Sonoma County Library is excited to announce changes to our checkout policies to improve borrowers’ library experience. Beginning April 2, 2018, we streamlined four policies (Cards & Accounts, Fines & Fees, Loans & Loan Limits, and Requests & Holds) into one all-encompassing Circulation Policy, with appendices that outline loan limits & requests, and fines & fees. As part of this revision process, we incorporated changes suggested by staff and borrowers to improve and enrich our borrowers’ library experience.
The following changes took effect on Monday, April 2:
- Cardholders may check out up to fifty (50) items at one time (instead of 30)
- Cardholders may renewed items three times, if there are no holds on them (instead of twice)
- Cardholders may place holds on up to 25 items (instead of 20)
- Overdue fines for DVDs are lowered to $.25 per day (instead of $1.00/day)
- Cardholders who owe less than $10 may check out materials and use the computers (instead of $5)
All other circulation parameters remain unchanged, other than those highlighted here.
The goals of these changes are to encourage use of library resources and to remove barriers to library use, while embracing a “One Library” approach for borrowing material across Sonoma County Library service points. With these policy revisions, Library leadership is optimistic that the system will more user-friendly for library patrons and public services staff. We thank you for your patience and welcome your feedback as we navigate these changes.
For more information, contact Bill Coolidge, Branch Manager of the Rincon Valley Library and Chair of the Public Services Management Team, at bcoolidge@sonomalibrary.org.
Read more about Sonoma County Library policies and procedures at https://sonomalibrary.org/about/policies-and-procedures and keep in touch with library events at www.sonomalibrary.org/events and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
