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Price James Library

Library Rules

General rules and code of conduct for the library

Collection Management Policy

Circulation Policy

Collection Development Policy

Meeting Room Policy

Patron Behavior/Conduct Policy

These guidelines have been developed in order to protect Library users’ right of access to Library facilities and materials, to provide a safe environment for users and staff, to allow staff to provide essential services and materials, and to protect Library resources and facilities from damage.

In accordance with Missouri State Statutes and local ordinances, the Library may exclude from the use of the Library any and all persons who shall willfully violate such reasonable rules and regulations as the Library Board may adopt. Such exclusion shall occur on the orders of the Director or his/her designee. In this document, “withholding of library privileges” is defined as the loss of either some library privileges, such as “computer use” or all library privileges.

These rules are established in order to maintain a safe environment for Library users and staff.

Any person who violates any federal or state statutes, or local ordinances, or who engages in any conduct which is reasonably found to be disruptive of, or dangerous to, library users or staff, while at the Price James Library, will be regarded as being in violation of these rules. In addition, any person who engages in any conduct which is not in furtherance of Price James Library’s goals to protect Library users’ or staff members’ rights to

  1. access to the Library facilities and materials,
  2. safety,
  • engage in reasonably peaceful enjoyment of Library facilities and materials,
  1. one’s health and welfare,
  2. a safe and reasonable environment for use of Library facilities, or
  3. an environment which is reasonably required in order for all Library users and staff members to have appropriate and peaceful use of the Library’s facilities and materials,

shall be deemed to be in violation of these rules. Conduct which shall be in violation of these rules shall include by way of illustration and not limitation, the following (and no person shall on the premises of Price James Library engage in any of the following conduct):

 

On Library premises, no person shall engage in:

  1. The commission of any assault or an assault and battery upon any person;
  2. Any fight;
  3. The commission of any offense of stealing or larceny, or of stealing or taking, without permission, of any property that is not the person’s own property, including, but not limited to, property of Price James Library , property of any Library facility, property of any patron of the Library, or property of any staff member of the Library (with the term “Property” including both funds and property of any kind);
  4. Possessing on the Library premises a firearm, knife, or any other weapon of any kind, unless authorized by law;
  5. Destroying, damaging or defacing any property of the Price James Library facility or any Price James Library property or property of any other person;
  6. Any indecent, obscene or obviously obnoxious conduct or making any indecent exposure of one’s person;
  7. The misusing, giving away, possessing, passing to another or selling of any controlled substance; provided that, use of a controlled substance which is authorized by a healthcare practitioner’s prescription, in accordance with such prescription, shall be permitted;
  8. Remaining in or refusing to vacate a Library facility after regular closing hours;
  9. Soliciting or accosting, or attempting to solicit or accost, any other person on Library premises for the purposes of inducing participation in any act of prostitution or any lewd or lascivious act;
  10. Any lewd or lascivious activity;
  11. The harassing of any other person, verbally or non-verbally, or by conduct, contact or gesture, with the term “Harass” being defined as any verbal or non-verbal communication or any conduct, which would reasonably be perceived by another person as being frightening to such person, embarrassing to such person, or as being conduct which would reasonably anger another person who is the object of such communication or conduct. [“Harass” shall further include any communication, verbal or non-verbal, or conduct, which the person accused should have reason to know is likely to produce fear, embarrassment or anger in the person or persons towards whom the communication or conduct is directed, or who is (are) in the presence of such conduct or communication, and shall further include any verbal communication which, by its very utterance, inflicts physical or emotional injury, or would tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace];
  12. Any sexual harassment of any person on Library premises;
  13. Loitering on Library premises under circumstances which would reasonably warrant alarm for the safety or health of any person or property in the vicinity of the Library premises or on the Library premises, or under circumstances which in any manner interferes with regular Library activities;
  14. Being a person or being included in a group of persons who engage in activities, gestures, conduct or communications which is threatening or otherwise menacing to persons on or within a Library facility or within the area of such facility;
  15. Consuming and/or possessing alcoholic beverages or other intoxicants on Library premises;
  16. Being impaired or intoxicated on Library premises by the use of any controlled substance or alcohol;
  17. Summoning to Library premises, without good cause or reason by telephone, or otherwise, the police department, any law enforcement authorities, the fire department, or any public or private ambulance;
  18. Exhibiting on Library premises, poor personal hygiene, which is offensive to others or to which reasonably would be offensive to others;
  19. Failing to wear, on Library premises, appropriate clothing, including, but not limited to shirts and shoes, as shirts and shoes are required;
  20. Smoking on Library premises, except in outside areas that are designated for smoking;
  21. Consuming food and beverages within any Library facility, except in designated areas;
  22. Recreational use of bicycles, roller-skates, roller blades, scooters or skateboards in a Library or on Library premises (Price James Library is not liable for any damage or theft caused to any bicycles while parked in the Price James Library parking lot);
  23. Failing to leave roller-skates, roller blades, skateboards, basketballs or other sports equipment at the first service desk upon entrance to the building;
  24. Bringing a bicycle into any Library building;
  25. Overnight parking (Price James Library is not liable for any damage or theft caused to any vehicles while parked in the Price James Library parking lot/ All automobile accidents occurring on library property must be reported to the police);
  26. Parking outside lined spaces;
  27. Parking in handicapped spaces without a valid permit;
  28. Parking on premises for anything other than library business without the permission of the Library Director or designee.
  29. Bringing an animal into any Library building except for an animal assisting a person with disabilities, or an animal that is used as a part of a Library program;
  30. Campaigning on Library premises for any candidate for public office or for any public issue or any issue of other than discussions or programs held in library meeting rooms which comply with the meeting room policy;
  31. Selling or soliciting for sale any goods or services on Library premises, unless approved by the Director;
  32. Gathering together as a group, so that access to Library facilities by patrons or staff is blocked or disrupted;
  33. Making noise or behaving in such a way that disrupts Library services or operations, or the reasonably peaceful use of Library facilities by any Library patrons;
  34. Gaming activities, or gambling on the premises of any Library facility;
  35. Creating an unreasonable disturbance that interferes with the activities of any Library patron or staff member, including making of any such disturbance through the use of photography, film or television equipment;
  36. Conducting media interviews upon Library premises without the permission of the Director or the Director’s designee;
  37. Being present in Library offices or other non-public areas, without permission, unless accompanied by a Library staff member, or pursuant to a prior arrangement with the Director or designated staff;
  38. Persisting in disturbing the public peace by loud or aggressive conduct, or by talking, singing, or making any loud or boisterous sound with a volume that is louder than the general noise level of the surrounding area at that time, provided that this policy shall not prohibit quiet conversation between patrons and/or staff members or those conversations which are reasonably required to carry out Library programs or business;
  39. Using foul or abusive language;
  40. Using or operating audio equipment (including radios, CD players, boom boxes, disc players, televisions, tape recorders, video games, electronic games, and any similar audio equipment) without earphones or headsets, or in any manner such that people can hear the noise or sound from two or more feet away;
  41. Sleeping in the Library or on any Library premises or within any Library facility for any extended period of time;
  42. Using Library furniture or other property in any reasonably inappropriate fashion;
  43. Using any Library workstation, or any part of the Library premises or any part of the premises of any Library facility for illegal or criminal purposes;
  44. Using Library facility computers without following the guidelines for use of such computers;
  45. Using any Library facility as a substitute for childcare; it being understood that parents shall not leave minor children, under the age of 10, unsupervised by a responsible adult at any Library facility on a regular basis;
  46. Roaming or spending time in the library without having an appropriate focus (such as reading, using a computer, studying, meeting, etc.) for the library visit.

These examples of conduct, which are a violation of these Rules for Behavior, are examples only and are not intended to be all inclusive or to be exclusive of other conduct or actions which would reasonably be found to be damaging to the maintenance of a safe and reasonably peaceable environment at the Price James Library, where such environment is required for the appropriate use of Library facilities and materials by Library patrons and for the proper carrying out by Library staff of their duties and obligations.

Petitioning, Solicitation and Distribution of Literature on District Property

The Library does not allow petitioning, solicitation, distribution of literature or leaflets, canvassing or similar types of appeals by members of the public within the facility. Failure to comply will result in suspension of library privileges.

Bulletin board displays are regulated by a different policy. Limited exceptions for petition, solicitation or distribution do not constitute endorsement by the library.

Petitioning, solicitation and distribution of literature is allowed in the following circumstances:

  1. Petitions are allowed only in the context of scheduled meetings in library meeting rooms. Petitioners may not stand outside the library meeting rooms.
  2. Solicitation by authors is only allowed in the context of scheduled meetings in library meeting rooms, not outside the library meeting rooms.
  3. Distribution of literature is allowing only in the context of scheduled meetings in library meeting rooms, not outside the library meeting rooms.
  4. Groups or individuals who wish to petition, solicit, canvass or distribute literature to the public outside of the facility will be limited to public sidewalks at least 6 feet from entrances and overhangs. However, no person shall block ingress or egress from the library building or interfere with the use of the facility and/or grounds.
  5. Use of the library property by petitioners does not indicate the library’s opposition or endorsement of the candidate or issue that is the subject of the petition, and the library will not assist the petitioners in the solicitation of signatures.
  6. Sales, solicitations and/or solicitations of monetary donations of any kind by outside organizations are prohibited unless incidental to library programming and require advance approval by the Library Director.

Circulation Policy

Application for a card:

  • To receive a City of Tipton Municipal Library card, you must have a government issued photo ID.
  • Patrons under the age of 16 must obtain a parent’s or legal guardian’s consent* and must be at least 5 years in age, have completed kindergarten, and be able to write their name.*The parent or legal guardian must be present and sign for responsibility of any material checked out from the library.
  • Patrons can become computer users by reading our internet policy agreement and signing the agreement on the application (parents or legal guardians must sign with any patron under the age of 16)

Loan Period:

The regular loan period of books, magazines, and all other library materials will be 2 weeks.

Renewals:

There is a maximum of two renewals. No book may be renewed if on reserve for another patron or if more than one week overdue.

Limits:

Audios, CDs, CD-Roms, and DVDs have a limitation of 3 per card.   Books-three per library card or family member.  More than three books may be checked out at the discretion of the library director.

Fines:

Patrons are responsible for the materials lent to them. Prompt return is expected of all items. Fines are 5 cents per day, per item. All fines at one household address must be paid before any other member of the household can check out items/or use the public computers on any card at that address.

Overdues:

Overdue materials must be returned before any additional materials can be checked out/or use of the public computers.

  • Phone call/postcard 7 days overdue
  • Postcard 14 days overdue
  • 1st Letter 21 days overdue
  • Last Letter 28 days overdue (Household member lose privileges until all items and fines are paid for or returned)
  • City Marshal will be notified when materials are 88 days overdue (Moved to NO BOOK folder)

Damage/Replacement:

Patrons having library materials which are damaged while in their possession or not returned to the library will be charged the list price for the replacement of each individual title. Prompt payment of the fee is expected and must be paid before any further items can be checked out.