WHITEFIELD LIBRARY LENDING POLICY
Effective June 1, 2022
The Whitefield Library is committed to supporting the community with its mission to gather, preserve and lend books and other materials to people of all ages and with respect for the varied interests and needs of the community.
We are dedicated to the promotion of the Whitefield Library as an inclusive center seeking to inspire, educate and support all readers and to offer reliable and relevant information to the community.
It is our hope and expectation that people who borrow books will value library property as much as we do, and will take care to return library materials on time and in good condition so that others have access and opportunity to enjoy our collections.
Because of our limited resources and our respect for friends who have purchased and donated books and other materials that have built our library, we have instituted the following lending policies:
- You need to become a Member of the Whitefield Library to borrow our books! Membership is free. Here’s an online Whitefield Library Membership Application you can use to apply for a patron membership. It can take a few days before your membership becomes final. You can also stop by the Library and fill out a paper application form if you wish.
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Books and other materials are borrowed for a 3 week period. Our Library World cataloging system will send you an email after you have “checked out”, listing the materials you have borrowed and the date they are due.
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Materials may be renewed once for 3 additional weeks on or before the due date, if no one else is waiting.
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Library Management Committee members will notify borrowers of overdue books and other items by email.
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If items are more than three weeks overdue, borrowing privileges will be suspended until the items are returned.
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Items 6 weeks overdue will be considered lost and the borrower will be responsible for the replacement cost of the item(s) and an invoice sent. Borrowing privileges may be reinstated when items are returned in good condition or replaced, upon approval by Library Management.
Confidentiality of Records
“Records maintained by any public municipal library, the Maine State Library, the Law and Legislative Reference Library and libraries of the University of Maine System and the Maine Maritime Academy that continue information relating to the identity of a library patron relative to the patron’s use of books and other materials at the library are confidential. Those records may only be released with the express written permission of the patron involved or as the result of a court order.“
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 27-Section 121