Jefferson County Library Revises Borrowing Rules

The Jefferson County Library is making some changes to the borrowing rules for materials from the library.

“We hope these changes will make it easier for people who depend on the library for their reading and viewing needs,” said JCL director Pam Klipsch. All changes will take effect Monday, April 2, 2012.

Most of the materials cardholders borrow from the library’s three branches, including the ., are checked out for a three-week loan period.  That loan period will change to two weeks, so that items will “turn over” faster. Materials can still be renewed for more time if needed and if no one else is waiting for the title, to a maximum of two two-week renewals, for a total borrowing period of up to six weeks. 

“Naturally, for the first month of so, until people become accustomed to the new loan period, the library will be lenient about overdue fines,” Klipsch added.

She said the library can only afford to buy a few copies of most titles and the shorter loan period will provide people with more access to the titles they want.

“Ideally, we would buy more copies based on demand,” Klipsch said, “and we try to do so to the extent that our budget allows. But there is always a gap between the demand and the budget and this is a way we can bridge that gap.” 

Klipsch said the library’s bestseller items (the titles with the highest demand) will remain at a one-week checkout period, but cardholders will now be able to renew the item for a second week, if needed.  The library also will allocate more funds to purchase additional copies of these highest demand titles, she said.

“Since the recession of 2008, like everyone else, the library has adjusted its spending to stay within its income,” Klipsch said.  “We’re focused on evaluating our services, looking for more efficient and economical ways of doing business, and making decisions about priorities based on the preferences of our cardholders.”

Other changes in library borrowing rules will allow cardholders to have up to 30 items checked out at one time, from the current limit of 15; and will allow cardholders to have up to 30 active “holds” or requests to borrow specific titles at one time, from the current limit of 20.