Policies

The Chipley Branch of the Washington County Public Library System manages the Books-By- Mail service for the convenience of browsing the library’s collection from the comforts of home at your leisure. This is very helpful when work, after school functions, and other obligations are too time constraining to allow ample time to visit a library in person. There is no fee for using this service if items are returned to any Library location or book drop. A monetary charge occurs only if you choose to return your Books-by-Mail items through the US Post Office, Library Rate.

How does the Books-by-Mail service work?

Once your Books-by-Mail application has been processed, you may request materials through the library’s and choose Books-By-Mail as your pickup location. You may also call the Chipley Branch at 850-638-1314 to request materials.

Your selections will be mailed to you at your address on file. Delivery of materials is via the U.S. Postal Service and the address must be able to receive parcels. This includes P.O. Boxes. 

You may return your items to any Branch Library or drop box. If you choose, you may mail back your items at your own expense.

Who is eligible? How do I become a Books-by-Mail patron?

To become a Books-by-Mail patron, you must first hold a Washington County Public Library Card for three months (until you are no longer considered a NEW patron). Then complete an application for the Books–by–Mail service. Applications are available at any Washington County Branch Library. If you’d like, one can be mailed to you. After reviewing your application, Books-by-Mail staff will contact you to confirm your registration for the service.

What items can be mailed to me?

Currently, only books (regular or large print) and audiobooks from our Adult Collection are available for the Books-By-Mail service.
How many items can I check out and for how long can I keep them?

You can receive two items at a time for three weeks and can be renewed as long as another patron is not waiting for the item. These items will count towards your overall checkout limit. To renew your items, please contact the Washington County Public Library at 850-638-1314 PRIOR to their due date to avoid overdue fees.

How often will items be mailed out?

To streamline the Books-By-Mail service, mailing of items will be done twice a week.

How does Library staff select books for me?

When you register, you will fill out a Reader Profile that will tell us what genres and authors you like. Library staff will use this information to select books for you. Please note that all patrons in this program must agree to provide library staff access to their check-out history in order to avoid duplicate mailings of items.

Can I request a specific book or audiobook?

To request a specific item, you can contact the Chipley Branch directly at 850-638-1314 or via the library’s online catalog and choose Books-By-Mail as your pickup location.

Can I still check out materials in person at the library?

Yes, you can come to the library and use your card as a regular borrower. Regular borrowers can check out up to seven items at a time (books, audiobooks, and DVDs). Any items checked out via the Books-By-Mail program will count towards your overall checkout limit. An authorized family member, friend, or caregiver can bring your library card to the library and check out any materials for you. Contact any Library Branch to add authorized users to your card.

How can I learn more about Books-by-Mail?

Call: Chipley Branch at (850) 638-1314 to speak with library staff.
Email: booksbymail@wcplfl.com

Write:
Washington County Public Library Attn: Books-by-Mail
1444 Jackson Ave
Chipley, FL 32428

• A Library card may be secured by the presentation of a valid government-issued photo credential (for example: Florida driver’s license or identification), and documentation indicating the person’s current Washington County physical address. There is a fee to replace a lost or damaged card.
• A parent or legal guardian must sign for a Library card if an applicant is under the age of 18, and only children appropriate materials may be placed on thatcard.
• Loan period limits: books (21 days); CDs (21 days); DVDs (21 days–maximum, two per Library card).
• Checkout items may be renewed twice, unless any materials have been requested by another patron. Renewals may be performed in person, online, or by telephone, as long as the item(s) is (are) not overdue.
• The patron whose name appears on the Library card is responsible for any items checked out on it: report lost Library cards immediately.
• Parent or guardian is responsible for minor’s account. If minor child’s account is in bad standing, parent or guardian’s account will be restricted as well as minor’s.
• The reading and viewing activity of children is ultimately the responsibility of parents or guardians, who guide and oversee their own children’s development.
• Items designated to be placed on hold will be retained in a patron’s name for only five days.
• New patrons are limited to checking out only two items for the first three months. After that period, they may check out seven items (with two being DVDs).
• In-house services include: FAXes; copying; genealogy research; Internet access; meeting room reservation (fee required); free wireless; school readiness classes for toddlers; educational outreach training; e-Book instruction; adult and children’s summer reading programs; instructional classes (specific topics); free downloadable e-Books and audiobooks (Overdrive); monthly e-mail newsletter containing updates and information (Constant Contact); and special family presentations.
• Non-residents of Washington County may pay $20 per year for a non-resident card to access library services.

The staff encourages the use of technological offerings and makes these resources available to the public. However, Library users should not have an expectation of confidentiality or privacy for documents viewed, created, or received when using facility computers. Also, Library staff has the right but not the obligation to monitor any or all computer usage.

Displaying objectionable material will be cause for Library privileges to be limited, suspended, or revoked

Computer and Internet Use Policy

The Washington County Public Library System offers its patrons free public access to the internet. The Library is not responsible for the accuracy, or content of material found online. The Library participates in the federal erate program and is required to be compliant with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Therefore internet computers are filtered. However, parents are encouraged to be with their children if they access the internet. Children accessing the internet without a parent or legal guardian must present their library card and must have the permission section of their registration card filled out by the parent or legal guardian.

All patrons are required to sign in at the front desk and must present a library card or photo identification before using the computers. Use of the internet will be limited to one (1) hour if someone is waiting. Computer users must agree to follow the computer use policy. Printing is available from all internet computers. The cost is $.20 cents per page for black & white copies. Library staff can assist with computer use as time allows but for in-depth training, users are encouraged to participate in computer classes offered at the library and elsewhere. 

A visitor who does not have a library card may use a computer by presenting his or her photo identification. Patrons should see a staff member at the Front Desk if they need to take a test or fill out a form that requires more than an hour of computer use.

Illegal activities or activities that interfere with or disrupt the network, services, equipment or other users are prohibited. Software and other files downloaded from the internet may contain viruses or spyware that may infect other computers. Providing internet access does not constitute any endorsement of Internet resources by the Washington County Public Library System or Washington County. The WCPL or Washington County shall have no liability for any direct and/or indirect damages relating from the use of computers or information accessed on the internet from Library computers.

Any patron who feels another customer is in violation of this policy should notify a staff member immediately.

Misuse of library computers may result in loss of computer privileges, loss of library privileges and/or prosecution. Patrons who violate this policy and/or engage in misuse of the computers will be warned and then banned from using the library computers.

It is important for our patrons to have a comprehensive, written document that indicates policies on how the Washington County Public Library (Library) considers, acquires, and eliminates resources. The Collection Development Policy is current, reviewed, and revised periodically, and known to all Library personnel.

Overview of the Library’s Collection Development Policy:

The document was created using the groundwork outlined by the American Library Association (ALA). In doing so, we support the organization’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read procedural statements. We referred to these declarations to craft the Library’s Collection Development Policy.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution:

To us, the Amendment’s message is clear and relevant. Its basic nature represents the underpinning of why multiple ideas are necessary for growth. The liberties granted by it enables us to offer materials that only may be held by a single librarian, publisher, resident, church, or government. Or to stock a book whose premise speaks for an entire nation. Either way, that title is allowed to hold an important position in the Library. To support that belief of free speech, the authors wrote:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

An Overview of ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement:

Reading is one of the greatest freedoms we hold. Library staff believe to publish and circulate preserves that freedom to read. Today’s pressures toward conformity infringe on limiting the scope, range, and variety of expression. These demands are widespread. So it is our responsibility as librarians to maintain a culture where new ideas and untried voices are welcome. To silence these forces is to diminish our community and to foster social tension.
That in itself is one reason why we support the freedom to express and house materials where readers can select from a variety of offerings. The ALA addresses the topic in the following statement: “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.”

The Library’s Collection Development Policy Based on ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement:

The freedom to read is of little value when the public is barred from obtaining sources that only align with one reader’s purpose. What is required is not restraint but opportunities for all individuals to read the best thoughts and words on any given topic. It is the Library’s responsibility to encourage extended discussion in the accumulation of knowledge. And to make it possible for readers to choose freely from a variety of sources.
This is necessary to deal with the elements of controversy and difference in a natural way. It places a rightful importance on the written word and the voice of reason. To preserve these ideas, the Library endorses the ALA statements that support efforts to keep alive the freedom to express. In fact, we have made them critical ingredients of our collection development philosophy. The ALA declarations are:

• “It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions.”
• “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.”
• “It is contrary to the public interest for publishers and librarians to bar access to writing on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of theauthor.”
• “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 effort of writers to achieve artistic expression.”
• “It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of alabel characterizing any expression or its author as subversive ordangerous.”
• “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 publicinformation.”
• “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.”

The Library’s Collection-Development Policy Based on ALA’s Library Bill of Rights:

The Library provides an impartial environment where individuals have the freedom to hold, receive, and express their ideas without restriction. Staff maintain a climate where everyone can voice opinions and select informational concepts to formulate thought without repercussion or censorship. It is a core responsibility for staff to recognize the privacy of Library users. Also, Library employees provide free access to information so all sides of a question, cause, or movement may be examined.

Library staff offer services that align themselves with the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights guidelines. The central theme of the document is that: “All libraries are forums for information and ideas.” It extends to the acquisition of visual media such as art, movies, pictures, and the internet. The policy guarantees individuals the freedom to view and to read, and to demonstrate their support of non-universal ideas.

Library staff view intellectual freedom as a core responsibility. The right to know is a free- thought tenet and a gateway for the liberty to express one’s beliefs. For it allows all sides of a cause, question, or movement to be explored without penalty.

The Library’s Collection-Development Policy Based on ALA’s Library Bill of Rights:

• Material must not be excluded because of content, origin, and views of its creator.
• In-house content should not be removed necessarily due to patron disapproval.
• Staff will challenge censorship and investigate the reasons for it.
• Staff will cooperate with persons and groups resisting abridgement and free expression of ideas.
• A person’s right to use the Library will not be denied because of origin, age, gender, race, background, or views.
• The Library will make available exhibit spaces and a meeting room, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of groups and individuals making the requests.
• All Library users have the right to privacy and confidentiality, safeguarding usage data and personality identifiable information.

These statements are policies of the ALA, having been adopted by its Council members. However, questions may arise concerning the application of these principles. In such cases, reference should be made to the section, Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. This document was designed by the ethical values of ALA’s professional staff. Its structure centers on the obligation to ensure the free flow of information. It details the philosophy of why our Library is a forum for information and ideas.

The Library’s Collection Development Policy Objectives:

The Library Director is the final authority on collection materials but appoints staff who use their training, knowledge, and expertise to interpret and coordinate the application of the policy. One goal of our Collection Development Policy is to supply and manage resources to
meet the needs of the community we serve. Library staff selects material in a variety of formats for acquisition and access of our users. Another objective is to prevent the Library from being influenced by events, personal agendas, and to purchase resources that support its prescribed mission. Also, it is a process where staff can increase representation of minority- user holdings that are not available locally. The initiative offers a platform to showcase the work of emerging and established artists, creatives, and innovators from underrepresented and diverse sectors.

Removing barriers to lifelong learning is the bedrock of our collection-development efforts. We strive to incorporate both physical and virtual offerings so community members will see themselves reflected in our collections. In selecting items, staff consider:

• Author and publisher reputation.
• The lasting values of themes, topics, and commentaries.
• Availability of others subject sources.
• Purchase prices.
• Current and future need.
• Titles of lasting scholarly or reference merit.
• Clarity of image.
• Books that can be acquired in languages other than English.
• Patron requests.

Materials for children and teenagers are intended to broaden their vision, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement their educational needs, stimulate and widen their interest, lead to recognition and appreciation of literature, and reflect the diversity of the community and our world. The reading and viewing activity of children is ultimately the responsibility of parents or guardians, who guide and oversee their own children’s development. The Washington County Public Library System does not intrude on that relationship.

We try to build and maintain a strong Library. In keeping with that philosophy, the Collection- Development Policy may be amended at any time to address changing community and informational resources. We want to believe our collection has been a cooperative effort been Library staff and our community. It must represent a framework for accountability establishing the day-to-day acquisition, selection, and process decisions necessary to serve a diverse community.

The Library’s Special Collection:

Mainly, this is collection development performed by our patrons and residents. Space is provided by the Library as a public service. We maintains this special grouping because it has intrinsic value to the community. It contains genealogy materials, local history, local author books, and a variety of text/microfilm editions that have been donated by community members/families. In them, important residents, families, and events associated with our service area are highlighted. These articles have significant local value in defining our culture. The rarity of these items demand special security requirements. No items are available for checkout. In most cases, copies can be provided within the fee structure of the Library. However, in some cases the delicacy of materials and/or copyright laws forbid duplication of any kind.

Challenging the Library’s Collection-Development Policy:

When a patron wishes to comment on a segment of the Collection Development Policy, or the inappropriateness of material, there are two methods to submit concerns. The first method is to request an informal discussion with the Library Director. Staff encourage and welcome the public’s suggestions, ideas, and comments relating to collection development and management. The Library Director values community input and will evaluate all suggestions based on Library betterment and the guidelines of the Collection Development Policy.

If the individual is unsatisfied with the verbal reply, a written request addressed to the Library Director is recommended. Please note: If materials become under scrutiny, and a complaint is registered, Library staff will defend intellectual freedom instead of the material in question.
The following steps will be used when an individual feels a formal discussion with the Library Director did not produce an adequate solution or the discussion was not handled in the proper manner. Then:

• The concerned person will receive a packet containing the Library’s mission statement, selection policy, Reconsideration Form, and ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.
• The Reconsideration Form (Appendix A) will be submitted to the Library Director.
• The Library Director, along with 2 other staff members, will review the complaint and questionable material to determine whether it falls within the Collection-Development Policy.
• Within 15 days, the Library Director will submit a letter to the concerned person stating the reasons for the decision.
• If the person is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal to the Library’s governing authority, the Washington County Board of County Commissioners (Board).
• The decision of the Board is final.

However, a limitation exists where Library staff cannot accommodate a patron’s challenge. The Library subscribes to a program called OverDrive. It is a free service offered to patrons that allows them to borrow digital content, like ebooks and audiobooks, anytime and anywhere. The titles are not printed books. Instead they are circulated among a consortium of Florida libraries and situated on the OverDrive platform. When a patron feels a selection through OverDrive is inappropriate, and that individual wishes to challenge its content, Library staff cannot honor the request. The Library does not get to keep the digital content. Staff only purchases the license to offer it. Therefore, it is a shared work, not an owned one.

Guiding Principles for Challenging the Library’s Collection-Development Policy:

When a complaint is submitted, which challenges in-house resources, the following general framework will be referred to by staff:

• The Library’s mission is to provide access information to all residents.
• Each Library user has the First Amendment right to view and listen to whatever is on our shelves.
• A challenged item will be considered in its entirety, not on segments from it taken out of context.
• Any person has the right to challenge resources and expect to have the complaint taken seriously.
• Questioned materials will remain in circulation until a decision has been made.
• Caregivers have the right to guide the reading, viewing and listening choices of their children but must allow the same right to others.

Gifts and Donations Based on the Library’s Collection-Development Process:

Gifts and donations are a valuable part of the collection-development strategy. Often, these are received from well-meaning patrons who believe their contributions are welcome additions to the Library. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. All donations must meet the Library’s selection literary guidelines. Sometimes, limited shelf space, employee sorting time, or staff to process the materials forces restrictions on what we can accept. And if donated items are not added to the collection, they still become the property of the Library and will not be returned.

The Library Director will forward an acknowledgement letter to the contributor specifying the disposition of the funds/materials. Except for monetary contributions, all gifts are reviewed using the same criteria we use in the purchasing process. Staff will determine what collection grouping best suits the donated items. If the materials are not used, we reserve the right to discard them, or donate them to other organizations (i.e.: schools, senior centers, Friends of the Library book sales initiatives, or charity groups). Staff cannot be responsible for gift appraisal, nor if items are added to the collection or how long they will remain in circulation.

Funds donated may be given to the Library for the purchase of materials. The donor may request certain items to be acquired with the contribution. However, staff reserve the right to use the funding for alternate purchases other than the ones designated by the donor.

The Library’s Collection Development Maintenance and Weeding Principles:

These activities are important elements of the Library’s Collection-Development Policy. Regularly, staff review inventories for accuracy, subject gaps, usage, and diversity. This is achieved by shelf-reading, shifting, re-shelving, and weeding. For both physical and digital materials, consideration is given to condition, wear, and relevancy. Collection maintenance is driven by such factors as circulation numbers and subject-specific data, and evaluation as to whether titles meet the needs of our community.

Weeding is a Library process where items continuously are withdrawn from the collection. Many times it is the removal of the misleading, ugly, superseded, trivial, irrelevant, or “obtained elsewhere” items that clutter shelves. Fiction once popular but no longer in vogue, and non-fiction items with outdated information, are purged from circulation. Pulled materials are discarded through book sales or donation.

Systematic weeding of titles will identify damaged materials, out-of-date topics, extra editions not being circulated, and articles no longer of interest to patrons. The vitality of the collection requires that new assets be added on a regular basis, and the Library Director will evaluate what will remain and what is unnecessary. Also, the holdings of other area libraries will determine retention of titles so responsiveness to community need remains in place.

Weeding, too, acts as an indicator of what materials were checked but not returned. The publication, CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries (2012), a guide from Texas State Library and Archives Commission, is an important resource in the collection evaluation process. It describe an orderly methodology on whether to retain or discard each item. Weeding is a vital tool that makes a collection more appealing and attractive. It also saves shelf space, plus the process creates more room for items requested by patrons.

The Library’s Collection Development Policy Revision Process:

No policy remains accurate, relevant, or inclusive forever. Social change, trendy factors, and community interest require that our policies be amended on a regular basis. However, no policy additions or updates will be made when formal challenges are occurring. It is critical that the Library maintain a “good face” with community supporters and complainants alike. Therefore, any revisions to the Collection-Development Policy are performed only after challenges have been resolved.

The Library’s Collection-Development Policy Conclusion Statement:

The Collection-Development Policy is intended to provide individuals of all ages, races, abilities, and income levels a source for educational advancement and personal growth. By continuing an active collection, in both electronic and tangible forms, the Library serves as a starting point for educational advancement, as well as an institution for more advanced endeavors.

Exhibit Policy:

Library staff are committed to presenting high-quality exhibits that support the facility’s community mission. Exhibition content should possess educational merit, have a wide breath of public appeal, display certain thematic integrity, and not contain materials of high value or rareness. There will be no insurance attached to exhibits, and the Library assumes no responsibility for material damage or theft.

Posting and Handout:

Most library locations in the Washington County Public Library System have community bulletin boards and/or space for handouts of public interest. These community posting areas are used to share information about local club and organizational meetings and events, and other information of interest to the general public. Information requested for posting should be left at the circulation desk for approval. All information must be approved by Library staff before posting. Library staff reserves the right to refuse to post material or remove posted material that is outdated, commercial in nature, or when sufficient space is not available.

• A Library card may be secured by presenting a valid government-issued photo credential (for example: Florida driver’s license or identification), and documentation indicating the person’s current Washington County physical address. There is a fee to replace a lost or damaged card.
• A parent or legal guardian must sign for a Library card if an applicant is under the age of 18, and only children appropriate materials may be placed on that card.
• Loan period limits: books (21 days); CDs (21 days); DVDs (21 days–maximum, two per Library card).
• Checkout items may be renewed twice, unless any materials have been requested by another patron. Renewals may be performed in person, online, or by telephone, as long as the item(s) is (are) not overdue.
• The patron whose name appears on the Library card is responsible for any items checked out on it: report lost Library cards immediately.
• Items designated to be placed on hold will be retained in a patron’s name for only five days.
• New patrons are limited to checking out only two items for the first three months. After that period, they may check out seven items (with two being DVDs).
• In-house services include: Faxes; copying; genealogy research; Internet access; meeting room reservation (fee required); free wireless; school readiness classes for toddlers; educational outreach training; e-Book instruction; adult and children’s summer reading programs; instructional classes (specific topics); free e-Books for children (TumbleBooks); free downloadable e-Books and audiobooks (Overdrive); monthly e-mail newsletter containing updates and information (Constant Contact); and special family presentations.
• Non-residents of Washington County may pay $20 per year for a non-resident card to access library services.

Custodian

The legal custodian of library records is the director, who is responsible for responding to any request for library records or information about a library patron. The director may designate one or more library employees to serve as person(s) responsible for responding to any request for library records or information about a library user when the director is unavailable.

Confidentiality of Library Records

State law prohibits the disclosure of information about circulation records of the library and other records identifying the names of users and material used by them and shall be confidential, regardless of the inquiry. The prohibition includes patrons’ addresses, phone numbers and anything to – relevant laws together else about them, except in accordance with a proper judicial order. A person may not make known in any manner any information contained in records made confidential and exempt with very few exceptions as defined in Florida Statute 257.261, 3 A & B 1-5 (Refer to Appendix F).

Terms used in this policy include:

• Privacy is the right to seek information through library resources without having thesubject of interest known or examined by others
• Confidentiality exists when the library possesses personally identifiable information aboutpatrons and keeps that information private on their behalf
• Personally Identifiable Information is information like name, library card number, email ormailing address and telephone number relating to patrons’ accounts provided to the library

In general, patrons have the right to know when any library transaction creates a record of personally identifiable information and how such information is used and its confidentiality protected. Personal information and mobile numbers collected through opt-in will not be shared, sold, or rented with third parties for marketing purposes.

Relevant Laws

Although the library makes every effort to protect patrons’ privacy through compliance with state law and through local practice, under the federal USA Patriot Act records of library activities (including materials borrowed and computer workstation usage) may be obtained by federal agents. That federal law prohibits library staff from informing patrons if federal agents have obtained their records.

The meeting room (Chipley Branch only) is available to community organizations except when it is reserved for Library functions or being requested outside of facility operational hours. For more information on meeting room guidelines, refer to the Meeting Room Page.  A meeting room application, submitted together with the established fee, is necessary for staff review prior to date/time acceptance.

Access to the Washington County Public Library will not be denied to any individual based on age, sex, education, philosophy, occupation, economic level, or ethnic origin. However; patrons who violate the rights of others or create disorder in a library may be asked to leave. The following Code of Patron Conduct will be available at each library facility in the system.

The following behaviors are not allowed in Washington County Public libraries:

• Eating or drinking, except in designated areas
• Smoking or use of any tobacco product
• Consuming of alcoholic beverages, use of intoxicants or illegal drugs
• Carrying a weapon into the library, unless authorized by the law.
• Bringing animals into the library, except those needed to assist a patron with adisability.
• Engaging in disruptive/destructive behavior
• Interfering with another person’s use of the library or with the library personnel’s performance of duties.
• Wearing clothing that causes a disturbance. Shoes must be worn at all times.
• Interfering with patrons’ use of the library through offensive or poor personalhygiene.

A verbal warning shall be given to anyone exhibiting these prohibited behaviors. If the behavior continues, the patron will be asked to leave. If a patron fails to do so, local law officials will be contacted.

Library privileges may be limited, suspended, or revoked, without warning, for the following reasons:

• Damaging library property
• Stealing library materials
• Threatening, hostile or harassing speech or actions directed towards patrons or personnel
• Engaging in other illegal behavior
• Displaying objectionable material in violation of the Children’s Internet Protection Act

Washington County Public libraries encourage all children to use their facilities and services.
However, responsibility for children using the libraries rests with the parent/guardian or assigned chaperone. The library is not an authorized, licensed child care provider. Library personnel will not be responsible for unattended children. The presence of inappropriately unattended children will be reported to the proper authorities.

Caregivers are responsible for the safety and behavior of their children in the Library. Children up to thirteen years of age must be supervised by their caregivers while using the facility. Library staff follow guidelines established in Florida Statues 39.201 (I)(a) concerning child patrons left unattended.

Unattended Child Policy

Washington County Public Library System is dedicated to providing a welcome and safe environment for patrons of all ages. Children in the library should always be accompanied by a parent/guardian or assigned caregiver. The responsibility for the safety and behavior of children in the library rests with the parent / caregiver and not with the library personnel. The following guidelines will be followed concerning the care and behavior of young library users.

Children up to age thirteen must have a parent/ caregiver in the immediate vicinity of, and in visual contact with, the child. The parent/caregiver must be an adult. If a child in this age group is found unattended, library staff will attempt to locate the parent/ caregiver in the library and inform him/her of the rules. If the parent / caregiver cannot be found, the police will be called for assistance. If a child in this age group has violated the Library Code of Patron Conduct, the child and the parent/caregiver will be informed of the rules. If inappropriate behavior continues, the family may be asked to leave the library.

Children age thirteen (13) and older may use the library on their own. However, parents are still responsible for the actions and the wellbeing of their child(ren). Children violating the Library Code of Patron Conduct will be warned but if inappropriate behavior continues parents will be notified and the child may be asked to leave the library.

Closing time: Law Enforcement will be notified and asked to take charge of the abandoned child(ren) under the age of 18 who does not have transportation home at closing time. Library staff follow guidelines established in Florida Statute 39.201 concerning child patrons left unattended.

Florida Statute 39.201. Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare, as defined in this chapter, or that a child is in need of supervision and care and has no parent, legal custodian, or responsible adult relative immediately known and available to provide supervision and care shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the department.

Visitors are requested to turn off cellular telephone ringers when entering the Library. Also, items such as personal computers, portable listening devices, hand-held games consoles, headphones, pagers, and radios should be kept at a volume that does not disturb others.

The Library provides electrical outlets for personal equipment but is not responsible for lost data or damage when users access such receptacles. It is important that no personal

materials be left unattended at worksites while visitors are accessing other provided services. Library staff are not able to secure items while users are away from work areas.