Sec.11-31c-5. Requirements for libraries participating in the Connecticard program

(a) Borrower cards

(1) A valid adult or juvenile Connecticut public library borrower card must be presented by the borrower each time materials are borrowed. A library card may be used only by the person to whom the card was issued and may not be transferred to another person. In addition to a valid borrower card, participating libraries may require that a borrower show up to two other forms of identification. To be valid, a card must include the following information:

(a) Name, and town, if not part of name, of the issuing library.

(b) Name of the person to whom the card was issued.

(c) A specific future expiration date.

(2) Libraries participating in Connecticard shall issue upon request a borrower card to any eligible resident of the town in which the library lies or to any resident of a town for which that library has been designated the principal public library. No library participating in Connecticard shall charge the borrower a fee for the card or for the issuance of the card but a library may charge a reasonable fee to replace a card reported lost by the card holder. If a library does not ordinarily issue borrower cards to its residents it must issue a card with the information described in 11-31c-5 (a) (1) in order for their residents to borrow materials from libraries participating in the Connecticard program. These libraries may obtain blank borrower cards from the Connecticut State Library for use in the Connecticard program.

(3) Libraries participating in Connecticard may as a matter of convenience elect to issue a library card to a resident of another Connecticut town for use in that library only. No resident of another Connecticut town shall be charged a fee for such a card or for the issuance of such a card. Such cards shall include the name of the card holder's town of residence and the words "for use in the (issuing library) only." In no case shall a library issue a card to a non-resident for use as a Connecticard borrower card.

(b) Circulation rules

(1) Participating libraries shall lend to non-residents all materials loaned to resident card holders.

(2) The rules governing circulation of the lending library shall apply also to Connecticard loans.

(3) A printed statement of the lending library's circulation policy and procedures shall be made available to non-resident borrowers upon request.

(4) The lending library's policy on loan renewals for resident borrowers shall also apply to non-resident loans.

(5) Reserves and interlibrary loan requests may be accepted from non-residents under the same rules and policies applied to residents.

(c) Return of materials

(1) Print materials may be returned to the library from which they were borrowed or to any public library participating in Connecticard. Lending libraries may require that non-print materials be returned by the borrower directly to the lending library.

(2) Participating libraries that receive items owned by another participating library shall forward them to the owning library via Connecticard.

(3) The borrower assumes responsibility for all material borrowed on his/her card until it is received at the library that loaned it.

(4) Materials borrowed on interlibrary loan must be returned to the library that initiated the interlibrary loan. The borrower will not return them directly to the owning library nor to any other library. The library that initiated the interlibrary loan shall clear its records, then return the materials to the lending library. Libraries that borrow an item on interlibrary loan may elect to insert a return instruction sheet in the item including the words, "This book was borrowed on interlibrary loan for your use. Please return it directly to the (borrowing) library."

(d) Overdue notices

(1) Overdue notices are prepared by the lending library and sent directly to the borrower.

(2) In matters of overdue and lost materials, and owed fines, the lending library may notify the home library as necessary. The home library shall provide appropriate assistance in clearing accounts including but not limited to identification of a borrower's home or mailing address.

(e) Overdue fines

(1) Fines for late return are payable when materials are returned to the lending library.

(2) When computing fines, a library shall consider only the time period between the due date and the date the material is returned by the borrower to any library participating in Connecticard.

(3) If the materials are returned to another library, fines are payable at that library and may be either at the rate normally charged by that library or at the rate of the lending library. If materials are returned to another library which does not levy fines for overdue materials the borrower is not required to pay a fine.

(4) All fine moneys are retained by the library collecting them and are not refundable.

(5) If fines are not paid when materials are returned, the lending library may send a notice of fines due to the home library, to be collected and retained by the home library at the time of re-registration.

(f) Responsibility

(1) Responsibility for outstanding loans, for overdue fines, and for lost materials is in all cases retained by the individual borrower and not by the home library or the State Library.

(g) Materials lost and paid for

(1) Payments for lost or damaged materials are payable to the lending library.

(2) The lending library's policy on refunds for "found" materials for resident borrowers shall also pertain to loans to non-residents.

(Effective January 31, 1994)