Policies

Borrower's Policies

A free library card is available to those people who are five years old and above. Children ages five through 14 must have a parent or guardian's signature on their application. The person signing the application is financially responsible for materials borrowed on the child's card. Proof of address must be shown when the application is submitted and before a library card is issued. This proof may be an identification card, such as a driver's license, another form of picture ID, or a piece of mail with the applicant's current address.

Patrons classified as juvenile or young adult ( ages five through 17 ) may borrow all materials, except for videos classified as adult.

If the item's origin is from another member of the SEO consortium, and that library has a shorter borrowing period, that library's policy will be enforced.

An item may be renewed up to two times if there is no hold on it.

It an item is not immediately available form the Claymont branch, a hold may be placed on it. Patrons can place the hold from a public access terminal (PAC) in the branch location, from another SEO member library location, from their home computers, or a librarian can do it for them. If a librarian is asked to place holds for the patron, there may be a limit on the quantity of holds each patron can place at any given time based on the time constraints involved.

Requested hold items will be held for maximum of seven days before it will be either returned to its original location or to the next patron requesting the material.

If borrowers are late returning an item, the fine is .10 cents per day, per item. This is on books only. Books are loaned out for a period of three weeks. Audio visual items such as, DVD's, CD's, CD Audiobooks, fines are .25 cents per day, per item. These items are on loan for a two week period.

Charges for damaged items will be assessed to the last patron who borrowed them. The amount will be determined on an individual basis and are dependent on the extent of the damage.

Patrons may lose their borrowing privileges if items become overdue or if they have other charges in the amount of $5.00 or greater assessed to them.