Sutton Free Library

RESPONSIBILITY

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Patrons assume responsibility for all materials checked out from SFL. Parents or guardians assume responsibility for all materials checked out from SFL by their minor children (younger than 18 years of age).

 

CHECK-OUT PERIODS

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All circulating materials are checked out for two weeks, except for interlibrary loans to other libraries, which are checked out for four to six weeks or at the library director’s discretion. The checkout period is the same for new books, audiobooks, DVD’s, magazines, puzzles and any other material being checked-out.

 

RENEWALS

 

Patrons may renew materials if no other holds are currently on the item. Renewals may be made in person, by telephone, by email or via the library website. Renewals may be limited at the discretion of the librarian. 

 

NON-CIRCULATING MATERIALS

 

Non-circulating items include certain reference materials, current periodicals, and portions of the historic Sutton and New Hampshire collections (including town reports). The use of other library materials may be limited at the discretion of the library director.

 

HOLDS

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Patrons may place material on hold that are currently checked-out. Patrons are notified by telephone or email when materials become available. Reserved materials are held for a reasonable period and then reshelved for circulation.

 

FINES

 

The Library does not charge fines for overdue materials, but accepts contributions when offered.

 

LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS

 

The replacement cost for lost or damaged materials are paid for by the borrowing patron. Once paid for, damaged materials become patrons' property, if desired.

 

OVERDUE MATERIALS

 

Notices are sent to patrons with materials that are two months overdue. Subsequent notices are sent at the discretion of the library director. An account may be limited to only two checkouts at a time of older books from the collection until overdue items are returned or lost book charges are paid. 

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If materials are six months overdue, notices demanding return or payment are sent. Patrons with long-overdue materials shall not be permitted to check out additional materials until the materials have been returned or SFL has been paid for them. Patrons who have made sustained attempts to find the materials, even though they insist that they have returned the materials, and who refuse to reimburse the library may be restricted from checking out any materials; or they may be limited to checking out two books at a time, at the discretion of the library director.  

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If materials are a year overdue, final notices, including the text of RSA 202-A:25 may be sent by certified mail or hand-delivered by the police. RSA 202-A:25 states: 

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Any person who willfully detains any book, newspaper, magazine, manuscript, pamphlet, publication, recording, film, or other property belonging to or in the care of any gallery or museum of any state, public, school, college, or other institutional library, may be given written notice to return it, which shall bear upon its face a copy of this section, mailed by certified mail to such person's last address or delivered by a person designated by the lawful custodian of such property; and if such person shall thereafter willfully and knowingly fail to return such property within 15 days after such notice, the person shall be guilty of a violation.

 

Copies of final notices may be sent to the chief of police. In extreme cases, the library may seek recovery in small claims court.

 

MUSEUM PASSES

 

Patron/families may reserve one (1) library museum pass per week. There is no limit to the amount of times a patron/family may reserve museum passes per year.

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Patrons may reserve a museum pass for a specific day, either in person or by phone, up to three (3) weeks in advance. Passes may be picked-up no sooner than one (1) week before the date on which they will be used. Passes must be returned in-person or in the book-return box within two (2) days after the date they were used.

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If another family has reserved the same pass and has been inconvenienced by a patron's failure to return the pass on time, the delinquent patron shall be charged $25. If a patron loses a museum pass, the patron shall be charged for a replacement pass.

 

Updated by the Trustees of Sutton Free Library on July 2, 2019.