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15 South Street, Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02324 Phone: 508-697-3331 bwpl@sailsinc.org
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FAQs About Borrowing From Our Library
The Bridgewater Public Library is a busy town library, with approximately 18,000 registered borrowers. A library card is available to any Massachusetts resident coming from a community whose library meets minimum standards set by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners . Why do I need a library card? If you want to borrow books, magazines, CDs, videos or other items from our library, you need a library card. Materials will be loaned only to people with a library card. Your card should be presented each time you borrow an item. Our library cards are ABLE or SAILS library cards and may be used at any of the libraries which are members of the SAILS network. A library card is necessary to reserve materials. How do I get a library card? If you are a new borrower, over
16 years of age, you must present positive identification, showing your name and
current address, such as:
Children under the age of 16 can get a library card as soon as they are able to print their first and last name on the application form or when they have entered Kindergarten. A parent or legal guardian must sign permission for a child to have a card. Parents or guardians are responsible for any overdue, lost or damaged materials borrowed by a child. Lost cards may be replaced by a borrower in good standing at a charge of $1.00. Under Massachusetts Law, what any person borrows from our library is confidential, regardless of the person's age. How long may I borrow items and what happens if I am late returning items? Materials, except those on 14-day reserve and specified others, will be loaned for a period of 28 days. These may be renewed once. They may be renewed by telephone or in person. A 14-day book is one for which one or more people are waiting. A 14-day book may not be renewed. Reference books are for use inside the library only. Fines are 10 cents per business day for each overdue item. The maximum fine for overdue items is $2.00 per item. Library cards will not be renewed or lost cards replaced if you have overdue items or unpaid fines. Items borrowed from the Bridgewater Public Library may be returned at any other public library in Massachusetts. Please be aware that items will take longer to get back to us if they are returned to a library that is not a member of SAILS, and overdue fines will be charged if the item is not back in our library by the date it is due. What if the item I am looking for has been borrowed by someone else or is not owned by the library? You may "place a hold" on items by reserving them directly on an SAILS public access terminal. You will be notified by telephone when the item is ready to be picked up. Materials will be held for a period of 2 days after we call you. Remember if you send someone else to the library to pick up an item on reserve for you, they must be able to identify the item. If you need an item not owned by a library in the SAILS Network, a request form must be filled out. If we decide not to purchase the item, every effort will be made to obtain it for you through interlibrary loan. A delivery service from the Eastern Massachusetts Regional Public Library System transports items from other libraries in the SAILS Network daily, Monday through Friday, to our library. What happens if my dog chews up an item that I borrowed from the library? or I lose an item that I borrowed? If you lose or damage library materials, you must pay for the replacement of the item(s) before you will be allowed to borrow from the library again. Totally damaged, unusable, or lost items must be paid for at the full replacement cost plus a nonrefundable $2.00 processing fee. All money received for damaged items is turned over to the Town's general fund. In the case of slightly damaged, still usable items, there will be a charge for repair to be determined by the library staff. For your convenience, the library provides a bookdrop located by the exit to our parking lot. The library is not responsible for books and other materials left in the bookdrop. Under no circumstances should library materials be left outside of this bookdrop. Last modified 01/26/2011 |
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