Library Policies
The Dalton Free Public Library strives to create a welcoming space for everyone. Our policies are designed to ensure a safe, healthy and respectful environment for our patrons, visitors and staff.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR COMPLETE LIBRARY POLICY MANUAL
Registration
All patrons must be registered and must have a valid library card issued by Dalton or another CWMARS member library in order to borrow materials. Patrons must fill out an application form to register for a new library card. By signing the application, the patron is indicating that they will be responsible for all materials signed out to their library card and any fees incurred. Photo identification and proof of address is required to register and obtain a library card. A driver’s license or student ID is preferred, however any other official ID or recent piece of mail may be acceptable.
A parent or guardian may apply for a library card on behalf of a minor. By signing the child’s application, the parent or guardian is accepting the responsibility for all materials signed out on the child’s card. Per our Collection Policy once a child has been issued a library card, the library will not restrict or monitor the materials borrowed by the child.
If a patron cannot provide proof of address or legal ID, they may fill out an application and the library will mail them their library card. The patron will need to bring the physical library card with them to the library before they can check out materials.
Use of Facilities
The library cannot be held responsible for the safety and well-being of its users. For health and safety reasons, and to ensure the comfort of patrons and the proper care of the collection, the following are prohibited in the library:
Animals, other than service animals
Bare feet or bare chests
Smoking or vaping
Selling of items (other than Friends book sales) without prior permission of the library
director
Disruptive conduct, which includes, but is not limited to:
Rude behavior
Harassment of patrons/staff
Excessive noise
Filming or photographing other patrons without their expressed consent
Violation of any of these requirements will be just cause for expulsion from the library premises.
Loan Periods
Books: 3 weeks
DVDs: 1 week
Audio Books: 3 weeks
Magazines: 1 week
Reference materials - Non-circulating. The librarian does have the authority to allow a reference item to circulate, should the need be justified.
Interlibrary loan material: Determined by the lending library’s policy.
All Dalton material may be renewed once. Interlibrary loan renewal policies are determined by the lending library. (Generally they allow one renewal.)
Fines and charges:
The Dalton Free Public Library does not charge late fees for its material, but patrons that repeatedly return items excessively late may lose their borrowing privileges. Late fees and fines for Interlibrary loan materials are determined by the lending library’s policy.
Damaged/Lost Materials:
If an item is damaged, the library will make an effort to repair it. If an item is damaged beyond repair, or lost, the patron may be held responsible for the replacement cost of the item. A notice of these charges will be sent to the borrower.
Patrons that repeatedly return damaged items may lose their borrowing privileges.
Collection Development Policy
The library’s primary responsibility is to assist patrons in their pursuit of information, education, and entertainment, and to inspire and stimulate children’s interest in and appreciation of learning and reading. It selects materials in a variety of formats to satisfy the expressed and anticipated interests, tastes, needs, and reading abilities of the diverse community it serves.
Principles of selection
The library recognizes that its patrons have diverse interests, backgrounds, cultural heritages, social values, political views, and needs. All patrons are free to reject for themselves any materials which do not meet their approval. This freedom does not include the right to restrict the freedom of others to read and inquire.
All patrons will have free access to all materials, and no materials will be sequestered (except items that need protection because of rarity, cost, susceptibility to loss, fragility, or unsuitability of format for heavy use). The library does not restrict the selection of materials because of the possibility that some minors may obtain materials that their parents or guardians consider inappropriate nor does it deny minors access to any materials in the collection. The library does not stand in loco parentis; if parents or guardians do not want their children to have access to certain library materials or services, it is their responsibility to advise their children. The library has a professional obligation to provide equal access to all library resources for all library users.
The library has adopted and declared that it will adhere to and support the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Free Access to the Libraries for Minors, Freedom to View Statement, and the Freedom to Read Statement. The content of these documents is understood to be part of this policy.
Standards for Selection
The library evaluates an item being considered for inclusion in the collection in terms of the following standards. Not all the standards will apply to each item. The evaluation is made with regard to the work as a whole and not necessarily to its individual parts. Each item is evaluated in terms of its own merits, its intended audience, and its relation to the collection.
Timeliness: current general interest on international, national, and local levels, importance as a document of the times, relevance to contemporary issues.
Permanent value as a standard work.
Suitability of subject, style, format, and content for the intended audience
Relevance to the community needs and interests
Proven or potential interest or demand
Reputation, authority, and qualifications of the author, editor, artist-producer, or publisher
Artistic merit
Scholarly merit; accuracy and accessibility of content
Evaluation by staff and by reviewers in professional journals and popular media
Availability of the subject in the existing collection
Importance in relation to existing areas of coverage in order to maintain a well-balanced collection
Importance in order to provide a wide range of points of view on a subject, including points of view that are unique, alternative, experimental, or controversial
Availability of the same or similar material in the local area and through the interlibrary loan system
Cost in relation to the significance of the material according to the above factors
Challenge of Library Materials
This policy defends the freedom to read, view, and hear. No material shall be removed from the collection except under the procedure given here. Patrons who object to the presence of certain materials in the collection and who are unwilling to accept that the inclusion of these materials conforms to the goals, principles, and standards outlined in this policy may submit a Challenge of Library Materials form to the library Board of Trustees.
For a challenge to be considered:
The complainant must be properly identified on the form,
The complainant must be a resident of the library’s chartered jurisdiction and hold a valid borrower’s card, and
The form must be completed in full.
No action shall be taken before the challenge is brought before the board. Challenged material shall not be removed until a final decision is made by the board. The library will not consider the removal of an item on the grounds of obscenity or for any other reason covered by the law unless a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled against it. An item will be considered for removal only once in a twelve-month period.
The board will consider the challenge at the meeting of the board following the receipt of the form. The board will read and examine the challenged material, consider the specific objections voiced by the complainant, weigh the values and faults of the material as a whole in itself and in relation to the collection, and, if necessary or desired, solicit advice and opinion from other library directors and boards, the Massachusetts Library System, and the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom. The board will issue a written report within ninety days of the receipt of the challenge containing its decision and recommended action regarding the challenged material.