Dover Free Library Lending Policy
Adopted October 2024
Access to Materials
The Dover Free Library serves all residents of Dover and the surrounding towns at no cost. Service will not be denied or abridged for reasons of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social, economic, political status, or age. Any person is welcome to use the library’s collections and resources within the building. A library card is required to take library materials out of the building.
The loan period for books, audiobooks, and DVDs is three weeks. Some special materials, such as museum passes, have a loan period of five days. Please check with the circulation desk for the loan period of specific items.
Materials may be renewed as long as they have not been reserved. In that instance, the patron is responsible for returning the material by the end of the loan period.
Library Cards
When applying for a library card, the borrower agrees to comply with the library’s rules. This includes returning the items to the library by their return due date and in the same condition as they were in when borrowed.
A child of any age may receive a library card with the permission of their parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must sign for the child and assumes responsibility for library materials until the child is 12 years of age, at which time the responsibility transfer to the child. Children are allowed to borrow materials from any area of the library, in keeping with the principles of the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. Responsibility for material selection rests with the child and caregiver, not library staff. Library staff are happy to be consulted for readers advisory services, however, the child, parent/guardian, or patron retain the ultimate culpability for checking out materials.
Residents of the towns of Dover, Halifax, Marlboro, Newfane, Searsburg, Stratton, Wardsboro, Whitingham, and Wilmington are eligible to receive a free library card. Any person owning property in Dover will also be eligible for free membership. Residents of all other towns will be granted a Visitor’s Card with a $20 deposit refundable in the first year. The deposit will be forfeited by the user after one year of the card’s creation date. Within the first year, the deposit shall be returned to the library user upon closure of the account, as long as the user’s account has no outstanding charges or loans. After one year, the patron may continue to use their card, with no further deposit. Should this fee be a barrier to library service for an individual, the library director may use their discretion in waiving the fee.
Fines and Fees
There are no late fees for library materials returned after its due date. Any patrons wishing to make a donation for returning materials late may do so.
Patrons with unreturned materials will lose their borrowing privileges until the situation is rectified. When a material remains unreturned for 90 days after its due date, it is automatically marked “lost” in the library catalog. At that time, the library will issue a bill for the cost of the unreturned materials.
Once a patron has returned the missing materials and/or paid their fees, their borrowing privileges will be reinstated. Patrons with chronic delinquencies in returning materials may have their accounts reinstated with specific conditions, such as borrowing limits or trial periods.
Interlibrary Loan
Should a patron request an item the library does not own, Dover Free Library is able to obtain most materials through interlibrary loan. Some newer or rare materials may not be available for loan. There is no charge to the patron for this service. Patrons may place a request through the circulation desk and will be updated on the status of their request as needed. It generally takes one to two weeks for Dover Free Library to receive materials from other libraries. Loan periods differ given the lending library’s policies, which Dover Free Library will uphold. Any interlibrary loan book lost or returned damaged must be replaced or paid for by the patron. Children may use interlibrary loan with the consent of their parent or guardian.
Dover Free Library Unattended Vulnerable Persons Policy
Approved May 14, 2024
Definition
Dover Free Library strives to be a warm, welcoming, and safe environment for all members of the community to enjoy. Pursuant to that goal, the library seeks to ensure the safety of vulnerable people on the library grounds. The library is not responsible for their care, their supervision, or for accidents or other incidents that happen to them or that result from their actions.
A vulnerable person is defined as an individual who is mentally, emotionally, behaviorally or physically challenged to a degree that significantly impairs the individual’s ability to provide adequately for their own care and/or manage their own behavior without assistance. A minor 12 years old and younger may also be defined as a vulnerable person if they are unable or unwilling to care for themselves and/or manage their own behavior without assistance.
Policy
All library visitors are expected to follow the rules of conduct as outlined in Dover Free Library’s Rules of Behavior. Vulnerable people who are able to follow the rules of conduct and are able to care for themselves are welcome to visit the library unattended. Vulnerable persons left unattended should have contact information for a parent/guardian or caregiver in case of emergency and be able to contact them as needed. It is not the library’s responsibility to retain this information.
Vulnerable persons who are unable or unwilling to care for themselves must be attended to and have adequate supervision at all times. A guardian or caregiver 18 years or age or older is responsible for monitoring activities and managing the behavior of vulnerable persons during their library visits. The Library does not assume responsibility for vulnerable persons while they are in the building or on library property. Parents/legal guardians assume all liability for any damage to library property done by vulnerable people in their guardianship.
Library staff are responsible for assisting all library visitors and cannot adequately monitor unattended vulnerable persons. Library staff are not responsible for preventing vulnerable persons from leaving library grounds or monitoring their behavior.
Staff will attempt to contact a parent/ guardian or caregiver if a vulnerable person’s health or safety is in doubt, if the person is in distress, if their behavior disturbs other library visitors, if their actions violate the library’s Rules of Behavior, or if the parent/guardian or caregiver is not present at the time of the library’s closing.
Staff will contact the appropriate authorities for assistance if an unattended vulnerable person is without a ride at closing, if their behavior creates a disturbance to library business, or if they pose a risk to themselves, others, or to library property.
Library Holidays
The library will be closed on the following legal holidays:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Half day Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Day After Christmas
The library will be closed at times when weather and/or other emergency conditions prevent personnel from opening and operating the library at the discretion of the Director.
Collection development policy
This Collection Development Policy defines our goals and principles for collection development for both library staff and the public. It guides staff in maintaining our physical and digital collections and making responsible decisions when acquiring new materials. It also provides transparency to the public about the criteria we use in acquiring materials and how we make materials accessible.
This policy is informed by Dover Free Library’s institutional mission and values, and professional guidelines and ethics. This is a living document and will be reviewed annually to ensure that it reflects up-to-date collection practices and the evolving needs of our user communities.
Dover Free Library’s collection reflects a diversity of subjects and cultures in both physical and digital formats. While the collection does include some elements of local and state history, it is primarily intended for the purpose of recreation and life-long learning for the community of Dover.
Dover Free Library’s collections are for everyone. Our materials are available to all people regardless of their age, home language, ability, income level, education, race, sexuality, gender, nationality, religion, immigration status, or other identity categories. Our collections promote personal growth through literacy, intellectual curiosity, career and job-related skills, creative and artistic pursuits, and the love and joy of reading and learning. We provide materials in formats which span reading levels, accessibility needs, and literacy skills. In support of this work, we purposefully collect material from various vendors, publishers, authors, creators, and collectors.
We commit to building collections that represent the diversity within our community. Choosing what materials to collect is an exercise of power. We recognize the biases and erasures present in publishing industries and historical records. To address these gaps, we continue to strive to elevate the voices, histories, and lived experiences of historically marginalized groups in our selection of new materials.
We are responsible for ensuring all users have access to materials in our collection. No materials will be excluded from our collection because of the origin, background, or viewpoint of those contributing to their creation, as supported by Vermont law.
We make acquisition and maintenance decisions that are consistent with strategic priorities, collection objectives, space requirements, budget allocations, staff capacity, and access needs.
We encourage the public to suggest items and subjects to be considered for the collection.
We respect the freedom of information for our users and follow the principles in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View statements.
Donations and Gifts
In addition to purchase, additions to our collections may be made by gift, bequest, transfer, or exchange. Due to resource constraints and costs associated with processing additions, we can only accept a limited number of donations. All potential donations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis through the acquisition evaluation process.
We do not take responsibility for donations and cannot guarantee that they will be added to the collection. Any unsolicited donations sent to us for consideration will not be returned to the donor and may be disposed of or donated to partner organizations, if appropriate.
Collection Maintenance
We are committed to developing and maintaining collections that are relevant, accessible, engaging, and inclusive. Library materials are continuously reviewed and assessed for condition, age, and relevance to library users. Factors considered when maintaining collections include changing community needs, preservation and conservation requirements, collection demand, collecting scope, collection size, storage requirements, industry standards, and strategic priorities.
The acquisition of materials does not commit us to keep them in perpetuity. The periodic withdrawal of materials is necessary to allow us to add new items to the collection. These decisions are made carefully and transparently, and follow established procedures based on the type of collection.
Reconsideration Policy
Dover Free Library (henceforth referred to as “the library”) fully endorses the principles documented in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association. Materials available in the library present a diversity of viewpoints, enabling citizens to make the informed choices necessary in a democracy. The library also selects a wide variety of library materials that satisfy the diverse interests of our community. The library upholds the right of the individual to secure these resources, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some. The library’s varied collection is available to all; however, it is not expected that all of the collection will appeal to everyone.
Patrons who wish to request the withdrawal or reclassification of materials currently owned by the library are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the Library Director. If the patron is not satisfied with the response to their request, the manager will provide the patron with information and a form to request formal reconsideration of the library resource. A form must be submitted for each individual item requested for reconsideration. Forms will be evaluated and final decisions will be made by the Library Board of Trustees.
Withdrawn books are given away on the free bookshelf in the library entranceway, placed in the library’s Little Free Library, located at 1 Mountain Park Plaza, West Dover, or donated as the Library Director sees fit.
Confidentiality of Library Records
The Dover Free Library Board of Trustees affirm that patron and circulation records that could be used to identify which library materials were borrowed or requested by an individual person shall be confidential: unless subpoenaed by the government under Vermont State law or the Federal Patriot Act. More information concerning Vermont State Statutes on Library record confidentiality can be found at the Vermont State website. However, parents will be contacted, if necessary, regarding overdue, lost or damaged materials borrowed by their children.
Displays and Exhibits
Announcements of community interest may be displayed in the library building by permission of the Board or Director. Hobby, craft and art exhibits of community significance are encouraged but are displayed at the owner’s acknowledged risk.
No organization or individual shall be permitted to place in the library any receptacle which solicits donations for any cause or organization (other than the library itself, or municipal services); nor shall any display be permitted that advocates or solicits consideration of any product or item sold by any commercial enterprise. Space will be provided for commercial and other notices on the bulletin board outside the library.
Use of the Library Rooms
The library facility may be made available for public gatherings of a civic, cultural, or educational nature on an equal basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of the sponsors. Groups using the library must complete a room use form and by approved by the Director, who is responsible for the calendar of events. Such groups may not charge a fee for attendance. The facility must be left as it was found.
Review/Revision of Policy
The Board will review these policies on an annual basis and make revisions if necessary.
More library policies are available upon request.