BCPL Policies and Procedures page.
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Policies and Procedures

The Baltimore County Public Library provides access to information and materials for our users but must observe certain policies and procedures in order to protect our materials and to help provide equal access to all.  Click below to read the most frequently asked questions about our rules and policies.

• Acceptable Use Statement
• Buy or Donate Used Materials
• DVDs and Video Games
• Fees, Fines and Overdues
• Library Cards
• Meeting Room Policy [PDF]
• Renewing Borrowed Items
• Returning Borrowed Items
• Rules of Conduct
• Teacher Loan Card
• Use of Personal Equipment at the Library

Buy or Donate Used Materials

Donations of gently used items in good condition and odor- and mold-free are accepted at BCPL libraries. Libraries accept used materials but reserve the right to evaluate, sell through Better World Books or dispose of them using the same criteria applied to our purchased material.

Withdrawn library materials and donations are for sale 24/7 online through Better World Books. Better World Books funds literacy initiatives. A percentage of the sale price is returned to the library to purchase additional materials and to fund library services.

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DVDs

BCPL has a variety of adult and children's DVDs available to check out. The policies and loan periods vary depending on the type of DVD and are as follows:

Entertainment or Feature Length DVDs

• Two day check out / loan period.
• Checkout fee is $2.50 each for all children's and adult's entertainment or feature length DVDs. This fee is charged at check out.
• There is a $2.50 charge to renew these DVDs. Renewals must be made in person at any BCPL library.  Customer must bring DVDs to the branch. Cannot be renewed online or through SHELF HELP.
• Late fee of $2.50 per item per day applies if these items are not returned by closing time on their due date..
• Can be held through the end of the business day by calling the owning branch.
• Can be requested through the catalog. You will be notified when the DVD arrives at your branch and is ready for pick up.
• Can be requested while on order (Book Ahead Service) for a $1.00 fee per item.
• A “not picked up fee” of $1.00 per item applies if a request is delivered to a branch but not picked up.

TV Series DVDs and Classic Film DVDs

• Seven day check out / loan period.
• No check out fee.
• Can be renewed twice through the Baltimore County Public Library web site or through SHELF HELP.
• Late fee of $2.50 per item per day applies if these items are not returned by closing time on their due date.
• Can be held through the end of the business day by calling the owning branch.
• Can be requested through the catalog. You will be notified when the DVD arrives at your branch and is ready for pick up.
• Can be requested  while on order (Book Ahead Service) for a $1.00 fee per item.
• A “not picked up fee” of $1.00 per item applies if a request is delivered to a branch but not picked up.

Nonfiction / Instructional DVDs

• Twenty one day check out / loan period.
• No check out fee.
• Can be renewed twice through the Baltimore County Public Library web site or through SHELF HELP.
• Late fee of $2.50 per item per day applies if these items are not returned by closing time on their due date.
• Can be held through the end of the business day by calling the owning branch.
• Can be requested through the catalog. You will be notified when the DVD arrives at your branch and is ready for pick up.
• Can be requested while on order (Book Ahead Service) for a $1.00 fee per item.
• A “not picked up fee” of $1.00 per item applies if a request is delivered to a branch but not picked up.

DVDs cannot be borrowed on a Teacher Loan Card.

Sunday due dates: if a two-day entertainment DVD is checked out on a Friday then it must be returned by 5 p.m. on Sunday to avoid late fees. If your branch is not open on Sunday, return DVDs by 5 p.m. using any BCPL Book Drop. All BCPL libraries have Book Drops, except the Loch Raven Library.

Customers under the age of 18 must have parental permission to check out DVDs that are not rated for children. These are designated with a J before the call number to denote that they are Juvenile. A parent or guardian must authorize at the time of library card registration whether a child may use his or her library card to borrow all DVDs or only J DVDs. If the parent or guardian does not sign and authorize this permission, only DVDs having a J before the call number may be borrowed. Parental permission includes any signature that we currently accept for obtaining a library card, for example grandparents, caregivers, etc. You can change parental permission at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch..

Video Games

BCPL has a variety of adult and children's video games available to check out. Video game systems include: Sony Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. Video games can only be checked out by first  placing a request on the title. The policies for video games are as follows:

• Twenty-one day check out / loan period. (NEW!)
• No checkout fee.
• Can only be checked out by first placing a request on video game titles. You will be notified when your video game arrives at your branch and is ready for pick up.
• Requests are free unless the video game is still on order. If the video game is still on order, then a Book Ahead fee of $1.00 applies.
• A “not picked up fee” of $1.00 per item applies if a request is delivered to a branch but not picked up.
• Borrower Limits: customers cannot check out more than 3 video games at a time.
• Can be renewed twice through the Baltimore County Public Library web site or through SHELF HELP.
• Late fee of $2.50 per item per day for each video game applies if these items are not returned by closing time on their due date.
• Video Game Ratings: the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) provides rating symbols. Baltimore County Public Library purchases video games that are rated EC (Early Childhood - may be suitable for ages three and older) through T (Teen - may be suitable for ages thirteen and older).

Video Games cannot be borrowed on a Teacher Loan Card.

Sunday due dates: video games due back on a Sunday must be returned by 5 p.m. in order to avoid late fees. If your branch is not open on Sunday, return video games by 5 p.m. using any BCPL Book Drop. All BCPL libraries have Book Drops, except the Loch Raven Library.       

Customers under the age of 18 must have parental permission to check out video games cataloged in our adult collection. A parent or guardian must authorize at the time of library card registration whether a child may use his or her library card to borrow all video games or only video games rated for children. These are designated with a J before the call number. If the parent or guardian does not sign and authorize this permission, only video games having a J before the call number may be borrowed. Parental permission includes any signature that we currently accept for obtaining a library card, for example grandparents, caregivers, etc. You can change parental permission at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch.

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Fees, Fines and Overdues

• About
• Damaged Materials and Library Card
• Late Fines
• Lost Materials
• Maximum Late Fines
• No Pick Up Fee
• Notification of Overdues
• Notification of Late and Unpaid Fines
• Overdue Items
• Payment of Fines and Fees
• Partial Payment
• Referral to Collection Agency
• Replacement Cost
• Returned Check Fee

About Fees and Fines

Through your timely return and care of borrowed materials, you make it possible for others to enjoy the same services you do. Late fees are applied to materials that are not returned on time, or are lost or damaged. Other services, such as checking out entertainment DVDs, Book Ahead, Interlibrary Loan or printing pages from the Internet, have a fee applied.

Monies collected from fees go directly back to the library budget. In fact, about 10 percent of the total budget comes from fees and is put directly back into buying materials, such as children's books, books on CD, and the many other Baltimore County Public Library services you enjoy.

Damaged Materials and Library Card

If a barcode label or radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag is damaged or missing from a borrowed item, the fee is $1.00. For all other damage to materials, the fine will vary based on the extent of the damage. The staff at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any of our library branches will determine the amount of damage to the item.

Replacement of a damaged library card costs $2.00.

No Pick Up Fee

If items are requested but not picked up by the customer, a $1.00 restocking fee is attached to the customer's library account.

Overdue Items

Library items, except for most DVDs, are loaned for 21 days. Items are considered overdue if not returned by library closing time on the item's due date. If items are not returned on time, late fees are automatically attached to the customer's library account. All items can be returned to any Baltimore County Public Library branch, regardless of where they were checked out.

Notification of Overdue Items

Customer will receive email notification of overdue items 14 days after the item's due date. If email is unsuccessful or unavailable, you will be notified by our automated phone service. If phone notification is unsuccessful, a paper notice will be mailed. Items are automatically considered lost after being 32 days overdue.

To ensure that you get your BCPL emails, add these addresses to your email address book:
monitor@bcpl.net
notifyme@bcpl.net
notice@bcpl.net

Late Fines

Late fees (Extended Loan Fees) are attached to the customer's library account if the item was not returned by library closing time on the item's due date.

• Daily late fee for most overdue materials is $0.25 per item per day.
• DVDs and video games: late fee is $2.50 per item per day.
• Book Drop Returns on due date - if returning an item on the day it is due using a BCPL Book Drop, it must be placed in the Book Drop before the branch closes for the evening to avoid any late fees.
• Book Drop Returns not on due date - if you are returning the item before the day it is due, it can be placed in any BCPL Book Drop at any time with no late fees attached.
• Sunday due dates - items due on Sunday must be returned by closing time at 5 PM.  If an item is due on Sunday and your library is not open on Sunday, you may use any BCPL Book Drop to return the item. Items must be placed in the Book Drop by 5 PM to avoid late fees on Sunday. All BCPL libraries have Book Drops available, except the Loch Raven Library.
• If an item is overdue and kept out through a Sunday, late fees are charged for Sundays, whether the branch you use is open on Sunday or not.
• No late fees are attached for Baltimore County Public Library's official closing dates.
• No late fees are collected when the entire library system is closed for any part of our normal service schedule.
• When individual libraries are closed, but the library system remains open, fees are collected.
• Baltimore County Public Library is not tied with the openings and closings of the public schools or the County government. If libraries are open, all applicable fines and fees are charged.
• You can check the status of your library account for any fees attached to your library card.

Notification of Late and Unpaid Fines

Customers who have returned overdue items and have unpaid fees of any amount are notified by email 14 days after the item is returned. If email is unavailable or unsuccessful, a paper notice is then mailed.

To ensure that you get your BCPL emails, add these addresses to your email address book:
monitor@bcpl.net
notifyme@bcpl.net
notice@bcpl.net

Customers who have returned overdue items and have unpaid fees of $10.00 or more, will be mailed a paper notification 14 days after the item is returned.

Notification cannot be made by our automated telephone service.

Customers may have additional lost or overdue items that do not appear on each fee notice. Notification of any additional lost or overdue items will be made, as appropriate, according to the above established Baltimore County Public Library policies and procedures. The status of your library account including any fees attached to your account is available by calling SHELF HELP. You can also check the status of your library account online.

Maximum Late Fines

Maximum late fees never exceed the cost of the item and are:

• $2.00 for a comic book.
• $4.00 for a magazine.
• $8.00 for a book, CD, talking book, Baby Booster kit, or an engraver.
• $12.50 for all DVDs and videogames.

Lost Materials

If an item is 32 days overdue then it is considered lost. On the 32th day after the due date, customers are notified by email that the item is considered lost. If email notification is unsuccessful or unavailable, a paper notice is mailed. Phone notification is not available for lost items.

To ensure that you get your BCPL emails, add these addresses to your email address book:
monitor@bcpl.net
notifyme@bcpl.net
notice@bcpl.net

A processing fee of $4.00 will be charged for each lost item in addition to the item's replacement cost.

Replacement Cost

All materials, with the following exceptions, vary in replacement cost depending on the purchase price of the item.
Exceptions include:

• $2.00 for an audio bag, binder or case, a DVD case, or magazine cover.
• $3.00 for a comic book.
• $4.00 for printed material accompanying a DVD or CD.
• $5.00 for a magazine.
• $10.00 for an engraver.

Replacement costs for material borrowed from another library system may vary.

An exact replacement of lost material, or in special cases a substitution, can be arranged in place of payment at the discretion of the librarian in charge. The replacement copy needs to be in new or like-new condition. Judgment about the item's condition is at the discretion of the librarian in charge. The processing fee of $4.00 is still owed.

For a refund of the lost material fee for a found item, the item and the Lost-and-Paid receipt must be presented within 6 months of payment. The processing fee of $4.00 and late return fees up to the maximum charge are still owed. There is no refund on lost-and-paid items from academic or out-of-state libraries.

If the replacement cost, service fees and fines are not paid, the library account may be referred to our collection agency.

Payment of Fines and Fees

Cash, personal checks with valid identification, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted for payment at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch. Our bookmobiles only accept personal checks with valid identification and money orders as payment. There is a $25.00 fee for any returned check.

Partial Payments

Arrangements for partial payments can be made at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch. If a borrower has any fees less than $10.00, the full amount must be paid at one time to continue the use of a library card.

If total fees are $10.00 or more, 10 percent of the balance must be paid. The customer may check out or renew a maximum of two items per day while making partial payments.

All fees must be paid within 6 months of the initial payment.

Referral to Collection Agency

Customers owing $50.00 or more may be referred to a collection agency. A $15.00 service charge will be applied.

Returned Check Fee

Each returned check will result in an additional $25.00 fee. Customers may be referred to a collection agency with an additional $15.00 service charge applied. Partial payment arrangements are not available.

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Rules of Conduct

Welcome to the Baltimore County Public Library. We value our customers and strive to treat them with courtesy and respect. Libraries reflect communities and people use them for many different reasons. We hope you find the library a comfortable and welcoming place. Please be considerate of the rights of others as you use this public facility.

You are welcome to...

• Use our materials gently. Take them home to enjoy by using your library card.
• Speak in conversational tones. Use cell phones in designated areas. Set cell phones to vibrate.
• Use tables and chairs during your library visit, limiting groups to four people per table. Personal items must be attended at all times.
• Use free library computers after registering.
• Food and drinks are allowed. Beverages must be covered, snacks should consist of finger food.
• Children of all ages are welcome to use library materials and participate in library activities. Children under 8 must be with an adult.
• Be comfortable during your visit. Dispose of trash as you leave.
• Ask the library staff if you have any questions or need any assistance.

The Board of Library Trustees for Baltimore County has established Rules of Conduct so that library users and staff have a clean, pleasant and safe environment. We need your cooperation to reach this goal.

The following are prohibited at all branches of the Baltimore County Public Library:

• Engaging in any activity prohibited by law.
• Disruptive or unsafe behavior including any conduct that interferes with the use of the library by others or with the functioning of the library staff.
• Use of loud, abusive, threatening or insulting language.
• Use of obscene or pornographic Internet sites.
• Sexual harassment or misconduct.
• Activities that may result in damage to library property.
• Sleeping, smoking and offensive bodily hygiene.
• Animals, except for assistance dogs.
• Rollerblading or skateboarding.
• Petitioning, soliciting or selling merchandise.

The Baltimore County Public Library reserves the right to prohibit persons who do not abide by the library's Rules of Conduct from using its facilities and premises. Library personnel may ask persons who are exhibiting inappropriate behavior to modify their behavior. Noncompliance may result in the individual being banned from the library premises or in arrest and prosecution.

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Use of Personal Equipment at the Library

Customers are welcome to use laptops and PDAs at the library. However, the library is not responsible for damage to personal equipment from use of library non-print materials. Baltimore County Public Library assumes no responsibility for damage, theft, or loss of a customer’s equipment, software, data or other personal property brought into or used within Baltimore County Public Library facilities.

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This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on 05 January 2010.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on 05 January 2010.
You are welcome to provide feedback.