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Administration and Funding
The legal governance of the Fairhope Public Library is vested in
the Fairhope Public Library Board, which consists of five members appointed by
the Fairhope City Council.
The greater part of the library's budget comes from funds appropriated by the
City of Fairhope. Supplementary funds are provided by the Alabama Public Library
Service in Montgomery (per Capita based on the population of Fairhope), as well
as miscellaneous income consisting of fines, gifts, out-of-county memberships, and
contracts with Faulkner State Community College and the University of South
Alabama/Baldwin county.
Membership
Library Membership is free to all
residents of Baldwin County. Out-of-County patrons are
required to pay a $15.00 annual membership fee. This fee covers all family
members. Minimum patron age for cards is 3 years.
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Library cards are required for
checkout of any materials
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Borrowers are limited to 20
items per card, including a limit of:
6 new books (3 fiction, 3
non-fiction)
5 audio books (CDs & Books on Tape)
5 children's audio tapes
5 videos per family
5 periodicals
5 music cds
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All materials--with the
exception of non-circulating materials (see
below) may be checked out for a period of two
(2) weeks, with the privilege of two (2) renewals (except that New
Items, materials on hold, DVDs and VHS tapes may not be renewed).
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On a limited basis, books and
audio materials may be renewed by telephone or online. Telephone
renewals will be taken during library hours only. Voice mail messages
for renewals are not accepted. You must have the items
on hand so that necessary information is available.
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Designated periodicals may be
checked out for fourteen (14) days. These may not be renewed.
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Videos may be checked out only
on an adult card and may be kept for fourteen (14) days. They
may not be renewed.
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An item that is not on the
shelf, or is on a waiting list, may be requested for holding by filing out a
request form. Reserved materials
will be held for five (5) days from the time of
notification.
Reference
Special Collections
Microforms
Vertical File
Current issues of periodicals (in red folders)
Back issues of reference magazines
Newspapers
Materials needed
for serious research may be checked out on a long-term loan, not to
exceed nine (9) weeks. This long-term loan may not be renewed. If
materials are not returned at the end of this time, fines will be assessed at
the same rates as on other materials, on a daily basis, until they are returned.
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A fine of 10 cents per item
per day will be levied on all print materials and music CDs returned after their due
date. This fine will not exceed $2.00 per item (total of $25.00 per
patron for all items) provided materials are
returned in good condition.
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Overdue videos and audio
books are charged at
$0.50 per day per title (maximum $5.00 per title).
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Fines for damage to items
will be levied at the discretion of the library staff.
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Fines on lost materials will
be the full replacement price of the items.
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The library staff keeps
records of all fines and periodically notifies patrons of overdue materials
and/or fines owed.
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After any patron is notified
once, either by telephone, by mail, or in person, he may be subject to
suspended borrowing privileges, for family members as well as himself, until
materials are returned and fines paid.
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City of Fairhope Ordinance
818 makes it unlawful for persons to fail or refuse to return books or other
property of the Fairhope Public Library. Upon conviction, offenders
may be fined up to $500 or imprisoned at hard labor for not more than six
(6) months.
Interlibrary
Loan
Books not owned by Baldwin county libraries may be requested from other libraries
through the Interlibrary Loan network under the following conditions:
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Books published in the
current year may not be requested. Other libraries will not loan new
books.
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There is a fee for processing
and/or return postage for these materials
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The borrower must fill out a
form available at the front desk, and the fee must be paid at the time the
request is made.
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Arrival time cannot be
guaranteed.
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This library works with other
libraries under the strict guidelines of the Interlibrary Loan
network. We cannot change these policies. However, we will be
happy to do all we can to assure patron satisfaction.
Through contracts with their
respective institutions, students enrolled at Faulkner State Community College
and the University of South Alabama/Baldwin County have the privilege of using
this library as follows:
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Students must present their
student ID cards to check out materials. Cards must be valid for the current
semester.
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All materials must be
returned on time and no later than the end of the semester. Students
with outstanding materials will be refused registration until materials are
returned.
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No materials will be
checked out to students between semesters.
The Library provides computers
for:
The outside deposit (book-drop) is a
convenience for patron use. Borrowers retain
responsibility for materials checked out to them until said items are properly
checked in. This responsibility includes protection from rain damage or
warping. All circulation materials may be returned in the book drop.
Calls for information about library
activities are welcomed, as are calls for quick reference. Of necessity,
the staff cannot provide lengthy answers to requests by phone. If a quick
answer cannot be given, a phone number will be taken, and, as time permits, the
requested information will be provided.
A courtesy phone is located at the
circulation for local calls.
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