violations of this policy may result in the revocation of library privileges.

Approved by the Essex Public Library Board of Directors on November 28, 2023

The purpose of this policy is to ensure Essex County’s residents have efficient and equitable access to the Library’s meeting room space. The meeting room may be made available to organizations engaged in educational, cultural, intellectual or charitable activities.

Guidelines for meeting room use:

1. Applications and reservations: Groups wishing to use the meeting room must fill out an application form prior to the meeting although reservations may be made by phone. Applications will be considered on a first-come first-served basis with Library programs and events having priority over all other reservations. Previously scheduled meetings may be cancelled if a Library activity conflicts.  Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Reservations are to be made on a fiscal year basis and for no more than 12 months prior to use. Each group must resubmit their reservations in July. Groups will be limited to 24 meetings per year, with some exceptions allowed based on scheduling needs and availability


2. Cancellations: If a group needs to cancel a reservation, they should directly notify a library staff member no later than two business days before the scheduled reservation. Because of the high demand for our community meeting space, after three no shows, any subsequent reservations for that group will be canceled and future meeting room privileges for the group will be denied for one year.


3. Housekeeping: Groups using the meeting room are responsible for setting up tables and chairs and for cleaning up all areas they use. Light food and drinks are permitted in the meeting room, provided the group cleans up immediately after the meeting and removes trash upon departure.


4. Prohibited activities: Direct sales or money-raising activities are not allowed. Smoking or alcohol is not permitted. The meeting room is not intended for private gatherings or functions, including family reunions, birthday parties, funerals, baby showers, etc., unless a specific exception is made by the library director.


5. Business use: Essex County businesses may be permitted to use the meeting rooms at no charge for employee training or informational purposes. For any other purposes, for-profit businesses may be charged $20 per hour. Fees must be paid before the business uses the room.


6. Advertising and endorsement: Any advertising items about meetings and events may not suggest or imply in any way that the library is sponsoring the event. The fact that a group is permitted to use the meeting room does not in any way constitute an endorsement of the group’s policies or beliefs.


7. Available hours: The meeting room is available during regular Library business hours. The meeting room must be vacated no later than ten minutes before the Library closes. The Library’s hours are:
   Monday-Tuesday        10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
   Wednesday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
   Friday                          1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
   Saturday                      10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


8. Penalties: Groups not honoring the above guidelines shall have future requests for use of the meeting room denied. The representative individual who signed the meeting room application form is responsible for any damages to the premises or equipment incurred by the group’s members. The library reserves the right to refuse the use of the meeting room to any group whose history indicates they might be physically destructive.

Updated July 17, 2019 by the Essex Public Library Board

Circulation Policy

Library Card Registration

Anyone age 6 and older is eligible to obtain a free Essex Public Library card. A library card application form can be completed at the library or through the library’s website. Proof of mailing address must be provided at the time of registration, which may be any document with the applicant’s name and address, including a state-issued ID, utility bill, check stub, etc.

Children ages 6 through 15

• Eligible for a card with a registration form signed by a parent/guardian.
• Child must be present to get a card.
• Parent/guardian must provide proof of address.

Teens age 16-18

• Complete and sign a registration form.
• Provide proof of address.

Adults

• Complete and sign a registration form.
• Provide proof of address.

About Your Library Card

• A library card should be presented for all transactions. Presentation of the library card will allow checkout of items on the account.
• Library card account holders are financially responsible for the items checked out and use of the library card. Parents/guardians are responsible for items checked out on and use of children’s library cards.
• Library card accounts are renewed every three years with verbal confirmation of contact information. Expired library accounts that have not been renewed after three years may be deleted.
• Patrons should alert staff as soon as possible of any changes to contact information.

Non-resident Cards

• If an applicant does not have a permanent mailing address, he or she is eligible for a non-resident card.
• Non-resident cards expire after one year and allow for the use of online resources, e-books, and checkout of 5 physical items from the library.
• Online registration is not available for non-resident cards.

Loan Periods and Checkout Limits

• All books, audiobooks, and DVDs check out for three week (21 days). Checkout periods vary for non-book items including electronic equipment. Patrons will receive a receipt at checkout that provides the due date for materials. Checkout limits vary for digital collections (e-books, downloadable audiobooks, etc.). Contact the library or visit EPLVA.org for more information.
• Reference and genealogy materials may be used in the library only and are not available for checkout.
• For a new patron’s first checkout, they may borrow up to 5 items. Thereafter, library card holders may check out 35 items at a time, with a limit of 10 DVDs per account.
• Items may be renewed twice, unless a hold has been placed on the item. Renewals may not be allowed on some non-book equipment.

Lost or Damaged Items

• If an item is not returned within 30 days after the due date, the item will be billed as lost and the borrower will be charged for the cost of the item. The charges will be cleared if the item is returned within four months. If the item is not returned, the patron’s borrowing privileges will be suspended until the cost of the item has been paid.
• If an item is returned to the library damaged, the borrower will be charged for the cost of the item if the item is too damaged to continue circulating.
• The library does not accept replacement copies of lost or damaged items.
• Material lost or damaged due to extraordinary events such as a house fire, tornado, or flood will be excused with documentation. Billing information will be provided for insurance purposes where applicable.
• If a multiple-item set is returned without all of its parts, the borrower will be charged for the entire item unless all parts are returned. Replacement costs will be waived if all parts are returned within 3 months of notification.

Holds or Requests

• A hold is a request placed for an item which is on our shelves, checked out, or on order.
• For items with multiple requests, a queue is established and each request will be filled in the order in which it was received.
• Holds may be placed on any circulating item.
• After notifying the requestor of its availability, an item will be available for pickup for 7 days before it moves on to the next person in the queue or is returned to the shelves. Pickup periods for some equipment items may be shorter.

Interlibrary Loans (ILLS)

“Interlibrary loan” or “ILL” refers to an item borrowed from another library because it is not available in the Essex Public Library collection.

• ILL requests may be made by Essex County residents with established library accounts in good standing.
• A patron may request or checkout no more than 3 interlibrary loan titles at once.
• Materials borrowed from other libraries through the ILL system are subject to the rules and regulations of the loaning libraries. Any charges for obtaining the item, as well as fees for overdue, damaged, or lost materials, will be charged to the patron.
• ILLs cannot be renewed.

 

Pest Infestation

Any time staff recognizes signs of pest infestation in any library item, immediate steps will be taken to quarantine exposed materials and protect the rest of the collection and facility. Items returned by patrons with evidence of insects that are known to be damaging to library materials or that can result in pest infestation may be billed following normal procedures for damaged items. Depending on the severity of the situation, the library reserves rights to suspend borrowing privileges until a patron can produce a letter or a receipt from a licensed pest control company documenting treatment or inspection for bed bugs or other pests at his or her place of residence.

This policy was approved by the Essex Public Library Board of Directors on October 20, 2021.

Collection Development Policy

 

Introduction

This policy governs the selection and maintenance of Essex Public Library’s collection of materials. Through this policy, Essex Public Library strives to meet its mission by offering free access to a collection that reflects the diverse viewpoints, needs, and interests of the population it serves.

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to document the objective, professional standards and principles that guide library staff in selecting material for inclusion in the collection and selecting material for removal from the collection. This policy provides both public awareness and guidance to staff. 

Objectives

The primary objective of selection shall be to collect materials of contemporary value and significance in order to create a broad, well-used browsing collection. We will seek to add material that will enrich our collection and maintain an overall balance, as well as provide personal growth, life-long learning, and entertainment. The selection policy supports Essex Public Library’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals detailed in the strategic plan. The collection is not archival and is continuously reviewed to make the best use of space.

Responsibility of Selectors

Selection and purchase of library materials rests with the Library Director, who may delegate responsibilities to designated staff members. The Director and library staff will adhere to the accepted professional practices outlined in the Collection Development Policy when making selection decisions.

 

Selection Methods

The Library’s selectors choose materials for a wide range of interests using industry reviews, bibliographies, and statistics.

 

Criteria for Selection

Selection of materials, whether purchased or donated, is based on the informational, educational, or recreational needs of the community and is dependent on space, budget, and availability. No single standard can be applied to all acquisition decisions. Each item should be considered individually, taking into account its intended audience.

In order to build well-rounded collections, the following criteria will be applied to selecting items:

1. Suitability of the format
2. Suitability of subject, style, and reading level for intended audience
3. Opinions from critics, reviews, and the public
4. Present and potential relevance to community needs
5. Importance as a document of the times
6. Reputation and/or significance of author, producer, or publisher
7. Scholarship
8. Artistic merit
9. Prize or honor received
10. Relation to existing collection and other materials on the subject
11. Availability and price
12. Demand or requests for materials
    
    

Patron Requests

Essex Public Library welcomes suggestions from patrons for items to be considered for the collection. We evaluate suggestions using the above criteria. If the item is not added to the collection, staff will inform the patron about interlibrary loan service and/or other options for access to the material.

 

Collection Maintenance & Weeding

Deselection or “weeding” is the practice of systematically examining and evaluating materials in the library’s collection to determine if they continue to fit the service roles of the library. This includes materials that are damaged, contain obsolete information, are no longer frequently used, or otherwise do not provide significant value to the collection and community. Weeding of the collection insures that materials found in the library are useful and accessible. Collections should change over time to meet the changing needs of the community, the advancement of science, changes in the world, and goals of the library. Weeding decisions ultimately depend on the professional judgments of library staff.  Removal of damaged or antiquated materials should be a continual process.

Criteria to consider for weeding of an item:

1. Publication date
2. Accuracy of information
3. Circulation statistics
4. Last use vs. date added
5. Subject material
6. Duplicates
7. Physical condition or overall appearance of the item

Extensive information on weeding is provided in CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries (2012) which is the Library’s preferred guide to weeding its collections.

Local history items and items by local authors or artists, including those contained in the Library’s Genealogy Room, will be considered separately from weeding criteria for the general circulating collection.

Items withdrawn from the collection may be placed on the book sale shelves, gifted to other organizations, offered on “free” shelves or in Little Library Boxes, or disposed of through recycling or as trash.

Replacements

A replacement is an item purchased to take the place of an identical title previously in the collection.  A selector should consider replacing an item that has been damaged, stolen, or lost using the same criteria used in considering an item for purchase.

Gifts & Donations

Donations of books and other materials are accepted with the understanding that the items might be added to the collection, placed on the sale shelves, in Little Library Boxes, or disposed of. New titles acquired in this manner are subject to the basic standards of selection, and copies are added to the collection only if needed.

Gift Books

Gift books are books purchased with money donated for that specific purpose. It is the responsibility of the staff to select the books. Donors may suggest ideas for subjects or designate a reading level.

Requests for Reconsideration of Library Materials

Essex Public Library recognizes that differences of opinion may exist in the community about the validity and value of materials in the Library’s collection. It is the Library’s position that while anyone is free to reject for themselves certain materials, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the access of others. Not every book in the library is appropriate for every user, even if it falls within the intended audience. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to monitor what their children check out. If cardholders do not see their own viewpoints represented in the collection, they are encouraged to work with staff to find, and if necessary, acquire such items.

The Library does not endorse or oppose controversial viewpoints that may be contained in an item in the collection, nor will it label those materials with any form of advisement, content warning, or other prejudicial labeling system. No book or other materials will be sequestered, except for the purpose of protecting it from injury or theft.

Materials that have been accepted into the collection as qualifying under the criteria for selection will not be automatically removed at the request of those who disagree with its content. A formal, written request for reconsideration may be submitted in full to the Library Director by Essex County residents.  The Director will appoint a Review Committee made up of the Director, a Library Board member, and a staff member. Challenged material will remain on the shelf until a decision is made. The committee will discuss the material, determine the extent to which the item meets the Collection Development Policy, and respond to the request for reconsideration. Items are judged as a whole, not by quotes or samples taken out of context.

If the request is still not resolved as a result of the Review Committee, the Library Board will consider the patron’s appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The Library Director will notify the patron of the meeting date as soon as possible, send copies of the completed form and committee response to the Library Board members, and the Library Board will take final action regarding the request.

Approved by the Essex Public Library Board of Directors on November 28, 2023