POLICIES APPROVED IN 2023

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

(Reviewed and adopted by the Library Board of Control on November 27, 2023)

Evangeline Parish Library

Collection Development Policy

Purpose of the Collection:

The Evangeline Parish Library collects and provides access to information resources that support the public service programs and missions of the Library. The primary patrons are the residents of Evangeline Parish, although the Library also plays a role in a state network of libraries.

The Library strives to provide the tools and skills necessary to offer library patrons the greatest possible access, within budget constraints, to information resources within the Evangeline Parish Library System and from outside sources.

Purpose of the Collection Development Policy

This formal policy guides staff in making decisions about the selection, management, and preservation of library materials, and in allocating collection budgets. It also informs the public of the general principles that govern collection development at Evangeline and shows the Library’s commitment to the principles of free access to ideas and information and to providing collections that reflect a variety of viewpoints.

General Principles

The following are guiding principles of collection development for the Library.

La. R.S. 25:225 ( C ) (2) (a) / 2023:

Community Standards for the population served by the library must be a part of the consideration when acquiring library material that will be accessible to a minor.

Diversity:

The Library provides a collection that balances viewpoints across a broad spectrum of opinion and subject matter in formats suitable to a variety of learning and recreational interests and skills.

Intellectual Freedom:

The Library supports the individual choice and judgment of its users in seeking information, and upholds the freedom of library users to read, view, and listen. Decisions to select or retain an item are based on the merits of each work or information source as it relates to the goals and coverage of the collection.

The Library considers the value of each item in its entirety and within the context of the collection, not on specific passages or sections in the item itself. Materials are not marked, labeled, or sequestered to show approval, disapproval, or judgment as to suitability of content for particular audiences. Materials are not excluded, removed, proscribed, or suppressed because of their creators’ origin, background, or views, or because they represent a particular aspect of life, frankness of expression, or controversial subject matter.

Inclusion of an item does not constitute endorsement of its content by the Library Board. Selection of materials for adults is not constrained by possible exposure to children or young adults. Responsibility for children’s use of library collections rests with their parents, guardians, or caregivers.

Access:

The Library makes its collections available to all. Some library materials, however, may be subject to use limitations due to considerations of rarity, exceptional levels of demand, cost, physical condition, and permanent value of their information content.

Responsibility and Parameters for Collection Development

Ultimate responsibility for the materials selection policy lies with the Board of Control. The Board of Control delegates to the Director the selection of materials and the development of the collection. The Director may further delegate this role to the Assistant Director and/or on occasion to other professional Library staff. Reputable library subscription services may also be used to develop portions of the collection.

The Director and Assistant Director will give appropriate consideration to the needs and interests of patrons of the Library. Consideration should always be given to the subject appropriateness and potential demand for materials within that area, as well as to whether other resources covering the same subject matter are already available within the

Evangeline Parish Library System

Because the Library Director must be able to answer to the Library Board and to the general public for actual selections made, he/she has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the Assistant Director or any other member of the Library staff.

The Library recognizes that it is impossible for a relatively small and rural public library system to provide a balanced comprehensive collection that is strong enough to fully meet all community needs. Thus, the Library supplements its resources with materials borrowed from other libraries through LoanShark. While the Library strives to serve its patrons’ needs both individually and expeditiously, this is not always possible with limited budgets.

In responding to individual requests, the Director must decide whether the requested item fits the Library’s mission and selection criteria, which are designed to make the Library’s collection of use to a sizable number of library users, rather than to just one or two patrons. It is a question of getting the most use of the Library’s limited funds and collection space. The Library, constrained by budgets and guided by professional training and citizen boards, will use its limited funds to serve the most people in the best way possible.

If Interlibrary Loan is chosen as the method of providing requested materials, the Library will pass along to the patron any photocopying costs or costs of materials obtained through Interlibrary Loan on the patron’s behalf and either not returned or returned damaged. The Library reserves the right to refuse Interlibrary Loan support on behalf of patrons who have previously failed to return Interlibrary Loan items or returned them in a damaged state.

The Library will operate within the provisions of United States copyright law. The Library will refuse to grant any patron request for an item that would cause the Library to operate outside the provisions of United States copyright law.

Audience and Roles

The Library must serve all ages and needs. Its collections will emphasize early literacy and other initiatives for young children, lifelong learning for adults on a wide variety of subjects such as consumer health, and recreational reading, listening, and viewing for all ages. Additionally, the Library will strive to enhance its Louisiana and Genealogy Collection. The Library will strive to present divergent points of view within the Collection, and to bring new patron groups into the Library as well.

The Library will not attempt to duplicate school libraries or maintain textbook collections, nor will it be required or expected to maintain multiple copies of books required for school assignments. Inclusion of any item in a special Library section such as “Accelerated Reader” is for the convenience of students only and does not in any way imply endorsement of the item’s content or any judgment/endorsement of the item’s suitability for any age or grade level of students. All grade levels indicated on items in “Accelerated Reader” sections are taken directly from lists submitted by school personnel. Any questions about these grade levels should be directed to appropriate school personnel, rather than to Library staff.

Context and Scope of Collection Development—Main Library and Branch Libraries

The Main Library in Ville Platte provides collections and services to both the Ville Platte area and to branch libraries throughout Evangeline Parish. Thus, the Main Library’s collection will be more comprehensive than that of the branch libraries served.

Branch library collections are developed primarily to serve users in the town or village where the specific branch is located, although these materials are available to users throughout the parish and to users outside the parish through Interlibrary Loan as well.

Generally, branch collections will be far less extensive than the Main Library collection. Items will be rotated between collections as needed. The Library will buy additional copies of specific items for the branches only when greater access is deemed necessary and sufficient funding is available. Since buying multiple copies of an item reduces the funding available to buy other items, any request for additional copies must always be carefully weighed against other needs of the overall system. All requests for items for branch libraries will be evaluated according to the same selection criteria as items for the Main Library.

Collection Management—Selection Sources

Selection sources include, among others, user requests or recommendations, recommendations of other library professionals, publisher or vendor catalogs, advertisements, and published reviews.

Formats Collected

The Library may choose to provide some materials in one format (book, audio, video, electronic, etc.) but not in others due to space, budget, or other constraints.

Books will be generally purchased in hardcover editions because of their durability. Trade paperbacks (large size paperbacks made with quality materials) are preferred in cases where the hardcover edition is expensive and the title would be either used infrequently or would be removed from the collection in a few years. Mass market paperbacks (smaller formats with cheaper materials) will be primarily limited to those titles published only in mass market paperback or else needed for multiple copies at a limited cost. Mass market paperback purchases will be limited to no more than five percent of each month’s book budget since these items are not long term collection items. Where possible, mass market paperbacks will be obtained through donations or borrowed through Interlibrary Loan rather than purchased.

The Library will consider any format as it becomes available, weighing new media against the same considerations applied to traditional resources (i.e., demand, ease of use, accuracy, authority, support of Library programs–see selection criteria listed below). Consideration will also be given to the ramifications new resources may have on space,

cost, workflow, and other limiting factors.

Selection Criteria

The Evangeline Parish Library does not sanction particular views, nor is the selection of any given item equivalent to an endorsement of the author’s viewpoint or work. Items are evaluated according to the following criteria. Note that an item need not meet all criteria to be selected, and that no single criterion can be applied to all materials. The Evangeline Parish Library does not sanction particular views, nor is the selection of any given item equivalent to an endorsement of the author’s viewpoint or work. Items are evaluated according to the following criteria. Note that an item need not meet all criteria to be selected, and that no single criterion can be applied to all materials.

Library considers all acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, in terms of one or more of the following:

1. Level of material funding

2. Library’s mission and service roles

3. Informational and recreational needs of users, including patron requests which fall within the parameters of the current Collection Development Policy.

4. Demand

5. Current usefulness or interest

6. Community needs surveys and assessments

7. Authority,and accuracy

8. Importance as a record of the times

9. Relevance to the existing collection

10. Space required relative to the value the item contributes to the collection

11. The extent to which the item supplements, expands on, or supports the existing collection, rather than duplicates it

12. Local significance of the author or creator of the work

13. High standards of quality in content and format

14. Price and availability

15. Format, durability, and ease of use

16. Suitability of format for subject and user’s needs

17. Comprehensiveness of treatment, including breadth and depth

18. Evaluation of the currency of the information contained, to the extent that is possible

19. Representation of diverse points of view

20. Representation of important movements, subjects, genres, or trends of local, regional, or national significance

21. Recommendation through a professionally reputable subscription program of a quality publisher or through reputable reviews

22. Support of library programs

23. Electronic format criteria: ease of use of the product, accessibility to multiple users, access to needed equipment, reduction of space requirements over print products, reduction in number of copies of a print source when purchased for multiple locations.

LA. Act 436 / 2023 –

24. Sexually Explicit Materials includes textual, visual, or audio materials or material accessed via any other medium that depict or describe sexual conduct. Sexual Conduct – any of the following:

(a) Masturbation or lewd exhibition, actual, simulated, or animated, of the genitals, pubic hair, anus, vulva, or female breast nipples;

(b) Sadomasochistic abuse, meaning actual, simulated or animated, flagellation, or torture by or upon a person who is nude or clad in undergarments or in a costume that reveals the pubic hair, anus, vulva, genitals, or female breast nipples, or in the condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained, on the part of one so clothed;

(c) Actual, simulated, or animated touching, caressing, or fondling of, or other similar physical contact with a pubic area, anus, female breast nipple, covered or exposed, whether alone or between humans, animals, or a human and an animal, of the same or opposite sex, in an act of apparent sexual stimulation or gratification;

(d) Actual, simulated, or animated stimulation of a human genital organ by any device whether or not the device is designed, manufactured, or marketed for such purpose; or

(e) Actual, simulated, or animated ultimate sexual acts, whether between human beings, animals, or an animal and a human being.

25. Community Standards for the population served by the library must be a part of the consideration when acquiring library material that will be accessible to a minor.

In addition to the criteria above, the Library in general will give collection priority to:

1. print over non-print materials;

2. general treatments over those which are specialized, scholarly, or primarily for professional use;

3. breadth over depth—in general purchasing single copies of a wide range of titles rather than multiple copies of the same title, although multiple copies may be purchased when they are warranted by public demand or other special factors;

4. single volume overviews over multi-volume works; and,

5. works of broad popular appeal which meet the needs of the independent learner over textbooks or other materials which meet curriculum requirements of the formal student, 6) materials written in English over other languages; and

7. unabridged editions over abridgments.

Gifts

Gift materials that enhance the collection according to the Selection Criteria above may be added to the collection. Not all gifts will be recommended for retention. If a gift is integrated into the collection, the Library reserves the right to decide the conditions of display, housing, access, and withdrawal of the material.

Evangeline Parish Library will not appraise gift materials for tax purposes. The Library will, upon request of the donor, provide a written receipt of the gifts indicating only the number of items and a general description of the materials. Gift materials not added to the collection are not returned to the donor. Gifts not added to the collection may be given to the Friends of the Evangeline Parish Library for public sale, discarded, or disposed of in some other way.

Nothing will be sold, given away, or circulated that violates United States copyright law. No proof copies of print materials, advance review copies of print or video materials, or privately videotaped copies of commercial programs will be sold, given away, or added to the collection.

The Library will not accept any conditional donations without express approval of the Library Board and the Police Jury. Collections of books will not be accepted with restrictions which necessitate special housing or which prevent integration of the gift into the general Library collection.

Collection Development for Children and Young Adults

The Library maintains separate Easy Reader (XF) collections consisting of picture books and of popular reading for very young readers. The collection for young children is designed to entertain, stimulate the imagination, develop reading ability, and enable children to learn about the world around them. Videos and audiotapes are also purchased.

In its juvenile (x sections) the Library maintains chapter books for children of school age. In the juvenile non-fiction section, although textbooks are not collected, an effort is made to assemble materials that complement the general curriculum and homework needs of students through elementary, junior, and senior high school.

While many larger libraries have separate young adult collections for sixth through ninth grade and/or ninth through twelfth grade, due to space limitations the Evangeline Parish Library currently does not. Since the Library is unable to maintain a separate young adult collection to serve as a bridge to the adult collection, books in the juvenile section (x Fic and x non-fiction) cover a wide variety of ages, from elementary into and even through high school. Therefore, the Library stresses that not all juvenile (x) materials will be appropriate for all young readers because of the wide range of age groups and developmental stages covered by the juvenile collection. Some materials in the juvenile collection may be inappropriate in language or subject matter for younger children and for some teens. Parents are urged to discuss their children’s and teenagers’ selections with them. Responsibility for children’s and teenagers’ use of library collections rests with their parents, guardians, or caregivers. At no time will library staff act in loco parentis.

Collection Maintenance

Materials are withdrawn when they are judged to be dated, inaccurate, seldom used, in poor condition, or otherwise no longer appropriate. As demand declines, the Library selectively removes multiple copies, making exceptions for areas of special importance to the Library collection.

Withdrawn material is given to the Friends of the Evangeline Parish Library, except in special circumstances where the material is discarded (for example, out of date medical information) or where the material can be still used by another library, educational institution, or non-profit institution. Outdated materials with no remaining value are discarded.

An item that is damaged or lost is replaced if it is deemed still useful and is still available for purchase and if it has not been superseded by more recent work or by other items or formats that might better serve the same purpose.

Request for Reconsideration

Library users occasionally object to titles that have been selected for the collection. Persons seeking the reconsideration of an item must be registered Library patrons with Evangeline Parish Library cards in good standing. They will be asked to complete a “Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources” (Appendix), which will be available at the circulation desk of the Main Library and every branch. The Library Director and Assistant Director, upon receipt of a completed form submitted by a registered patron, will review the item for inclusion in the collection in light of the Library’s overall objectives, its Collection Development Policy, the Library Bill of Rights, and American Library Association guidelines on intellectual freedom. The item may be placed in “Held” status during the evaluation in order to allow evaluators to have access to the item. No item under reconsideration will be withdrawn from the collection pending a decision.

(La R.R. 25:225 (C) (2) (d) / 2023

The procedure must allow a library patron to request the reconsideration of whether a library book should be included in a library collection assessable to minors.

If the request for reconsideration involves an allegation that the library material meets the definition of sexually explicit material in La. R.S. 25:225 (B) (4), then the determination of whether the library material meets the definition must be made by the board of control in an open meeting.

The Library Director will notify the requestor in writing of the decision made. The requestor has the right to request that the decision be reevaluated at the next regular Library Board meeting. If the requestor requests Board reconsideration of the Library’s decision, the matter will be placed on the agenda for the next Library Board meeting. At this meeting, the Library Board will have the option of upholding the Library’s decision, reversing it, or referring the matter to a Reconsideration Committee consisting of three Library Board members, the Library Director, and the Library Assistant Director or another professional member of the Library staff. If a Reconsideration Committee is chosen, the Reconsideration Committee members will then each evaluate the item, check reviews of the item, and together make a committee recommendation to the full Library Board.

Decision of the Library Board will be final.

Revisions of the Policy

This statement of policy will be revised as times and circumstances require.

CIRCULATION POLICY

(Reviewed and adopted by the Library Board of Control on November 27, 2023)

Evangeline Parish Library Circulation Policy

Note: Age for Adult Library Card Revised October 2012 in Accordance with Library Board Decisions to Make “Adult” 18 and up (Library Board Meeting, Sept. 19, 2012)

Note: The Evangeline Parish Library upgraded to a new automated library system in February 2009. The following policy has been developed in connection with this upgrade:

LIBRARY CARDS:

The library offers adult, juvenile, institution, and teacher cards. The first card is free, except for non-resident (out of parish address) cards, which are $3.
Replacement cards are $3 for ALL card holders.
Patrons wishing to receive a library card must fill out an application at the library. Adults are required to present a current photo ID (if ID is not current, a piece of U.S. mail showing current address or other satisfactory proof of residence is also required). Patrons must be 18 or older to receive a card without a parent or guardian’s written permission.
Children younger than 18 must have a parent or guardian sign for the library card. If the card becomes lost, the child will be allowed to purchase a replacement child’s card without additional parental signature.
R-rated DVD’s will not be checked out to children or on children’s library cards.
Library cards from the Evangeline Parish Library are required to check out items, request items through Inter-Library Loan, or use the public access computers (for computer use some visitor pass exceptions apply). Cards are also necessary to access licensed databases through the library’s website, to place hold on items, or request or renew items online, etc.
Each child who will be using the library on his or her own (children 12 and up) will need his or her own library card, with signed Internet permission if the child will be using computers at the library without the supervision of his or her parent or guardian. Parents and guardians are welcome to also get cards for younger children. We will issue library cards for children of any age, with the parents’ signed permission.
Cards are valid for one year, after which time they must be renewed at the library or by phone. Renewal allows the library to update addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc.

LOST OR STOLEN CARDS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE LIBRARY AT ONCE.

PATRON WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEBTS INCURRED ON

THE CARD BEFORE ITS LOSS WAS REPORTED.

When a card is reported as lost or stolen, the library staff will immediately place a permanent stop on the card so that the card can no longer be used. This stop cannot be reversed if the card is subsequently found.

CONFIDENTIALITY:

Except by order of a court of law or with signed written permission of the patron, the library staff cannot discuss a patron’s library account with anybody else. A child’s account may be discussed with his or her parent or legal guardian but not with siblings, teachers, etc. Please do not ask any staff member to break this rule — they cannot.

TIME LIMITS:

Books and most other items check out for 14 or 21 days, depending upon demand. Movies check out for 7 days. Boxed sets of television series without separate cases check out for 14 days. Please return popular items as soon as possible.

(Note of Warning: DVD’s are checked out with only one renewal allowed, and the fine for late DVD’s is sixty-five cents per day. If a disc is missing from a returned multiple DVD set, patron will be billed for the cost of replacing the entire set.)

IN LIBRARY USE ONLY:

Microfilms, reference books, pamphlets, and some other miscellaneous items are for use within the library only. Microfilm is available at the main library (Ville Platte) only.

DEPOSITS: No longer required as of 11/27/23.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ITEMS ALLOWED FOR CHECKOUT:

At any given time, a patron may have no more than 10 items checked out. In addition, different types of items have limits. These are as follows:

1. Books: no more than 10 (3 renewals allowed if no one is waiting for the item)

2. Audio Books: no more than five (5). Three (3) renewals allowed if no one is waiting for the item)

3. Magazines: no more than 10 (3 renewals allowed if no one is waiting for the item).

*Note: the most current issue of each magazine is restricted to IN LIBRARY USE ONLY.

4. DVD’s: no more than three (3) of each type (but only ONE DVD rather than three if it is a boxed set). This limit applies to families/households also.

A patron’s checkout ability will not be limited by the checkouts of other members of the patron’s household. However, families and households are asked to limit the whole household to three (3) DVD’s at a time. The size of our video collection is very limited, and for fairness to all patrons this restriction is necessary.

WARNING: Parents, please be aware that library cards will no longer be linked together by family groups. This means that you will need to monitor carefully how many items each family member checks out. With the new system there is no specific item limit per household, with the exception of DVD’s. This could lead to more lost items and more costly fines, so please monitor the family’s library use.

Teachers can apply for a special teacher’s card which will allow them to check out up to 20 books at a time. However, no one will be allowed to check out at the same time all the items the library may own on one particular topic.
Parents who home school their children can also apply for a teacher’s card.
Institutions (correctional centers, daycares, etc.) can apply for a special institutional card which will allow them to check out higher numbers of books than other patrons.

For more information about teacher and institutional limits, please contact the circulation manager, branch manager, or library director.

RENEWING ITEMS:

Items may be renewed in person, by phone, or online with your library card number and password. New due dates are from the date renewed, not the date the material was previously due. We recommend renewing one day prior to the due date in case there are problems. Items cannot be renewed once they are overdue.

BLOCKED RENEWALS:

Renewals will be blocked if:

1. There are outstanding fees or fines on the card of $5 or more.

2. The material is overdue.

3. The library card has expired or will expire prior to the new due date.

4. There is a request/reserve by other library patrons for the item.

5. The item has exceeded the maximum number of renewal times. (Note: DVD’s are allowed only one renewal.)

MAXIMUM FINES:

The maximum fine per item will be $10, regardless of the type of item. Please note that this is per item, not per library card.

FINE SCHEDULE:

Books and most other items accrue fines at the rate of 10¢ per day. DVD’s accrue fines at the rate of 65¢ per day.

Failure to receive notifications that items are overdue does not relieve the borrower of the responsibility to pay the fines/fees. Borrowers are urged to keep their receipts and note the due dates on them.

LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS:

Items are billed at actual cost, plus a $2 processing fee and late fees. In cases where the actual cost is not available, the default cost is $15 per item, plus processing fee and late fees. When the lost item is paid for, the late fees will be waived.

*Note: Once a patron has paid for an item, it becomes the property of the patron. If the patron finds the lost item within 90 days after payment, the patron can return the item, and receive a refund for the cost, but not for the processing fee. After 90 days the patron will not be given a refund. Refunds are not granted if the returned item is not in satisfactory condition. Note that for DVD boxed sets for refund, all discs must be returned in satisfactory condition.

PATRON ACCOUNTS ONLINE:

Patrons can check their address information, see the items currently checked out and their due dates, view the fines/fees on their account, and see their current requests for items. They can request items online and renew items online. To do so, they will need their library card number and their password. The password will be set initially as the last four digits of the patron’s telephone number. The patron can then change the password online. For security, the patron should change the password promptly.

*Note: Patrons cannot place Interlibrary Loan requests online. Patrons also cannot pay fines and fees online.

REQUESTING AN ITEM:

Patrons can request an item and can indicate at which library branch they would like to pick up the item. The pickup branch will notify the patron when the item is available for pickup.

Some items cannot be requested. Patrons will not be able to request materials if any of the following situations apply:

1. The patron already has placed a request on this same record. This rule prevents multiple duplicate requests.

2. The patron owes $5 or more.

3. The patron’s library card has expired.

4. No requests are allowed for the particular item (item does not check out).

SETTING UP EMAIL NOTIFICATION:

Patrons who wish to be notified by email must ensure that an accurate and current email address for them is on file. Patrons also should ensure that their email provider is not treating emails from the library as spam and blocking the address. If a patron does not provide an email address, all notifications will be by phone or regular mail.

Library email addresses for the circulation system currently are as follows:

Main Library: [email protected]

Basile Branch: [email protected]

Chataignier Branch: [email protected]

Mamou Branch: [email protected]

Pine Prairie Prescott Branch: [email protected]

Turkey Creek Branch: [email protected]

Email notifications will typically come from the main library, but the patron’s home branch will receive a CC notice. Patrons can also contact their home branch directly by using the branch’s email address.

Failure to receive notifications that items are overdue or being billed as lost/not returned does not relieve the borrower of the responsibility to pay the fines/fees. Please keep your receipts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

This document is not exhaustive. For more information about any aspect of this circulation policy, please contact the library director or the circulation manager (337.363.1369), or contact the branch manager at the nearest branch of the Evangeline Parish Library. Some key points of this policy are summarized in the following table:

PATRON CATEGORIES AND RULES BY CATEGORY
Child	Adult	Teacher	Institution
Any age up to 18, present current photo ID or satisfactory replacements and have parent or guardian sign for card.	18 and up, present current photo ID or satisfactory replacements, sign for card.	Show proof of current position and identity and sign for card. *Note: Homeschooling parents can also apply for a teacher card.	Sign interagency agreement.
First card free if a resident of parish, otherwise $3 charge.	Same	Same	Same
Replacement Cards – $3 *Note: Report lost/stolen cards promptly – Responsible adult will be responsi9ble for any debts incurred on card before its loss was reported.	Same	Same	Same
Card expires after one year. Do not throw away, call to update and renew card for another year.	Same	Same	Same
Parent or guardian must sign for card.	N/A	N/A	Agency Representative signs
Card needed for item check outs.	Same	Same	Same
Card needed for computer use (must have signed Internet permission and be seven (7) or order to use computer without parent or responsible adult).	Same as child, except no signed permission needed.	Same as adult	Same as adult
Card in good standing is not expired, does not have overdue items, and has less than $5 of outstanding fines.	Same	Same	Same
Card does not allow checkouts of R-rated movies.	Checkouts allowed	Checkouts allowed	TBD
Fine warning at $2 owed	Fine warning at $5	Same as adult	TBD
Blocked from computer use, checkouts, and placing requests when $5 or more owed.	Same	Same	TBD
Text Preparation Books ($12 deposit)	Same	Same	Same
Maximum 10 items out on card.	10 items max	20 items	50 items
Maximum 10 books out on card	10 books max	20 books	50 books
Maximum 5 audios out on card	5 audios max	5 audios max	TBD
Maximum 3 DVD’s out on card AND per family or household (1 if boxed set)	3 DVD’s Max (1 if boxed set)	3 DVD’s Max (1 if boxed set)
Maximum 10 magazines out on card (most current issue is in library use only)	10 magazines max	10 magazines max	TBD
Maximum fines charged per item is $10	Same	Same	TBD
No maximum charge per card	Same	Same	Same
Lost items charged cost of item plus $2 processing charge plus late fees	Same	Same	Same
Late fees waived if item is paid for as a lost or damaged item.	Same	Same	Same
Lost item charge refunded ONLY if item returned in satisfactory condition within 90 days of payment, processing fee not refunded.	Same	Same	Same
If no item cost is listed, default charge is $15 plus processing fee plus late fees.	Same	Same	Same
Account can be discussed only with the child or his/her parents or guardians, unless signed permission is given for somebody else to discuss – some legal exceptions apply.	Account can only be discussed with card holder, unless signed permission is given for somebody else to discuss – some legal exceptions apply.	Same as adult	Same as adult
Can set up online account and use it to review account, request items and specify pickup branch, renew items.	Same	Same	Same
Can set up reading history.	Same	Same	Same
Can set up email notifications.	Same	Same	Same
Cannot place Interlibrary Loans or pay fines and fees online.	Same	Same	Same
Not held responsible for accounts of others in household; borrowing limits and use privileges not affected by others’ accounts *except for household limit on movies. WARNING: Parents or guardians are responsible for the accounts of all their children under 18.*	Same	Same	N/A

LIBRARY CARD POLICY

(Reviewed and adopted by the Library Board of Control on November 27, 2023)

Note: Picture identification required to obtain a library card.

Residents of Evangeline Parish: free for first card (replacement cards $3)

Also, first card free (replacement cards $3) for persons working, attending school, or owning property in Evangeline Parish, provided that the applicant shows acceptable proof as shown below (required in addition to picture ID, not in lieu of picture ID:

1. Residency: Proof of address (on photo ID or bill)

2. Employment (Employee ID card or pay stub)

3. School attendance (School ID or report card)

4. Property ownership (property tax bill)

Applicants who do not meet any of the four criteria above will not usually be granted a library card. However, as visitors they will be allowed to use library resources within the library.

For residents of adjacent parishes or of parishes within the Libraries Southwest Consortium, exceptions may apply.

No cards issued to anyone under age 18 without the signature of a parent or other responsible adult who by signing for the minor’s card agrees to be responsible for all charges (fines, lost item charges, etc.) incurred by the minor or anybody else in the use of the card.

Staff may ask for additional proof of age, and/or residency, etc.

in making library cards.

The enactment of La. Act 436 / 2023, has led to the following updates in our card system:

Every cardholder from ages 0—17 must have a NEW registration card on file with the permission of a parent or guardian for RESTRICTED or UNRESTRICTED access to any physical items in the library or digital content accessed with a library card. See attached application.

You are the only person who is allowed to use your card for any library services.

You are responsible for all materials checked out with that card.

(4)The library must maintain a list of digital content sources that are accessible to minors and contain sexually explicit material for check out so that parents or guardians can make an informed decision about whether to permit their child to check out digital content. La. R. S. 25:225 ( C ) (2) (d)