Long-Range Goals:

The Byron-Bergen Public Library will collaborate with the towns of Bergen and Byron to identify additional funding sources, such as grants, fundraising opportunities, and other municipalities to achieve the following goals:

1. Create a dedicated space for teens with computer access and comfortable seating to encourage browsing and reading

2. Create a tutoring area to assist patrons with learning new technologies

3. Expand and improve library resources and programming  

4. To secure funding through a Municipal 414 vote (community-based funding) in order to keep funding sustainable for future generations.

Byron Bergen Public Library Policies

CIRCULATION POLICY

Any properly registered individual with a current Byron-Bergen Public Library Card may take out any circulating item in the adult or children’s room collections unless the individual’s privileges have been revoked due to unresolved issues.

There are no limits on the number of materials that can be taken out by any given patron unless there are restrictions placed on a child by a parent at the time of registration, with the exception of new patrons and non-resident patrons as outlined in the non-resident policy.

All materials circulate for a 3-week loan period and may be renewed once in person, by phone, or by Internet, with the following exceptions listed below:

• Reference Materials – Do not circulate.
• Current Magazine Issues – Do not circulate.
• New Books – Circulate for 1 (one) non-renewable 3-week loan period due to the high interest generated by new materials.
• DVDs – Circulate for a two (2) week loan period.
• New DVDs – Circulate for 1 (one) non-renewable week loan period.
• Museum and Park Passes – Circulate for a one- week non-renewable loan period. Examples include, but are not limited to: Genesee Country Museum, RMSC, Empire Pass.

RETURNING MATERIALS

All materials may be returned in the 24-hour drop box at the front of the building.  The material will be discharged off the patron’s Library card using the last business date open.

OVERDUE MATERIALS

There are no fines for overdue materials. Loan periods remain the same.  Therefore, we expect items to be returned on time. If items do come back late, you will not be fined for them.  Items that are overdue for a certain amount of time will move to the lost category. You will not be able to check out new items with overdue or lost items on your card.  If an item on your card has been moved to the lost category and you return it, the fee for the item will then be removed from your card.

Patrons are sent a legal notice two weeks after the due date.  Legal notices shall contain the following:

1.  Identification of the materials that need to be returned.

2.  A statement of the replacement cost of the material as determined below:

           a)   If a patron loses or refuses to return library material, the patron will be charged the cost of replacement of the material if it is still available for replacement.

           b)   If the material is no longer available, the patron will be charged the original cost of the material.

           c)   If the original cost of the material cannot be determined, the patron will be charged the cost of a suitable replacement for the material             

3. The following statement from the NYS Education Law details legal penalties in addition to the above:

Section 265 of the Education Law of the State of New York is as follows:

Detention – “Whoever willfully detains any book, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, manuscript, or other property belonging to any public or incorporated library, reading-room, museum, or other educational institution, for thirty days after notice in writing to return the same, given after the expiration of the time by which the rules of such institution, such as article or other property may be kept, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one more than twenty-five dollars, or by imprisonment in jail not exceeding six months, and the said notice shall bear on its face a copy of this section.”

PLEASE BE FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE BOOKS DESIGNATED ON THE ENCLOSED SLIPS MUST BE RETURNED WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE.

A copy of a patron’s legal notice may be sent to an appropriate law enforcement agency’s office 10 weeks after the due date.

The statute of limitations concerning a person who has not returned material is no more than six years.  While civil or criminal action may not be taken on an individual after this six-year period has expired, the library will continue to deny individuals library privileges until they have reimbursed the library or otherwise settled the dispute.

INTER-LIBRARY LOAN POLICY

As a member of the NIOGA System, we will make every effort to fill requests from other members immediately, unless there is a local waiting list for the material.  If the Byron-Bergen Public Library borrows a book or other material from NIOGA or other member libraries, we will honor the circulation rules of the lending library if they differ from our own.  Any fines differing from the Byron-Bergen Public Library’s fine system must be made known to the patron upon borrowing the material. The responsibility of fines is not to the lending library, but to the borrowing library.

As a member of NIOGA, the Byron-Bergen Public Library will endeavor to honor the contractual commitments of NIOGA between libraries and agencies.

NON-RESIDENT POLICY

If an individual lives or owns property within the NIOGA Region (Niagara, Orleans and/or Genesee Counties), the person is considered eligible to receive a library card at no charge, provided the individual can show proof of residency and/or proof of property ownership. In addition, those patrons who attend the Byron-Bergen Public School District and those employed within the area are also considered eligible to receive a library card at no charge.

Individuals not falling within the guidelines above would be considered non-residents and will be charged a fee of not less than $20 per year for a library card.

In addition, non-resident patrons may borrow eight items at any given time, including no more than two audiovisual (AV) materials.  New patrons (those with less than one year of membership) are limited to two items on the day of registration.

RULES OF CONDUCT FOR LIBRARY USERS

Library patrons are expected to be orderly so that others may enjoy the use of the Library undisturbed. Violators may be denied use of the Library.

Cell Phone Use

Patrons are asked to silence their cell phones while patronizing the Byron- Bergen Public Library. While it is understandable that emergency use of cell phones may be necessary while attending the Library, patrons who must accept a phone call while using the facility are asked to exit the Library area while taking the call.

Unattended Children Policy

While libraries are generally considered friendly, safe environments for children, parents should be aware that Libraries are public buildings where any individual may enter. In this way, the Byron- Bergen Public Library may be compared to an airport, for example, in that the person standing next to you may be your neighbor or they may be a perfect stranger about whom nothing is known. In addition, Library staff are hired to perform Library duties and cannot be expected to deal with a child who might be frightened, tired, or ill. Parents, not Library staff, are responsible for the behavior of their children using the Library. For these reasons, we prefer that adults supervise their children while using the facilities.

GIFT POLICY

Gifts received by the Byron-Bergen Public Library Manager will be recorded in the special memorial book by the donor, when possible.  Memorial material will also be designated as such.

The Byron-Bergen Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to accept or reject any gifts. Gifts will be accepted by the Library Manager following the guidelines of the Board. Any unusual gifts will not be accepted without the approval of the Board.

Gift materials accepted by the Board may be added to the collections, sold, given to other libraries, or discarded.  Gifts presented to the Library with qualifying conditions will be accepted at the discretion of the Board.  Length of time for the display of gift items is at the Library Manager’s discretion.

POLICY FOR EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS

Display cases and all other areas within the Byron-Bergen Public Library will be utilized at the discretion of the Library Manager, but they are provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people in the communities which the Library serves.  There are spaces to display various brochures and pamphlets, also at the discretion of the Library Manager.

Political and/or controversial material and exhibits can be rejected by the Library Manager and/or Board of Trustees.  Exhibit materials should meet the criteria of public interest, be informational or enlightening subjects, and/or promote the goals, resources or services of the Library. Individuals displaying items in the case will be notified that the Board of Trustees and the employees of the Library assume no responsibility for the preservation, protection, or possible damage or theft of any items displayed.  Items for a display will be accepted with a waiver signed by the owner absolving the Byron-Bergen Public Library and the Towns of Byron and Bergen of liability for loss or damage beyond that covered by insurance. 

OPEN MEETING POLICY

Meetings of the Byron- Bergen Board of Trustees are posted on the Byron-Bergen Public Library website and are open to the public. Unless otherwise posted, Board meetings are held each month in the Children’s Room of the Library. Public comments are welcome at the appointed time and/or at the discretion of the Board President.

Executive Sessions are a portion of the Open Meeting from which the public may be excluded.

Minutes of each meeting must include a summary of motions, including formal proposals and official decisions. Minutes must be posted on the BBPL website when formally approved.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Materials Selection

The Library Manager will select materials based on publisher listings, reviews in professionally recognized periodicals, standard bibliographies, booklists by recognized authorities, and occasionally the advice of competent people in specific areas as well as recommendations by patrons. All material will be judged by current usefulness or permanent value, authority and competence of presentation, relation to existing collections, and high standards of quality in content expression and format. The criteria will be applied to both adult and children’s collections.

Money will be spent wisely. Other resources (i.e. NIOGA) will be considered to prohibit unnecessary duplication when possible.

Collections Organization

The collections will be appropriately catalogued, classified, and organized in such a way that encourages ease of use by patrons.  Each piece will be identified as library property and maintained in a usable, attractive condition.

Weeding

An up-to-date, attractive and useful collection is maintained by retaining or replacing essential materials, and removing, on a systematic and continuous basis, those works that are worn, outdated, of little historical significance, or no longer in demand.  The Library Manager is responsible for making weeding decisions, based on the above criteria and space limitations. An inventory will be maintained.

GRIEVANCE POLICY

At the Byron-Bergen Public Library, we envision a space that supports intellectual freedom, diversity of thought, and the unimpeded pursuit of knowledge. We are steadfast in our commitment to nurturing a space that celebrates curiosity, values diverse narratives, and stands firmly against censorship. In our dedication to this vision, we steadfastly reject book banning and uphold the principles of open access, fostering an environment where minds are free to explore, question, and grow without constraint.

Reconsideration Procedures

The choice of library materials by users is an individual matter.  Responsibility for the reading materials of children and adolescents rests with their parents or legal guardians.  While a person may reject material for himself or herself and/or his or her children, he or she cannot exercise censorship to restrict access to the material by others.

The Library supports intellectual freedom and has adopted the following statements as policy: ALA Freedom to Read Statement, ALA Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to View Statement of American Film and Video Association. (ALA-American Library Association)

Citizen requests for reconsideration shall be made in writing or by email and given to the Library Manager for a written response.  Appeals will be directed to the Byron- Bergen Public Library Board of Trustees for final decision, where it will be given every consideration.

“Complaint Form for Literature Found Objectionable” and” General Concern Form” will be provided by the Library Manager at the request of any patron. Each form will be presented to the Board of Trustees for review, entered into the minutes, and a response from the Board will be sent to the complainant.

COMPUTER/INTERNET WIRELESS POLICY

The Byron-Bergen Public Library provides access to information in a variety of formats.  The Internet is available as a reference tool.  It is an unregulated medium that changes constantly and unpredictably. 

The Byron-Bergen Public Library is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.  Since not all Internet sites are accurate, current, or complete, users must exercise caution and use their judgment to evaluate the validity and appropriateness of the information found.  Our Librarians are not able to verify whether the information on the Internet is valid, but they may have other reference materials you may use for further information.  The Internet is for educational, informational, and recreational purposes only.  No unauthorized, illegal, and/or unethical purposes will be tolerated.

You must have a valid Library card to use the Internet.  Users need to sign an Internet Use Agreement before using the Internet.  Children under 17 years of age must have their agreement signed by a parent or legal guardian in the presence of a Librarian.  The computer will be signed out by presenting your Library card at the front desk.  Parental supervision for children under 14 years of age will be needed while using the Internet.  Parents and/or legal guardians, NOT library staff, are responsible for the Internet information selected and/or accessed by their children.

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right.  The privilege may be revoked if the service is used in an inappropriate manner, at the Librarian’s discretion.  Non-copyrighted materials may be printed for the normal library copy fees.

The Library is not responsible for any issues that may occur, including but not limited to: loss of data, service interruptions, and non-deliveries of data arising from user omission or error, or performance of equipment or the compromise of personal information or data (ex. Credit card). 

Use of information obtained through the Internet is at the user’s own risk. Computer usage is limited to 30 minutes at a time unless approved by Library staff.

The Library’s wireless network is not secure or filtered; therefore, virus and security protection is recommended. Please keep in mind that information sent from your laptop has the potential to be captured by anyone else with a wireless device and the appropriate software.

The Library cannot guarantee that you will be able to connect successfully to the wireless network. Library staff members are unable to provide technical assistance to wireless users.

 Wireless Internet access is available to patrons of all ages. Parents or guardians of children under 18 years of age are responsible for their child’s Internet use. The Library assumes no responsibility for the use of the wireless network by children.

There is limited printing capability associated with the Library’s wireless network. If you need to print, either email the files to your web-based email account or save them to a USB drive and use one of the public computers to print. 

– Byron-Bergen Public Library Board Created March 2012; Reviewed on 06/08/15; Reviewed and Updated 05/08/18; 10/12/2020; 04/03/2024