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Library Card Policy

Approved by the York County Library Board of Trustees on Sept. 17, 2009

Revised by the Library Board of Trustees on Sept. 8, 2016

 

York County Library cards:

  • Are your passport to a world of information, ideas, knowledge, and recreation.

  • Are free to York County residents and property owners, and to out-of-county residents who are employed in York County.

  • Are available for an annual fee to out-of-county residents who do not work in York County.

  • Are used to check out and place holds on library materials, to use public library computers, and to access online databases provided by the library.

  • Provide free access to the holdings of member libraries of the SCLENDS (South Carolina Library Evergreen Network Delivery System) Consortium.

  • Provide access to request materials from other libraries nationwide.

  • Provide the ability to review your account, search our catalog and databases, and reserve materials from your home, office, or school computer.

  • Are valid at all York County Libraries and the Bookmobile.

 

Responsibilities of the cardholder:

York County Library card establishes a financial account for which the user is responsible. In signing the application for a library card, the patron is agreeing to follow all library policies and procedures, to accept responsibility for returning all borrowed library materials, to accept responsibility for paying for replacement of all lost and/or damaged titles or components of titles, and to accept the authority of library personnel in enforcing library policies and procedures.

 

When signing for a juvenile’s library card, the parent or legal guardian is also agreeing to supervise the child’s use of the library in addition to the above responsibilities.

 

The card holder is also responsible for fines and fees generated through loaning a card or allowing someone else to use it.

 

The barcode on a user’s library card is a unique identifier for that individual’s account in both the York County Library system and the SCLENDS consortium. As such, users should not allow others to use their barcoded library card or give out their barcode number to anyone else that is untrustworthy. Users will be held responsible for materials and charges (see current Fines and Fees Policy) resulting from others’ use of their barcode, library card, and account.

Due to the prevalence of identity theft and state confidentiality laws (see below), if a card holder wishes to allow others access to his or her library account, they must pre-authorize the others in advance by having a note placed on their library record with their names. Those pre-authorized to access another person’s account will have to provide proof of identity via a picture ID.

 

A card holder can also give their card to the other person to present to library staff, who will assume that this authorizes access. This is why it is critical to only let those who are trustworthy gain access to your card and barcode number, and to report a lost or stolen card immediately.

 

Pre-authorization or presentation of another’s card is required to provide the following information to anyone other than the card holder:

 

  • Whether the person is registered for a card

  • Whether there are fines or fees on the card, the amount of fines or fees, and payment of the fines or fees

  • What is checked out on the card and when it is due

  • What hold or interlibrary loan titles are available for pickup

Types of Library Cards (see detailed policies below):

* Maximum Renewals are subject to availability based on holds.

** Excludes interlibrary loan materials, rentals, and bestsellers

*** $25 annual loan fee

Borrowing Periods

1-Week Checkout: DVDs (Limit 10)

2-Week Checkout: New items

3-Week Checkout: All other items

What you need to bring to receive a card:

All York County Library card applicants must provide current proof of identity and residency. The list below is not comprehensive. Library staff may determine if the documentation of identity provided sufficiently proves both name and address.

 

Acceptable documentation:
  • Identification:

    • Acceptable forms of identification include, but are not limited to:

      • Picture ID with current address or non-current address plus another document verifying proof of current address (see list below).

      • Acceptable picture ID: current driver’s license, current South Carolina Department of Highways ID, current employer or military picture ID, current school picture ID, current consular ID, or current passport.

    • Picture ID must be current and cannot be expired.

  • Proof of address:

    • Current picture ID with current address

    • Current bank/check statement with the current address

    • Current tax notice at the current address

    • Current utility bill at the current address

    • Voter registration card from York County

    • Current rent receipt at the current address

 

Confidentiality of library patron account information:

Patron library records are protected by State of South Carolina statutes (see attached addenda). Library staff hold them in the strictest confidence. Others may not access library account information without the pre-authorized consent of the card holder and law enforcement may not access a card holder’s account without the required legal documents as outlined by the state statute.

 

General policies:

The card of the person signing and any additional cards they have signed for must be in good standing (defined as free of any blocks or charges due) before any new cards will be issued with their signature, with the exception of cards for minor children that they are legally responsible for.

 

Card holder contact information will be verified and updated annually.

Library cards expire every two years and a new application and proof of identity and residency are required for renewal. You may also renew your card online or call your local YCL location.

 

The York County Library has no reciprocal borrowing agreements with neighboring counties except for those libraries that are current members of the SCLENDS consortium per its current policies. Holders of a York County Library card in good standing can walk into any SCLENDS consortium member library and check out materials and can return items to any SCLENDS member library.

 

Resident cards:

To receive a free full-privilege resident card, you must show proof of current residence in York County and must live in York County at least 6 months of the year.

 

To receive a library card if you own property in York County but reside outside the county, you must provide a York County tax receipt, proof of identity, and proof of current address. These accounts expire every two years but may be renewed with proof of current tax receipt.

 

To receive a library card if you work in York County but reside outside the county, you must provide an identification card or a business card issued by your employer, proof of identity (see list above), and proof of current address (see list above).

 

Juvenile cards (minors under the age of 18):

Applications for children under age 18 must be completed and signed by the parent or legal guardian.

 

The Library can assume no responsibility for what children check out on their library card. It is the right and responsibility of the parent or legal guardian signing for the juvenile’s library card to determine what is appropriate for their child to check out.

 

Parents or legal guardians signing for a juvenile’s library card are responsible for damaged materials, lost materials, and all fines and fees associated with that card.

 

When a juvenile turns 18, their card will expire and they will have to apply for an adult card under their own signature. Any fines and fees that were outstanding on their juvenile card will be transferred to their resident card.

Teacher cards:

Residents and non-residents who teach in York County schools may apply for a separate teacher card.

 

Teachers include public school teachers, private school teachers, daycare providers, and homeschooling parents or legal guardians.

 

Teacher cards allow for a longer checkout period of 4 weeks instead of 2 weeks, but materials cannot be renewed.

 

The limit of the number of items at one time that can be checked out on a teacher card is 100. However, interlibrary loan materials, rental items, and bestsellers may not be checked out on a teacher card and must be checked out on the teacher’s regular patron card. Interlibrary loan materials are excluded as they are subject to the loan policies of the lending library. Rental items and bestsellers are excluded because of high demand.

Out-of-county/Non-resident cards:

Out-of-county or non-residents of York County may pay an annual fee for library circulation privileges which allows them the same privileges as a resident.

 

The fee will be equivalent annually to the per-capita tax support levied for each citizen of York County and may change every year.

 

Out-of-county cards expire at the end of each year and a new application, proof of identity and address, and annual fee are required to renew.

 

Internet-only cards:

If an out-of-county/non-resident wants Internet access but does not want to pay the annual fee for borrowing privileges they may apply for an Internet-only card.

 

The card is good unless lost, stolen, or damaged beyond use. A replacement Internet-only card can be obtained for a replacement fee (see current Fines and Fees Policy).

 

Replacement of lost library cards:

If a library card is lost or stolen, it is important that the Library be notified IMMEDIATELY so that the card and financial account can be cancelled. Card holders who fail to report a lost or stolen card will be held responsible for use on that card, including any fines or fees accumulated after the card is lost or stolen.

 

A fee will be charged for replacement of a lost or stolen card, and for cards damaged through negligence (see the current Fines and Fees Policy for charges). Cards worn out through normal wear and tear will be replaced at no cost to the patron.

 

Change of contact information:

It is important that card holders update their contact information (name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses) as soon as possible to prevent inability to receive notices such as overdue notices, lost item notices, holds notices, etc. The Library will not assume responsibility for fines and fees incurred because notices were not received due to incorrect contact information.

Addenda A: Confidentiality of library records:

 

The following is quoted from the State of South Carolina online website at www.scstatehouse.gov. However, the website should be accessed directly for the most up-to-date version and related information.

 

TITLE 60. LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, MUSEUMS, AND ARTS

CHAPTER 4. CONFIDENTIAL LIBRARY RECORDS

 

SECTION 60-4-10. Records identifying library patrons as confidential information; disclosure. [SC ST SEC 60-4-10]

 

Records related to registration and circulation of library materials which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, private, school, college, technical college, university, and state institutional libraries and library systems, supported in whole or in part by public funds or expending public funds, are confidential information.

 

Records which by themselves or when examined with other public records would reveal the identity of the library patron checking out or requesting an item from the library or using other library services are confidential information.

 

The confidential records do not include nonidentifying administrative and statistical reports of registration and circulation.

 

The confidential records may not be disclosed except to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system or persons authorized by the library patron to inspect his records, or in accordance with proper judicial order upon a finding that the disclosure of the records is necessary to protect public safety, to prosecute a crime, or upon showing of good cause before the presiding Judge in a civil matter.

 

SECTION 60-4-20. Definitions. [SC ST SEC 60-4-20]

 

As used in this chapter, the term "registration records" includes any information which a library requires a patron to provide in order to become eligible to borrow books and other materials, and the term "circulation records" includes all information which identifies the patrons borrowing particular books and other materials.

 

SECTION 60-4-30. Penalties. [SC ST SEC 60-4-30]

 

Any person violating the provisions of § 60-4-10 must upon conviction be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days for the first offense, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than sixty days for the second offense, and must be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than ninety days for the third or subsequent offense.

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