USE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS AND SERVICES
Essential to the mission of the library is the active promotion of library services, collections, community outreach and partnerships.
All persons are welcome to use the library and library materials on the premises during operating hours. The privilege of borrowing materials however, requires a library card.
CARD ISSUANCE
APPLICATIONS
In order to receive a library card, patrons 18 and over must complete a Seaside Library application form, Applicants 17 and younger must have a parent or guardian sign the application.
PROOF OF ADDRESS
The person accepting responsibility for the use of the library card (the adult applicant or the parent/guardian signing a minor’s application) must provide proof of current resident address. Proof of residency must be shown with a correct street address. The following items are acceptable as residency verification:
- A valid driver's license
- Rental agreement
- Utility bill
- Current mail
With the exception of non-resident and visitors cards, no charge is made to a person or business for a library card. Responsibility for items borrowed with a library card rests with the owner of that card. The Seaside Public Library issues the following types of library cards:
RESIDENT CARDS
Resident cards are issued free of charge to City of Seaside residents, property owners and business owners.
Seaside residents are those who reside on property within the corporate city limits of the city of Seaside. A minimum residency of four weeks is required.
Property owners are those who own property within the corporate city limits of the city of Seaside. Proof of property ownership is required.
Business owners are those who have a current business license with the city of Seaside. A copy of the current business license is required.
NON-RESIDENT CARDS
Out-of-town cards are issued to those who do not qualify for local cards. The out-of-town rates are set by the Seaside City Council. Cards must be paid in advance and proof of current address is required. The current charge for an out-of-town card is $35.00 a year.
Visitors cards are offered to out-of-town residents at a charge of $5.00 a month. Visitors must provide temporary and permanent addresses and have valid proof of residence. Visitor cards are limited to five items at a time.
EDUCATION CARDS
Student cards are provided for all Seaside middle school and high school students. There is no charge for a student card.
Summer cards are provided to any child living within the county from June 1st through September 30th. There is no charge for a summer card.
CARD EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL
All resident cards are valid for a period of one year from the date of application and may be renewed by verifying the application information is current.
Cards that have been expired for two consecutive years will be deleted.
“CARD IN HAND” REQUIREMENTS
To conduct circulation transactions or to receive information about a cardholder’s circulation records, patrons must present a valid library card. Patrons conducting business by phone must provide the library card barcode number.
Discretionary exceptions to this policy may be made for the occasional forgotten library card if the patron offers valid identification or is identified by a member of the library staff.
CIRCULATION OF MATERIALS
LOAN PERIODS
The loan periods for all cards (except Visitor cards) are as follows:
| 14 DAY LOAN | 7 DAY LOAN |
| Books | Videos |
| Books on Tape | DVDs |
| Books on CD | 7 day fiction |
| Magazines | |
Books marked as Reference and all material in Archives are for in-library use only.
There is a limit of five interlibrary loan requests at any one time.
Interlibrary loan circulation periods are determined by the lending library.
RENEWALS
There is a limit of one renewal per item. Items may be renewed over the phone.
Items on reserve for another patron may not be renewed.
Interlibrary loans may or may not be renewed depending on the policies of the lending library.
CHARGES AND FEES
The library operates best when all patrons cooperate for the timely check out and return of items. This enables all patrons to have a larger selection of materials to choose from.
In the event that library materials are willfully detained, the Seaside library, in accordance with Oregon State Law 357.975 may impose fines or charges as follows.
OVERDUE CHARGES
There is a charge of 10¢ per day per item after a seven day-grace period.
No materials may be checked out on any card that has fines.
Reminder calls will be placed after the 8th and 15th days past the due date.
Reminder cards will be sent on the 30th and 45th days past the due date.
On the 60th day, the book will be considered lost to the library, and the patron will be charged for the lost item. At this time, the Library Director may refer the charges to another agency (collection agency, court settlement, etc.).
LOST BOOK CHARGES
The charge for lost items is the price of the item plus $5.00.
Lost items borrowed from other libraries will be charged according to the fees of the lending library.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
It is the policy of the Seaside Public Library to provide a safe, comfortable environment that is conducive to the use of library materials and facilities. The library is designed for the use of all members of the public. Patrons are expected to observe the rights of other patrons and staff members regarding the use of the library and its intended purposes.
TYPES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR
The following behavior will not be allowed in the library:
- Any behavior that endangers the safety or health of others
- Violation of any local, state, or federal law
- Vandalism or deliberate destruction or library materials or property
- Theft of library materials or personal property of other patrons or staff
- Deliberate disruption of library procedures
- Use of abusive language
- Smoking, eating, or drinking in areas not designated for these activities
In most cases, disruptive patrons or those behaving inappropriately will be warned of their behavior and asked to behave in a more appropriate manner. Patrons who refuse to behave in an appropriate manner will be asked to leave the library.
DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR
In cases in which a patron poses a clear danger to her/himself or others, clearly violates the law, or refuses to leave the library after being requested to leave by a member of the staff, the police will be called to handle the situation.
DISRUPTIVE MINORS
Minors who are being disruptive will be requested to leave after one warning.
If minors are accompanied by an adult who cannot or will not control them, the adult will be asked to remove the minor from the building.
The policy on unattended children will be used for those persons under the age of ten who appear to be unattended and are causing a disturbance.
UNATTENDED CHILDREN
Children under the age of ten who are left unattended or appear to be in the facilities without adult supervision can be a cause of concern to the library. Issues of safety, liability and responsibility prompt the library to require that parents not leave children under the age of ten unattended in the library.
The following procedure will be used in the event of an unattended child:
- A staff person will attempt to locate the child's parents/guardians in the building
- If the parent/guardian or responsible adult cannot be located in the building, a staff member will stay with the child while the supervisor attempts to locate the parents
- If the parents/guardians have not been located, or if the library is closing, the staff is directed to call the police
- Under no circumstances shall a staff member take the child out of the building