A. Children's Materials The Children's section of the Beacon Falls Public Library will provide quality materials for varying ages and abilities. Other factors, such as readability, accuracy, cost, format, popularity, and existing holdings are taken into account prior to selection of new materials.
The Children's collection also contains audio cassettes based on children's literature.
B. Young Adult Materials
Young adult materials are selected with special concern that they satisfy the recreational, emotional, cultural, and informational needs of the age group 12 - 16 and that the material chosen covers a wide range of interests, reading skills, and developmental levels. To broaden the scope of library materials available to them, young adults will be encouraged to use the adult collection.
C. Adult Materials
The Beacon Falls Library provides a balanced collection which includes current books, books of lasting value, and research and reference materials. A major consideration is to strengthen the collection when selecting materials as well as to purchase those which are in demand. Factors such as readability, accuracy, quality of writing, cost, format, existing holdings, and budget restrictions are taken into account.
D. Periodicals
The Beacon Falls Public Library subscribes to a limited collection of general magazines to keep patrons up to date on current issues and to provide materials for reference work and general reading
E. Video Cassettes
The principal collection of video cassettes is owned by the Beacon Falls Library. It includes popular, children's, how-to-do, instruction, and documentary films that provide entertainment as well as information.
The Beacon Falls Library also belongs to the Region One Video Circuit, which provides a monthly exchange of additional titles.
F. Unsolicited In-Kind Gifts
On occasion, the Beacon Falls Public Library accepts unsolicited gifts (books, etc.) All gifts to be considered must be inspected by the Director. Final acceptance is subject to approval by the Director.
The donor should be aware of the fact that the library may either keep, dispose of, or sell the gift. Also the changing needs of the library could, at some future time, necessitate the removal or relocation of the gift.
The library does not assume any costs of transportation, placement, or storage of any gift.
G. Relationships with other agencies
The Beacon Falls Public Library is not designed to furnish material for curriculum study in schools, but to complement the school curriculum in a general way, choosing materials of interest for the whole community.
Interlibrary Loan: The Beacon Falls Library cannot purchase every item of value or all materials which may be requested, but will extend its resources through cooperation with other libraries and networks. The library supports and is a member of the Cooperative Library Service Unit, Region One. The Connecticut State Library Service Centers in Middletown and Willimantic are available for the Library Director to use on an as-needed basis.
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Collection Maintenance
The Library Director, aided by professional staff, shall be responsible for maintaining the collection in a manner which is consistent with the policies for Material Selection.
Materials no longer useful may be withdrawn and either sold to the public, or discarded, as the Library Director deems to be in the best interest of the Library.
The following guidelines are used in removing material from the library collection
- Books that have not circulated for five (5) years or more and are not listed in any professional guide should be discarded, unless there is local historical or literary interest.
- Books that contain incorrect or obsolete data should be discardsed. If such a book has other valuable information not available elsewhere in the library, a typed label regarding the inaccuracy should be placed inside the front of the book
- Books should not be discarded because of the author's religious or political views.
- Books that are badly soiled or damaged (torn pages, frayed bindings, etc.) should be discarded unless the book is out-of-print and is of literary or local interest.
- Duplicate copies no longer in demand should be removed.
Withdrawn materials may be sold by the Library to augment the gift fund for the purchase of new materials.
It is not the policy of the Beacon Falls Public Library to automatically replace all books when they are lost or worn out. It is often more desirable to purchase a more up-to-date book than to continue with an older title.
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COMPLAINTS
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Complaints about library materials and programs should be made in writing to the Director for staff review and decision. These decisions may be appealed to the Library Board. The Library Board will be appraised of such complaints as they are received.
Any request for reconsideration of a book or other library materials, as well as policies, should be made in writing to the Director. After appropriate review, the Director will meet with complainant. The Director shall then forward his/her recommendation to the Board for appropriate action and/or information.
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UNSCHEDULED CLOSINGS
| The Library Board of Trustees and the staff of the Beacon Falls Public Library acknowledge their duty to be accessible to patrons. It is felt that patrons have a right to count on the operating hours of the library. With this in mind, the following procedures have been set up as guidelines to follow in te case of unforeseen circumstances.
All unscheduled closings of the Beacon Falls Public Library will be made by the Library Director after consultation with and the approval of the Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees.
It is understood that the following situations would prompt immediate closure of the library.
- The First Selectman of the Town of Beacon Falls (and/or the Governor of the State of Connecticut) has ordered the closure of Town Departments due to dangerous weather conditions.
- The National Weather Service has issued a Storm Warning and the Library Director feels it is in the Library's best interest to close.
The Library Director, upon closing, will notify the Chairman of the Library Board and appropriate radio and/or television media to announce the closeure so that patons will be properly informed. A notice of early closing of the library will also be posted at the entrance to the building.
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CIRCULATION OF VIDEO CASSETTES/DVDS
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1. Availability
The Beacon Falls Public Library maintains a small permanent collection of video cassettes/DVDs for the entertainment and enrichment of those in the Beacon Falls community. This collection includes popular, children's, how-to-do, instruction and documentary titles.
In addition, the Beacon Falls Public Library pays an annual fee to belong to a Video Circuit available to member libraries through the Western Connecticut Library Council, hereafter, referred to as "WCLC". The Circuit provides a monthly exchange of video selections in cassette and DVD format to ensure an ongoing selection of new and fresh titles for the enjoyment and enrichment of those in our community. (WCLC videos/DVDs are easily identified by the distinctive fluorescent
Video cassettes/DVDs circulate to valid Beacon Falls Public Library cardholders, 18 years or older, and may be loaned through an interlibrary loan agreement to other libraries at staff's discretion.
2. Terms of Circulation:
A combination of up to four (4) video cassettes/DVDs may be circulated to any one patron at any given time. No more than four (4) titles in cassette and/or DVD format may be on a single cardholder's account simultaneously. In the case of titles with multiple cassettes/DVDs, each part counts as one (1) loan.
Video cassettes/DVDs circulate for a period of two days free of charge and will be returned to the Library on time. " Returned on time" refers to those video cassettes/DVDs returned directly to the Circulation Desk in the Library proper on or before the close of business on the date due.
"Returned on time" video cassettes/DVDs do not include those dropped into either book drop as it is the Library's intention to discourage such a practice due to the increased incidence of damage incurred by the video cassette/DVD materials returned by that means.
3. Overdues:
Video cassettes/DVDs failing to meet the "returned on time" criteria outlined directly above will be accessed an overdue fine equal to $ .50 per day per video cassette/DVD involved. At check-in, the Library's automated system will identify overdue titles and automatically assign overdue fines due to the borrower's account, maintaining a record of those fines due until paid by the cardholder.
IMPORTANT: An exception to the above policy will exist when WCLC video cassettes/DVDs (identified by their distinctive fluorescent green labels) are borrowed toward the close of the Library's loan period through WCLC and fail the "returned on time" criteria. Materials falling into this category will be handled in the following manner:
Borrowers taking WCLC video cassettes/DVDS during the last week of the Library's loan period through WCLC will find a WARNING card inserted in the inside pocket of each video cassette/DVD. This WARNING card will serve to alert borrowers of the Library's need for that item's timely return. Should that video cassette/DVD then fail to meet the "returned on time" criteria as outlined in Section 2, "Terms of Circulation", it becomes subject to a double fine ($1.00 per day per video cassette/DVD). The double fine will commence at the close of business on the date the video cassette/DVD is due and continue until it is returned to the Library's Circulation Desk. The Library's automated system will identify overdue titles at check-in and automatically assign overdue fines due to the account, maintaining a record of those fines due until paid by the cardholder.
5. Miscellaneous:
The burden for returning all video cassettes/DVDs borrowed rests with the cardholder. Library staff is not responsible for notifying patrons of impending overdue status.
Fines must be paid in full before additional video cassettes/DVDs may be borrowed.
Video cassettes/DVDs may be renewed over the phone at the discretion of Library staff.
No renewal option exists for WCLC video cassettes/DVDs bearing red WARNING cards.
In the event video cassettes/DVDs become lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed while circulated to a cardholder, responsibility for prompt replacement, at the Library's cost, rests with that cardholder.
Overdue fines do not accrue on days the Library is closed. The computer is programmed to recognize "closed" days and skips them when assigning due dates and computing overdue fines due.
The goal of Beacon Falls Public Library is not to penalize the cardholder who borrows video cassettes/DVDs but, rather, to encourage borrowers to respect the terms of the loan agreement and to handle their loans responsibly and with care for the benefit of the Library and the entire Beacon Falls community.
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