Policies

To allow all patrons of the Windber Public Library to use its facility to the fullest extent during regularly scheduled hours, the Library Board of Directors has adopted the following rules and regulations:

Patrons shall:

Engage in activities consistent with the use of a public library.
Respect the rights of other library users and staff.

Patrons shall not:

Consume food or beverage unless provided at library functions/programs.
Sleep in the library.
Smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes or use tobacco or tobacco products.
Enter the building without shirt or shoes.
Interfere with the employees’ performance of their duties.
Deface or damage library property.
Use loud abusive, threatening or obscene language.
Tamper with, alter or damage computer hardware and/or software.
Interfere with the use of the library by others or behave in such manner which is a health or safety hazard. One whose bodily hygiene is offensive and constitutes a nuisance to use of the library by others, may be asked to leave the building.
Bring pets or animals into the library. Exceptions: service animals for people with disabilities or for scheduled library programs.

Any patron not abiding by these or other library policies may be required to leave the library premises. Failure to comply could result in a charge of defiant trespass or disorderly conduct. Library employees are instructed to contact local police if deemed necessary. Any patron who violates these rules and regulations may be denied the privilege of access to the library.

A patron whose library privileges have been denied may have the decision reviewed by the Library Board of Directors.

Cellphones

In keeping with privacy issues and out of consideration for other patrons and library staff, it is the policy of the Windber Public Library that all cell phones are set to vibrate upon entering the library building. If a call must be taken or made, all patrons are asked to do so in the foyer or outside.

Children in the Library

The well-being and safety of children are of great concern to the Windber Public Library. We encourage families and youth to use our library. Children, as all library patrons, are expected to behave appropriately. Parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers, not library staff, are responsible for the behavior and supervision of their children (under the age of 18) while those children are in the library, regardless of whether or not they are accompanying their children. Parents and caregivers should be aware of the library’s business hours.An unattended child is a child of any age who is apparently unaccompanied by an adult. Library staff is not responsible for any unattended child(ren).

Children under the age of 8 must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult while in the library. A responsible adult is defined as a parent, guardian, teacher or assigned caregiver over the age of 15.Children under the age of 8 must be supervised at all time in the Jane Bantley Children’s Room. Supervising responsible adults (see definition above) must be present with their charge at all times while using the Bantley children’s Room. Children may not be supervised by other children.As in all public places, “stranger danger” is a real concern. Library staff cannot prevent children from interacting with or leaving with persons who are not the appropriate chaperone. Library staff is not responsible for preventing a child(ren) from leaving the building.

Children ages 8-15 may use the library for the period of time needed to select materials, complete homework assignments or attend library programs provided their conduct is acceptable in a library setting. Children should know how to contact their parent or guardian in an emergency.

Staff may refer to Somerset County Children and Youth Services for those children who are left unattended in the library and whose basic needs for food, rest, parental supervision or attention are not being fulfilled.

If the Library is closing, at its regular time or in an emergency situation, and the parent or guardian of a child cannot be located in the building, the Windber Borough Police Department will be called.

The Library is not responsible for any consequences of parents forfeiting their parental responsibilities.

Children’s Room

The Jane Bantley Children’s Room is open for use by the General Public except when it is in use for scheduled children’s programming.
Adults are responsible for the behavior of the children that use the Bantley Children’s Room.
Books pulled from the shelves and bins may be stacked on a table to be shelved by library staff.
While the library is intended as a place for quiet activity, children are not restricted to whispering while playing in the Bantley Children’s Room. However, boisterous play, screaming and the throwing of toys and other items that can be heard in the library’s main reading area should be curtailed by the adult present with the children.
The storage area behind the closed doors to the rear of the room is off limits to the general public.
Since the room is open to all, the door to the room should not be closed except during scheduled children’s programming.
The Bantley Children’s Room is geared toward children from preschool to Grade 2. Younger children may be frightened by children a lot older than themselves.
Toys and games should be returned to their original storage area before exiting the room.
Food and drink are not permitted in the library except in the staff eating area or when part of scheduled programming.

Claims Returned or Claims Never Had

The Windber Public Library extends the privilege to users of claiming that they have returned materials that the circulation system indicates are still checked out to them. Library material is purchased with public and/ or private funds; library users are financially responsible for the proper care and use of library material and the safe return of material borrowed on their library cards. This policy acknowledges that staff occasionally errs in discharging items from a user’s record.

Library users who receive an overdue notice for items they believe have been returned or were never borrowed, or who see an item on My Account that they believe was returned or never borrowed, must notify the library immediately.

The Windber Public Library works with users to locate items they claim have been returned. The shelves will be searched thoroughly.

Library staff will identify an item as CLAIMS RETURNED in the user’s computer record while staff searches for the item.

Items found on the shelves by library staff will have all fines and fees cleared.

Users may continue to borrow and renew library material while library staff searches for an item.

If the user finds the item at home or in his or her possession, all applicable fines and fees remain assessed.

The Library Director has the discretion to clear the item from the user’s account if the item is not found after searching by the user and the library staff.

Confidentiality

PURPOSE: To ensure that all records relating to patron registration and the subsequent use of and circulation by patrons of materials provided by the Library are considered confidential in nature.

References:

24 Pa. Cons. Stat. Sec. 4428: Library circulation records
American Library Association, Code of Ethics, Section III
American Library Association, Confidentiality of Library Records Policy (52.4)
American Library Association, Privacy: an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Statement of Policy:

The Board of Directors of the Windber Public Library specifically recognizes the confidentiality of records related to circulation of Library materials that contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the Library in accordance with Pennsylvania law: 24 Pa. Cons. Stat. Sec. 4428.
The Board of Directors supports the concept of intellectual freedom and the right of each citizen, regardless of age, to free access to information without fear of intimidation or recrimination. The Library’s confidentiality policy safeguards the first amendment and privacy rights of Library users. The Library advises employees, volunteers, and patrons that all Library records that contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the Library are confidential.
The Board of directors of the Windber Public Library further subscribes to the American Library Association Library Code of Ethics, Section III, which states, “We protect each Library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and materials consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.”4. In all instances and regardless of circumstances, the Windber Public Library safeguards access to patron Library records and restricts access to that information to only the patron who owns the Library card and provides that card or to the parent/legal guardian of a minor child with the stipulations and exceptions specified below in section 7.
No patron records will be made available to federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies except by a court order as required by law.
Court orders from law enforcement officers will be referred to the Library Director who will consult legal counsel. Other Library employees will not provide any patron records to law enforcement agencies under any circumstances.
The Library will take such action as is necessary to determine that any court order or process issued by any court or pursuant to any court rule or any agency of government requires that such records be made available.
When Library employees or volunteers speak either in person or on the telephone to anybody other than the patron, or to persons who cannot produce their Library card numbers and provide other identification, information regarding items charged out, items overdue, fines and holds will be restricted to information that does not reveal the content, such as number of items or figures for fines owed. Addresses, phone numbers, or any other personal information from patron records will not be given out under the above circumstances. When a patron is unable to confirm his or her identity as required, a print-out of the requested information may be mailed to the patron using the mailing address provided in the Library’s registration records.
The Library record of a child has the same confidentiality protection under Library policy as that of any other patrons with the following exception.a. Parents or legal guardians are permitted access to the records of their minor children through the age of 17 (seventeen). The parent/legal guardian must be accompanied by the child, provide the child’s Library card, and/or provide other acceptable identification. In the case of telephone inquiries, Library card number and verification of the child’s address, telephone number, and date of birth are required.
The Windber Public Library recognizes that parents or legal guardians who have signed their minor children’s applications have assumed the financial responsibility for materials charged out to their children’s cards; therefore, parents or legal guardians will be provided with specific information about their minor children’s Library records when materials are overdue or lost.
Adult patrons may waive their rights to the confidentiality of their library records and grant them to another adult cardholder by executing a limited waiver form, set forth in Appendix I. The limited waiver form must also be executed by the adult who will be permitted access to the adult patron’s otherwise confidential library records.
No patron may use this policy to steal Library materials. Reference: (18 PA. Cons. Stat. Sec 3929.1: Library Act) In the event of theft, the Library will release to the appropriate law enforcement officers the relevant patron records, including the name and address of the person committing the theft and a list of materials stolen with the replacement costs.
All patrons will be given the document entitled “Your Library Card” (Appendix II) upon registration for a library card.

A Library card permits the borrowing of valuable material that is public property and must be returned. The cardholder is financially responsible for Library property charged out to his/her card. The parent/legal guardian who endorses a child’s application is financially responsible for materials charged out to the minor (under the age of 18) child.

Parents or legal guardians assume responsibility for deciding what Library resources are appropriate for their children, including information accessible through the Internet.

The confidentiality of Library records is protected by law and the administrative policies of the Windber Public Library. This safeguards your rights to free speech and privacy. In order to safeguard access to Library records, only the patron who owns the Library card, or in the case of overdue or lost books, the parent/legal guardian of a minor, will have access to his/her record upon verification of the Library card number. All other information will be restricted to that which does not reveal the content.

Library patrons must present their library card to receive services at the Windber Public Library. If you do not have your library card with you when you wish to check out library materials, you will not be able to do so unless you can produce current identification that matches your library record.

A Windber Public Library card is your key to a universe of information and entertainment. Cherish it, guard it, and use it wisely.

Fines and Fees

The Windber Public Library charges fines to encourage prompt return of borrowed material to the library while providing an option for users who must keep material beyond the due date. The prompt return of library material allows access for other users.

Library materials not returned by closing time on the day after the date due will incur a fine as follows:

Books, magazines, audiobooks – 25 cents per day per item; Maximum Fine = price of the item.

DVD’s — $1.00 per day per item; Maximum Fine = price of the item.

The Library users can pay fines with cash, a money order or a cashier’s or personal check. A receipt will be issued to each person paying a fine or fee upon request. Return check fees apply.

Late material returned without payment of the fine will be checked in so the material can be made available to others. The fine will not continue to accrue.

Library users will be alerted by staff of late material and accrued fines when attempting to borrow or renew material.

Three overdue notices for late material are sent to users. Patrons with email addresses in the system will have their notices emailed and mailed to them. Those patrons with no email addresses will receive notices in the mail. The first is sent 7 days after the item is due; the second is sent 14 days after the item is due; the third is sent 21 days after the item is due. Invoices are sent for items not returned after the third notice. Borrowing privileges will be blocked until overdue items are returned and fines paid.

Failure to receive an overdue notice is not considered grounds for waiving a fine. Borrowers are responsible for keeping track of the due date of borrowed material. Library users with email addresses receive a courtesy email three days before material is due.

All fees and fines on a patron’s record must be paid in order for borrowing to resume. When fines are large, a payment plan may be set up at the discretion of the staff.

Accrued fines will remain on the user’s account until they have been paid.

The Library Director may waive or reduce fines if extenuating circumstances so warrant. Bill collection fees may not be waived.

Information about other fees is addressed in the circulation policies regarding lost or damaged materials and library cards.

The following fees will be charged for damaged books:

Sand in cover — $3.00
Torn cover — $3.00
Cracked spine — $3.00
Torn pages — $2.00
Books damaged by water or sand or otherwise damaged beyond repair are subject to a fee equal to the price of book plus $5.00.

Food and Drinks

No food or drinks are permitted in the library except in the staff eating area, refreshments as part of a meeting in the Whalley Room or food as part of Story Hours or the Summer Reading Program.

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:

1.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.

2.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.

3.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.

4.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.

5.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.

6.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.

7.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, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

Freedom to View Statement

The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:

1. To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.

2. To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.

3. To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.

4. To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.

5. To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public’s freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

Gifts/Donations

If you wish to do a monetary donation to your library go to smile.amazon.com and while you are shopping a portion of your online shopping will go towards us. Also you can monetarily donate directly by going to the front desk and giving them your donation. There is also the Fund Driver you can donate via. Your donations will go towards improving the the programs, services and the building itself.

The Library accepts monetary donations, for memorial or other purposes, for the purchase of materials for the Library’s collection when donors’ intentions for the gifts are consistent with the Library’s collection objectives.

Donors may specify broad types of materials to be purchased (i.e. children’s materials, D.V.Ds, etc). Specific titles will be chosen by the Library Director.

Donation plates will be affixed to books and other items as identifying the donor or person being honored.

For gifts over $100, the Library will make every effort to purchase materials in the desired subject area. Because the Library may not have an immediate need for multiple items in a given subject, the Library reserves the right to hold funds in reserve until items in that subject are needed or the Library will work with the donor on an alternative plan.

In order to strengthen the collection and extend the budget, the library encourages gifts of materials or funds with which to buy materials.

Specific memorial books can be ordered for the library upon request of a patron if the request meets regular selection guidelines and after consultation with the library director. The Library Director will make book selection if no specific book is requested.

The Library accepts gifts that fall within needed subject categories as determined by the Library Director.

Gift additions must meet the same selection criteria as purchased materials and are subject to the following limitations:

The Library retains unconditional ownership of the gift
The Library makes the final decision on the use or other disposition of the gift
The Library reserves the right to determine the conditions of display, housing, and access to materials
WPL reserves the right to limit or refuse material donations

The Windber Public accepts books, books on C.D. and D.V.Ds that are in good condition.

For book and other donations please follow these guidelines:

Items NOT accepted include: ENCYCLOPEDIAS, TEXTBOOKS, READER’S DIGEST CONDENSED BOOKS, MAGAZINES, WITHDRAWALS FROM OTHER LIBRARIES, HARDCOVER ITEMS OVER 5 YEARS OLD, PAPERBACKS OVER 2 YEARS OLD, OLD COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER MATERIALS, VHS TAPES, ABRIDGED AUDIO BOOKS, BOOKS ON CASSETTE

BOOKS IN POOR CONDITION THAT WE DO NOT ACCEPT: DIRTY, MILDEW, SMELLY, COBWEBBED, BUGS IN THEM, TORN UP, MISSING PAGES, FALLING APART, WE CANNOT USE THEM IN THE COLLECTION OR SELL THEM

Most gift items are not added to the Library’s collection, but are offered for sale at book sales.

By law, the Windber Public Library (W.P.L.) cannot appraise donations or provide evaluation of gifts for tax deductions or other purposes. Upon request, however, the Library will provide acknowledgement of material donations.

Internet

Public Access to the Internet Policy Statement

The Somerset County Federated Library System is committed to the promotion of education and the provision of resources patrons need to find information. For that purpose, the member Libraries make Public Access to the Internet available. Equipment has been provided by grant funds through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bell Atlantic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Acceptable Use:

Copyright laws or trademarks may apply to information available through the Internet. Use of information must not violate any copyright or trademark law.
Transmission of copyrighted or pornographic material in violation of any federal or state regulation is prohibited.
Use of information transmitted via the Internet is at the patron’s risk; neither member Libraries nor the Internet provider is responsible for any information, medical or otherwise, obtained on the Internet.

Limitations:

Any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data, unauthorized access, including hacking and other unlawful online activities by minors is prohibited. This includes the uploading and creating of computer viruses.
Patrons may not use this account for any commercial or for-profit purposes.
Hardware and software may not be modified or destroyed.
Libraries restrict access to minors to “inappropriate matter.” Unauthorized disclosure of personal identification information of minors, the use of chat room and other forms of direct electronic communication are prohibited.
Safety and security measures are designed to restrict minors’ access to harmful materials.
Library staff is available for limited help using the Internet.
Although measures are designed to insure the safety and security of children, all offensive material contained in the Internet cannot be blocked.
All children under the age of 18 must have signed permission by a parent to use the Internet. It is recommended that parents accompany a child using the Internet. If no permission is given, children will not have Internet access.

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.
I. 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.
II. 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.
III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and
free access to ideas.
V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
VI. 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 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27,
1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Loan Periods and Loan Limits

The Windber Public Library establishes loan periods and loan limits to facilitate equitable access to library materials and information for Windber public library users. Loan periods and limits have been established to provide users with adequate time to use library materials and return them for use by others.

A loan period is the total number of days that a user may keep a specific item.

A loan limit is the total number of items of a specific type that a user may have on loan at one time.

The standard loan period for library material is 14 days. Some high demand items have shorter loan periods, as indicated in the list below.

Book-14 days

New Book -14 days

Paperbacks-14 days

Audiobooks-14 days

Magazines-14 days

D.V.Ds-7 days and only adults can check out two D.V.Ds at a time

The library reserves the right to limit the number of items a user may check out within the same subject area.

At their discretion, designated staff may override these loan periods and loan limits.

Library material is due on the date printed on the receipt issued at checkout. Library users may check the due date online through My Account or call the library during business hours.

Library material borrowed from the Windber Public Library may be returned to any public library in Somerset County or the Commonwealth of P.A.. Library material must be returned within the building itself or deposited in the library’s official book-drop. The material will be checked in using the actual date returned and then sent to its owning library.

Material borrowed through an Interlibrary Loan transaction must be returned to the library where it was picked up.

Overdues

Patron will be sent three overdue notices either by regular mail or email.
If, after two weeks, item(s) are not returned patron will receive and email or letter from the Director.
If, after two more weeks, the overdue item(s) have not been returned an invoice will be sent and patron’s record will be blocked until such time as the overdue item(s) are returned or restitution has been made.
Patron may be issued a legal summons from the District Magistrate at the discretion of the Director.

Wireless Access

Purpose

The Windber Public Library is committed to the promotion of lifelong learning. As part of that commitment, the Library will provide free public wireless access to the diverse and unique resources available on the Internet.

General Information

Information available through the Internet may be protected by copyrights or trademarks. Transmission of copyrighted or pornographic material in violation of any federal or state regulation is prohibited.
Patrons should be aware that the Internet contains offensive material.
The Internet is a vast worldwide community with no limitations or restrictions. Not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, complete or current information. The Windber Public Library is not responsible for any information obtained on the Internet. Use is at the patron’s risk.
Since the library is a public forum, privacy while using the Internet cannot be provided. Users are also cautioned that all transactions and communication in an electronic environment are vulnerable to unauthorized access,
Revealing personal information in open forums such as chat rooms and e-mail can be dangerous. Do not reveal information about yourself or others in these open forums.

Patron Responsibilities

Users of the Library’s wireless network must read the Library’s Wireless Internet Acceptable Use Policy.
It is a felony offense in the state of Pennsylvania “to display or cause to display any explicit sexual material…on any…viewing screen in such manner that the display is visible…in any establishment where minors, as part of the general public, may be exposed to view all or any part of such materials” [Title 18 Penna. Crime Code – Sect. 5903]. Therefore, viewing of such material in the Library will not be permitted. Violation of this provision may result in the immediate termination of Internet privileges.
Users may not plug equipment into the Library’s computer network. Use of electrical receptacles is permitted.
Users are responsible for knowing how to configure their own equipment. Library staff cannot be responsible for any changes made to an individual’s computer settings.
Any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data is prohibited. This includes the uploading or creating of computer viruses.
Patrons may not use the Internet at the Library for any commercial or for-profit purposes.
Do not use the network in a way that disrupts the use of the network by others. This includes but is not limited to downloading large files and streaming audio or video.
Printing is not available through the wireless network. Use a Library public access computer.

Limitations

Personal e-mail accounts are available through websites such as Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.
Library staff is available for limited amount of assistance in using the Internet, but they cannot spend large amounts of time guiding patrons through the Internet. Staff cannot provide in-depth training concerning Internet computer jargon and personal computer use, but may be able to offer searching suggestions.
Use of the Internet at the Library is a privilege, not a right. Any violation of the Library’s Internet policy may result in the loss of Library privileges and appropriate legal action may be taken. The Library reserves the right to terminate a wireless Internet session at any time.
Due to the ever-changing nature of these services, this policy is subject to change without notice at the Library’s discretion.

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