Library Cards and       Circulation Policies

Unattended Children

The Library is accessible during regular hours and programs for use by children with the following rules and regulations (established per Michigan Library Laws). It is the goal of the Library to provide for the safety of children at all times when using the library or while participating in a library program at the library or off-site.

• It is the responsibility of parents or caregiver (at least 13 years old) to care for and watch children while using the library or while participating in library programs.
• All children nine (9) years or younger using the library shall at all times be attended and adequately supervised by a parent or caregiver except during scheduled library programs.
• Children ten (10) years and older may use the library or participate in off-site library programs unattended subject to the patron conduct policy.
• If someone other than the caregiver is to pick up a child from the library, a note regarding the authorized party must be given to a staff member.
• Persons responsible for children who exhibit disruptive behavior will be expected to remain with their child(ren) at all times while on library property or at library programs off-site.
• If children nine (9) years and younger are left unattended for more than 30 minutes on library property, the staff will first attempt to contact parents or caregiver.  If these attempts are not successful, the local police will be notified.
• The Library is not responsible if children leave the library property unattended.
• Two (2) or more library staff members are to be present at all times when children are using the library or participating in a library program. Library staff are not permitted to take children away from the library and grounds or from a library program off-site except in the case of an emergency evacuation.
• If such an emergency occurs parents or caregivers will be notified by the library staff as soon as possible where the assembly point for the emergency evacuation is located so the child(ren) may be picked up as soon as possible.
• Violations of this policy may lead to suspension of a family’s library privileges at the discretion of the Library Director. The Director is authorized to bill parents or guardians for damages caused by unattended children.

Appeals Policy

The Schoolcraft Community Library reserves the right to suspend or cancel some or all of a patron’s library privileges and the right of patrons to challenge library material. The Library recognizes the need for a step wise appeals process that allows all parties to voice their concerns and that allows the Library to operate under applicable laws and current policies.

Patrons in good standing are entitled to several library privileges which may include but are not limited to:

• Borrowing privileges as a library card holder
• Use of library facilities and materials
• Participation in library programs
• Use of library computers and/or wireless access

Patron behavior or actions that may result in temporary suspension or cancellation of privileges are addressed in several Library policies such as, but not limited to patron conduct, computer use, wireless access and library cards. The appeals process described here is also applicable to formal applications to challenge materials. The Library Director or library staff will show library policies to patrons upon request. Copies of policies are to be paid for by those who request a copy.

The appeals process will consist of the following steps:

The Library Director will be the first contact with the patron who has a concern that may lead to a challenge of material or who faces suspension and/or cancellation of privileges.

The first step will be an informal discussion between the Director and the concerned patron or challenger of materials. This informal discussion will be documented and dated by the Library Director.

If the issue is not resolved, the patron may file a formal application to challenge materials or to challenge the suspension or cancellation of privileges, as applicable. All such formal challenges will be in writing, signed and dated by the patron/challenger, and will include information regarding the concern and sufficient contact information to allow the Library to contact the challenger by written communication. Formal challenges will only be accepted from residents of the library district or current non-resident card holders. The library will consider the lack of a formal challenge within two weeks of initial contact to be the closing of the discussion on a particular concern and any suspension or cancellation of patron privileges will stand or patron challenges to material will be considered to be dropped.

The President of the Library Board or a member of the Library Board designated by the President will review a formal challenge within two weeks of receipt of the formal challenge. The challenger may be contacted by the President or the designated Board member for a discussion of the challenge. If the concern is resolved by that discussion, the formal challenge will be considered closed upon notification of the Director and the patron in writing by the President or the designated Board member.

If the concern is not resolved by the discussion in the previous step, the President of the Library Board or the designated Board member will meet and review the formal challenge with the Library Director and formulate a written response to the challenge.

A written response to the challenge will be mailed to the challenger within two weeks of the discussion in step 3.

The patron is invited to attend the next regularly scheduled Library Board meeting and to make a case for the challenge. The Library Board will address this as an agenda item at the next business meeting.

The President of the Library Board will appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of three Board members to formulate a final review and decision regarding the challenge at the meeting where the challenger makes the case.

The ad hoc committee will come to a final decision regarding the challenge and provide a written final review regarding the outcome to the patron by mail within two weeks of the Board meeting in step 6. Decisions taken by the ad hoc committee will be considered final. The written final review will be signed and dated by the ad hoc committee members and the Library Director.