About Mohr Library: Policies
Public Service and User-Related Policies, Feb. 16, 2011
A. Eligibility for Borrowing and Services
1. Registration of Patrons
Mohr Library is a member of Ocean State Libraries (OSL), a consortium that includes public libraries in Rhode Island. Library cards that work at all OSL libraries are available to eligible persons as set out in OSL policy.
See Ocean State Libraries borrowing policy or OSL website2. Interlibrary Loan
Mohr Library is a member of the Library of Rhode Island (LORI) and can therefore request materials from other LORI members in the state of Rhode Island , and from outside Rhode Island via a state clearinghouse maintained by LORI.
Marian J. Mohr participates in the national interlibrary loan program that permits the library to borrow material from other libraries. This service is available to all patrons who do not carry more than $5 in fines and overdue items. Books and photocopies of articles from periodicals not owned by the library or that are otherwise unavailable, may be requested by loan through interlibrary loan.
Marian J. Mohr does not charge for interlibrary loan service. However, some libraries charge fees for loaning their materials through ILL. Patrons may specify whether they are willing to pay fees for the loan of materials, and how much they are willing to pay, so that we will not accept loans from libraries that charge. Fines for overdue material and processing costs for lost or damaged items will vary with the lending library and are responsibility of the patron. In addition to fines and fees that may be applied by lending libraries, Mohr Library will charge $0.10 per day for overdue materials obtained through interlibrary loan.
The library may restrict the number of items requested by an individual patron or "meter" the number of items referred through interlibrary loan when necessary to ensure fair, equitable and timely service within the constraints of budget and staffing. Requests that staff determine may violate copyright laws will not be accepted.
The Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library participates in complete resource sharing of all circulating materials. with the exception of those materials classified as equipment or for loan exclusively inside the building.
3. Library Programs
Mohr Library offers programs for citizens of all ages according to demand, available resources, and to the perceived value in accomplishing the library's mission. Programs may be developed and presented by library staff or may be co-sponsored by the library and other community organizations. Library staff will present the most demanded programs on a regular schedule throughout the year. Other programs will be planned, staff time and budget permitting. Each year a budget will be established for hiring performers and purchasing materials for children's programming. Programs for adults may be scheduled throughout the year as interest warrants. Speakers from community groups and businesses may be invited top present programs on topics of general interest or of a timely nature. Presenters may not directly submit business before, during, or following a program although cards and brochures may be left on the display table for attendees to pick up. No fees may be charged to attend library sponsored or co-sponsored programs.
Library programs are generally open to anyone wishing to attend. Persons attending library-sponsored programs are expected to adhere to the library's policies on patron conduct.
By separate action and reaffirmed herein, Marian J. Mohr Library has endorsed the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and its interpretation, "Library Initiated Programs a Resource." See Appendices.
4. Computer Use Policy and Agreement
Computer use is restricted to patrons who
1) are over the age of 17, and younger patrons who have permission of a parent or guardian,
2) have read and signed this agreement, and
3) do not owe $5 or more in fines and fees attached to their OSL card.
Policy on Electronic Resources and Use of the Internet
1. Users must not make unauthorized changes of any kind to either software or hardware belonging to the library, nor attempt unauthorized access to any computer files or systems.
2. Users must make only authorized copies of data.
3. Users accept liability for any damages or illegal activity done by the user.
4. Users must abide by the decision of the library staff regarding all library equipment.
Rules of Use
Users should bring their cards to sign on to computers and to show that they do not have $5 or more in fines and fees outstanding. Records maintained by the Library will show that a minor has been granted permission to use computers through the signing of this agreement by a parent or legal guardian.
1. Computer use is on a first come, first serve basis.
2. A thirty-minute time limit is imposed if there are others waiting.
3. Patrons can print black and white copies at ten cents per page, or color copies at fifty cents per page.
4. Patrons who intentionally access and/or view illegal or obscene material on the Internet are in violation of this agreement and will thereby forfeit their right to use the computers provided for the public at the Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library. Additionally, because the computer screens can be viewed by other library patrons, particularly minors, computer users should not display materials that would be considered offensive or inappropriate by community standards. The staff has the right to limit or cancel a patron's access to said computers if said patron violates any provision set forth in this agreement.
5. Patrons under the age of eighteen will have parents notified upon any infraction.
5. About the Internet
The Internet is an informal global network that offers access to a nearly unlimited variety of materials and information. However, some of the information found on the Internet may be in accurate, biased, out of date, inappropriate, illegal or offensive to some users. The Mohr library does not monitor the Internet and has no control over the content of materials found or entered online by an adult or child. Just as the library does not vouch for or endorse the viewpoints of print materials, we do not do so for electronic information. The Library is not responsible for consequences resulting from personal information entered online. Staff is available to make appropriate recommendations for patron's queries. Parents should note that staff is not responsible for their children's use of the Internet. As with all other library sources the library is not responsible for their children's use of the library's computer. Due to the rapid changes in technology the Mohr library reserves the right to update this agreement periodically.
Filtering Notice: As of July 1, 2004, the Internet is filtered at Mohr Library. There will be a message and a prompt for a password whenever a site is blocked. Under the law, computer users 17 or older have the right to ask staff to unblock sites. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), intended to prevent computers in schools and libraries from downloading illegal images or obscene images that are not constitutionally protected, was passed in December of 2000. The Supreme Court has confirmed that libraries cannot qualify for certain types of Federal funds to support Internet use without filtering and taking other steps to protect minors. Rhode Island public libraries in the Ocean State Libraries Automated Network (OSL) depend on such Federal funds, and are thus required to use filters. Filters do not always work. There is no guarantee that obscene or illegal images will be blocked. Also, filters will block some sites that serve legitimate research needs. Please do not hesitate to ask for assistance.
I apply for the right to use the Mohr Library public computers.
I will abide by the Library's rules and will pay any fines or damages charged to me.Print Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________
Address: ______________________________________________________
City, State: ________________________ Phone: __________________
Signature: ___________________________________
For those under the age of 18 Parent or Guardian must fill out below:
Name: _________________________________________ Date: ____________
Relationship: _____________________ Driver's License: ____________
My child has/has not (circle one) my permission to use the Internet.
Parent or Guardian signature: ___________________________________________
6. Video and Software Media Circulation Policy and Agreement
Video and Software Media circulation is restricted to patrons who:
1) are over the age of 17, and younger patrons who have permission of a parent or guardian,
2) have read and signed this agreement,
3) do not owe $5 or more in fines and fees attached to their OSL card.
Lending policy:
1. Videos are loaned for a 7-day period.
2. Titles are limited to 5 per person.
3. Overdue videos and software media are assessed at the rate of $1.00 per day.
4. There is a maximum fine of $15.00 per item.
5. A $1.00 charge may be imposed on media left in the bookdrop.
6. Lost items will be replaced at current market value plus a $10 charge for processing.
Patron and parents or guardians of patron under 18 accept responsibility for paying charges and fines for overdue materials, damages and loss of material. Patrons agree to notify the library promptly of any problem with materials checked out to them.
The library will not assume responsibility, financially or otherwise, for any equipment damaged or otherwise affected by its media.
Print Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________
Address: ______________________________________________________
City, State: ________________________ Phone: __________________
Signature: ___________________________________
For those under the age of 18 Parent or Guardian must fill out below:
Name: _________________________________________ Date: ____________
Relationship: _____________________ Driver's License: ____________
Parent or Guardian signature: ___________________________________________
B. Collection Development Policy
1. Mission Goals
Collection development relates to the Library's mission according to four interrelated principles.
1) The Library makes self-education possible for any who would avail themselves of this advantage by developing a core of essential resources to support a broad array of pursuits, in depth limited by resources of the Library, and in scope determined by the contemporary needs of an educated populace.
2) The Library is a repository for essential public information.
3) The Library seeks to provide ready access to materials that support research by regular types of users and according to evidence of local interest.
4) The Mohr Library collects popular fiction to meet strong demand among satisfied library users. In collecting fiction, the library acknowledges the value of stories to enrich lives and contribute to culture. The Library attempts to have a collection that as a whole contains good and meaningful writing and reaches many people.
The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Marian J. Mohr Public Library Board of Trustees and are integral parts of the policy. See Appendixes.
2. Scope of Collection
The purpose of the Marian J. Mohr Public Library is to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.
Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs.
The Library's serves the general rather than the highly specialized interests of the community. It does not collect textbooks specifically to support the curricula of schools, or material of a highly technical or specialized nature, but seeks to provide for a broad range of needs and interests.
Marian Mohr Library strives to maintain the Italian Language collection and several other special collections including the Ralph Mohr Collection, which emphasizes military history, and the Rhode Island Collection of local history materials.
3. Responsibility for Selection
The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the library director who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Marian J. Mohr Public Library Board of Trustees. This responsibility may be shared with other members of the library staff; however, because the director must be available to answer to the library board and the general public for actual selections made, the director has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.
4. Criteria for Selection
Staff will adhere to professional practice when selecting materials. They will attempt to anticipate demand for items, will rely on professional reviews, and on their own sense of quality of writing or value of information.
Staff will consider and balance the following criteria:
1) individual merit of each item
2) popular appeal or demand
3) suitability of material for the clientele
4) existing library holdings
5) budget
Patron requests for materials are encouraged and will receive strong consideration within the context of the overall goals of the policy.
5. Deselection of Materials
Materials that no longer fit the stated service roles of the library will be withdrawn from the collection. This may include materials that are damaged, include obsolete information, or are no longer used. Decisions will be based on accepted professional practice, and the professional judgment of the library director or designated staff. When necessary, local specialists will be consulted to determine the continued relevance and reliability of materials.
Items withdrawn from the collection will be disposed of in accordance with local law, which permits discarding into trash, recycling of paper, or transfer to the Friends for sale. No items may be sold or given directly to groups or individuals. Discarded magazines or newspapers may be given to other area libraries or social service agencies at the discretion of the library director.
6. Censorship, Access, and Challenged materials
Individuals may take issue with library materials that do not support their tastes, and views. Staff is available to discuss concern and identify alternate materials that are available. If a patron's concern is not satisfied through discussion with staff, a formal, written request for reconsideration of materials may be submitted to the library director.
Marian J. Mohr Library is not a judicial body. Laws governing obscenity, subversive materials, and other questionable, matters are subject to interpretations by the courts. Therefore, no challenged material will be removed solely for the complaint of obscenity or any other category covered by law until after a local court of competent jurisdiction has ruled against the material. No materials will be knowingly added to the library collection that have been previously determined to be in non-compliance with local laws.
For a request of reconsideration to be considered, the form must be completed in full. The patron submitting the request must be a resident and a valid OSL cardholder. The director will respond in writing within thirty days of receipt, to the patron's request for reconsideration. The response will indicate the action to be taken and the reasons for or against the request. An item will only be evaluated for reconsideration once in a twelve-month period.
7. Vendor Relations
The Library maintains vendor relations in the best interests of the supporters and users of the Library. Staff seek to obtain materials at the lowest cost while assuring timely delivery from firms with reputable customer service. Staff will maintain efficient means of purchasing in accordance with town regulations. The Library may acquire large amounts of materials through a single vendor in order to maintain favorable discounts and efficient workflow. The Library will consider rental or lease of books and other media when doing so meets stated service objectives.
8. Gifts
Marian J. Mohr Library welcomes gifts of new and used books, audio recordings and similar materials. Items will be added to the collection in accordance with the selection policy of the library. Once donated, items become the property of the library, and may be given to other libraries and non-profit agencies, sold, traded, or discarded if they are not added to the collection. Donated items will not be returned to the donor and the library will not accept any item that is not an outright gift. The library will acknowledge receipt of donated items but is unable to set fair market value or appraisal values. It is recommended that the donor make list of items donated. If the items are being donated to obtain a tax benefit it is the donor's responsibility to obtain a fair market value obtain an expert assistance in establishing any value. The library also reserves the right to decide when a gift added to the collection must be withdrawn.
Monetary gifts, bequests, and memorial or honorary contributions are particularly welcome. Funds donated will be used to purchase items in accordance with the selection policy of the library. Books, videos and other materials purchased with bequests and memorial or monetary contributions will be identified with special donor plates whenever possible. If requested, notification of memorial or honorary contributions will be sent to the family of the person being recognized. Suggestions for subject area or other areas of interest are welcome and will be followed to the extent possible.
Acceptance of donations of equipment, real estate, stock, artifacts, works of art, collections, etc., will be determined by the library board based on their suitability to the purposes and needs of the library, laws and regulations that govern the ownership of the gift, and the library's ability to cover insurance and maintenance costs associated with the donation.
9. Special Collections
The Marian J .Mohr Library is pleased to host special collections that have been donated by patrons if there is room and availability for display.
C. Circulation Policy
1. Lending rules
1) Always bring your library card to check out books or to use in-house resources such as computers.
2) A lost library card must be reported promptly. All items charged out before a card is cancelled or reported stolen are the responsibility of the cardholder.
3) There is a one-week check out for selected, highly demanded items.
4) There is a one-week checkout for videos.
5) There is a three-week check out for other materials.
6) The fine for late videos is $1.00 per item per day.
7) The fine for all other late materials is ten cents ($0.10) per item per day.
8) Overdue fines are not charged for those days that the library is closed.
9) Maximum fines: $15.00 per item
10) Lost items must be replaced at current market value. A $10.00 processing fee will be added.
11) Books may be returned in the outside bookdrop. Patrons are asked to return tapes, optical disks, and other materials to the Circulation Desk.
12) Patrons registered in Johnston may borrow unlimited books and magazines with the following exceptions:
a. A maximum of three items of a subject by a single patron at any given time.
b. A maximum of two reading list titles at any given time.
c. A maximum of five videos at a time per user.
d. A maximum of five audios at a time per user.
13) Renewals: One renewal per title in person or by telephone with the following exceptions:
a. The item cannot be on hold for another patron.
b. The title cannot be a school Reading List book.
14) A book or other item not on the shelf, or not owned by the Mohr Library may be borrowed from another library in the OSL system by putting a hold on it. There is no fee. Patron will be contacted by phone or email.
15) An interlibrary loan can be requested for titles not found in the OSL catalogue. Check with the Reference staff.
16) On- line book renewal is allowed.
2. Confidentiality
Marian J. Mohr Library supports every patron's right to have his or her library records remain confidential. Library records include patron registration data, circulation records, overdue and reserve records, participation in library sponsored programs, record of library visits, and/or any data that contains information that links a specific patron to specific materials or services used. Each patron has control over his or her borrower's card and presentation of the borrower's card permits access to information about the borrower's current circulation record. Except during the actual period of transaction, the library will not maintain a record of transactions. When no longer need for library administration purposes, the records will be expunged.
No information will be released to any person, agency, or organization except in response to a valid court order or subpoena, properly presented to the library administrator.
Nothing in this policy shall prevent library personnel from using library records in the administration of their regular duties. By separate action, Marian, J. Mohr Library has endorsed the recommendation of the American Library Association's Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records and the RILA's "Statement on Intellectual Freedom."
1) Policy and Procedures in Response to the USA Patriot Act of 2001 or to Law Enforcement requests for Patron Information
If anyone approaches staff alleging to be a law enforcement official requesting information, staff are instructed not to disclose to that individual any information. Staff will immediately contact the Library Director or leave a message. If the Director is unavailable, staff will contact the senior Librarian on duty. If both are unavailable, staff will contact a Library Trustee.
The Director, Librarian or Trustee will ask to see official identification and will photocopy the ID.
If law enforcement personnel present a subpoena, library staff should direct that person to the Director, senior Librarian, or Trustee; who will in turn direct the subpoena to legal council (the Town Solicitor).
If library staff is presented with a warrant, staff are instructed not to interfere with search and seizure. They are to contact the Library Director as soon as possible.
Staff are to keep a record of all legal requests.
Staff are to keep a record of all cost incurred by any search and/or seizures.
3. Reserved Materials
Reserves may be placed by patrons either in person or over the phone. Patrons will be notified by telephone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve or for interlibrary loan services.
4. Fines and Damages
Library materials are purchased for use by all citizens. Marian J. Mohr establishes regulations for the loan of materials, including circulation periods, renewal processes, and fines for late returns. The Board of Trustees believes that the individual who chooses to keep materials past the due date, or who refuses to settle unpaid fines or fees, compromises to some extent his or her right to privacy. The Library will attempt to recover late materials and will notify patrons of unpaid fines and fees according to procedures established by the Board of Trustees. Information regarding overdue and non-returned materials and past due fines and fees may be disclosed to a collection agency, when that agency has entered into an agreement with the library to collect materials or fees and fines. The library will also provide sufficient information to allow any individual other than the cardholder of the borrower's card to settle unpaid fees or fines on that card. However, authors, titles, or subjects of lost or overdue materials will not be discussed without presentation of the borrower's card.
D. Reference Policy
1. Reference Service Policy
The Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library
1) will provide information in the form of short answers to specific questions and guidance in locating material for patrons who appear in person, call on the telephone, or request information through correspondence;
2) will assist patrons in the use of the Library and teach basic research methodology, when appropriate (this includes providing help in developing a research strategy and advice on whether a trip to the Library would be worthwhile for individuals who telephone);
3) will provide bibliographic verification of items both in the Library and not owned by the Library and will assist patrons in obtaining materials through interlibrary loan, when appropriate;
4) may refer library users to other agencies and libraries in pursuit of needed information;
5) may use not only the Library's resources in printed form, but consult appropriate digital resources as well as the regional resource library and other agencies by telephone in pursuit of "ready reference" information.
E. Facilities
1. Hours of operation
Mohr Library will be open a minimum of 64 hours each week. The Library Director with the approval of the Board of Trustees will determine days and daily hours of operation. A summer and holiday schedule will be established to maximize staffing during periods of heavy and light library usage.
The Library will close on holidays established by the Board of Trustees and at other times deemed necessary by the library director with the Board of Trustees. Except in cases of emergencies, notice of closings will be posted in the library two weeks in advance and will be reported to the local news media.
2. Americans with Disabilities Act compliance
The Marian J. Mohr Library makes every attempt to act in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act. Since our building has not been updated, we are alert to the needs of our patrons and make the necessary accommodation to allow for access to the present building. It is with this understanding that our proposed building will meet all required codes.
3. Security
The Mohr Library is alarmed and maintained by the Johnston Police Department.
There are outdoor lights and a pay phone for public use.
4. Meeting Room Policy
Adopted by the Library Board of Trustees, Sept. 28, 2011
Mohr Library provides public meeting space for cultural, informational, educational, intellectual and civic purposes.
Meeting room use should not interfere with the safe and peaceful use of the library. No use of the meeting room will be permitted that is likely to disturb library patrons in their customary use of library facilities, impede Library staff in the performance of their duties, or endanger the library and its collections. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
If there is a scheduling conflict regarding use of the meeting room, priority may be given to Johnston residents or organized groups based in Johnston, RI. Exceptions may be made by the Library Board if the Board deems extenuating circumstances are involved.
The fact that a group is permitted to meet at the Library does not in any way constitute an endorsement of the group's policies or beliefs by the Library staff or Board.
The room may be reserved no more than ninety days in advance. Groups may be limited in the number of times they use the library meeting room in order to ensure fair access to the facility. Please give prompt notice in the event of a cancellation.
It is understood that library programming will have first priority in room use.
There will be no charge for use of the meeting room for non-commercial use by local government, school department, non-profit or non-commercial civic groups. Other entities will pay $20/hour for up to 4 hours during open hours of the Library.
No admission may be charged by the group with the exception of conference registration fees with cooperation of the Library, or fees for educational programs from nonprofit groups.
Refreshments may be served and shall be provided by the group. No smoking or alcohol is allowed.
The Library will allow use of some equipment and furniture if available.
The people using the room shall leave it in neat, clean, orderly condition; if not, the group/individual will be given notice that continued offense will result in denied access to the meeting room.
The Library is not responsible for any equipment, supplies, materials, clothing, or other items brought to the Library by any group or individual attending a meeting.
The Library Board and staff do not assume any liability for groups or individuals attending a meeting in the Library.
Groups using the library's meeting room must certify liability insurance coverage in accordance with the requirements of the Town of Johnston for use of Town facilities by outside groups.
Application For Use of Meeting Room
5. Displays and Exhibits Policy
As an educational and cultural institution, the Marian J. Mohr Public Library welcomes exhibits and displays of interest, information and enlightenment to the community. Displays of handiwork, historical material, nature study, or any other material deemed of general interest may be exhibited. The director shall accept or reject material offered for display based on its suitability and availability.
The Library assumes no responsibility for the preservation or protection, and no liability for possible damage or theft of any item displayed or exhibited. All items placed in the Library are there at the owner's risk.
Areas available to the public for displays and exhibits are the glass exhibit case, the meeting room, and the general bulletin board. A release must be signed by the exhibitor before any artifact can be placed in the library. An example of the release follows:
Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library Display and Exhibit Release
I, the undersigned, hereby lend the following works of art or other material to the Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library for exhibit purposes only. In consideration of the privilege of exhibiting them in the Library, I hereby release said Library from responsibility for loss, damage, or destruction while they are in the possession of the Library.
Exhibition to be held in the __________________________________
During ___________________________________________________
Description of materials loaned _______________________________
Signature__________________________________Date________________
Address__________________________________Telephone_____________
6. Use of Library Equipment
The library provides fax service when the information requested is brief and readily available in printed form. Staff cannot conduct extensive research, compile information, or gather data from a variety of sources to be faxed. Fax service will be limited to brief readily available information provided as part of the reference services of the library. Materials and information may be requested by incoming fax, and requests will be treated in the same manner as telephone reference questions.
Staff will adhere to copyright restrictions when faxing materials, and a copyright violation warning will be affixed to the front page of copyrighted materials being faxed. Staff may refuse to fax materials that violate copyright laws.
7. Code of Conduct
Staff will not allow behavior which threatens the health, safety or rights of people on library property.
The Library seeks to provide areas for quiet study. The Reading Room is set aside for for library-sponsored meetings and at other times for patrons who require silence. In other parts of the library, please converse quietly.
Food and drink are allowed in the library when they are part of a library-sponsored program or event. When refreshments are allowed patrons are asked to be neat and to use special care near books and equipment.
There is no smoking inside the library or within fifty feet of the building.
We ask that patrons silence cell phone ringers and if they must use a cell phone take special care not to disrupt other patrons. Please use cell phones outside if possible.
The behavior of minors is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. Parents will be notified if their children are left unattended and require supervision. If parents are unavailable, the proper authorities will be notified.
Staff may request removal of a patron who refuses to cooperate with the policies and procedures of the library, and if necessary will contact the patron's legal guardian and/or the police.
F. Community Relations Policy
1. Cooperative Borrowing agreement
Recognizing that no library collection can meet all of the informational, recreational, educational needs of its community, Mohr Library enters agreements with other libraries to expand the range of materials available to our citizens. Reciprocal borrowing privileges may be extended to patrons of any library that extends privileges to residents. The Board of Trustees must approve reciprocal borrowing agreements. Residents may request a current list of libraries with which reciprocal borrowing agreements exist. Due to differences in borrower registration procedures and circulation systems, borrowers may be requested to register with the lending library but any non-resident fees will be waived. Privileges will not be extended or may be limited to persons who have lost library privileges in their own home library due to overdue materials, unpaid fines or other unresolved problems. The Board of Trustees may also enter contracts to provide library service to residents of communities that do not have library service.
2. Relations with Schools
Homework questions will be answered in the same manner as any other reference question. Priority will be given to patrons in the library. Telephone assistance will be limited to short, factual questions that can be answered without interpretation of materials. Materials may be pulled from the shelves and held for patron pick up. If a teacher informs the reference desk staff that the search process and the use of research materials located are part of the assignment, staff will defer to the teacher's request and limit assistance to helping students with their research without supplying answers.
School visits are arranged with the Children's librarian and are open to all grades and age levels. Informal visits by large groups of middle or high school students must first be arranged with the Young Adult Librarian.
3. Public Relations
Mohr Library tries to maintain a positive public image with the community by the release of press notices regarding upcoming events and items of interest to the general public. There is a current newsletter that is sent to patrons and other interested members of the community. The staff at the library hosts a web site and its use is encouraged for participation in various events.
4. Volunteers
Mohr Library welcomes and encourages members of the community to volunteer their time and talents to enrich and expand the library services. Volunteers are expected to conform to all policies and the rules outlined in a volunteer handbook, and are selected and maintained as long as the library needs their services. Volunteers may be used for special events, projects, activities, or on a regular basis to assist staff. Services supplied by the volunteers will supplement staff, but not replace regular services, and volunteers will nit be used in place of hiring full time, part-time staff. Volunteers may apply for the paid position under the same conditions as other outside applicants. In accordance with labor laws and the policies of the Board of Trustees paid staff may not volunteer their services to the library except with written permission from the library director. Staff may volunteer in other department of city government outside the library
5. Friends group
Organized by the community and offering service to the library, the Friends group plays a vital role in the life of library patrons. Anyone who is interested and is willing to participate in the activities is welcomed to join. The group supports the library and accommodates the many activities for which the library alone cannot be responsible.
Appendices
Appendix A. Code of Ethics of the American Library Association
As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs.
Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.
We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations.
The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.
We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.
We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
We recognize and respect intellectual property rights.
We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.
We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
Adopted by the ALA Council
June 28, 1995
Appendix B. Library Bill of Rights
The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.
Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
Adopted June 18, 1948. Amended February 2, 1961, and January 23, 1980, inclusion of "age" reaffirmed January 23, 1996, by the ALA Council.
Appendix C. The Freedom to Read Statement
The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.
Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.
These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.
Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.
Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.
We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.
The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.
We therefore affirm these propositions:
It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.
Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.
Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.
Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.
It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.
No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.
There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.
To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.
It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.
The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.
It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.
It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.
It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one, the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.
The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.
We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.
This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.
Adopted June 25, 1953; revised January 28, 1972, January 16, 1991, July 12, 2000, June 30, 2004, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee.
A Joint Statement by:
American Library Association
Association of American Publishers
Appendix D. Library-Initiated Programs as a Resource:
An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
Library-initiated programs support the mission of the library by providing users with additional opportunities for information, education, and recreation. Article I of the Library Bill of Rights states: "Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves."
Library-initiated programs take advantage of library staff expertise, collections, services and facilities to increase access to information and information resources. Library-initiated programs introduce users and potential users to the resources of the library and to the library's primary function as a facilitator of information access. The library may participate in cooperative or joint programs with other agencies, organizations, institutions, or individuals as part of its own effort to address information needs and to facilitate information access in the community the library serves.
Library-initiated programs on site and in other locations include, but are not limited to, speeches, community forums, discussion groups, demonstrations, displays, and live or media presentations.
Libraries serving multilingual or multicultural communities should make efforts to accommodate the information needs of those for whom English is a second language. Library-initiated programs that cross language and cultural barriers introduce otherwise underserved populations to the resources of the library and provide access to information.
of the contents of the program or the views expressed by the participants, as stated in Article II of the Library Bill of Rights. Library sponsorship of a program does not constitute an endorsement of the content of the program or the views expressed by the participants, any more than the purchase of material for the library collection constitutes an endorsement of the contents of the material or the views of its creator.
Library-initiated programs are a library resource, and, as such, are developed in accordance with written guidelines, as approved and adopted by the library's policy-making body. These guidelines should include an endorsement of the Library Bill of Rights and set forth the library's commitment to free and open access to information and ideas for all users.
Library staff select topics, speakers and resource materials for library-initiated programs based on the interests and information needs of the community. Topics, speakers and resource materials are not excluded from library-initiated programs because of possible controversy. Concerns, questions or complaints about library-initiated programs are handled according to the same written policy and procedures that govern reconsiderations of other library resources.
Library-initiated programs are offered free of charge and are open to all. Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states: "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views."
The "right to use a library" encompasses all the resources the library offers, including the right to attend library-initiated programs. Libraries do not deny or abridge access to library resources, including library-initiated programs, based on an individual's economic background or ability to pay.
Adopted January 27, 1982; amended June 26, 1990; July 12, 2000, by the ALA Council.