It is well to be clear in communicating your expectations for payment of fees or fines and of book care and handling to prospective library patrons. Here are a few samples of what various librarians expect from the patrons who borrow books from their private lending libraries.

From Elizabeth Jones, Covenant Family Library, West Virginia

“Library membership is $60 for a year, beginning on August 1 and ending on July 31. Five in a Row membership is also $60. Combined membership is $100. For families who join after January 1, the membership fee is prorated by half.

The library is open on Fridays, 10-12 in the morning, 2-5 in the afternoon.  If for any reason the library is closed on a particular Friday, it will be posted on the Covenant Family Library Facebook page.
Books may be borrowed for four weeks, and may be renewed for two, provided that no one is waiting for them. Members may e-mail (CovenantFamilyLibrary@yahoo.com) or message the Covenant Family Library Facebook page to renew books before closing time on the due date. Books may be returned during the week without incurring late fees (please message beforehand). Late fees are a dollar per Friday per book, and two dollars per Friday per FIAR unit.

A three dollar fine will be charged for significant damage to a book – cover damage, label removal, pages torn out, etc. Small tears to pages will not be fined, but we would need to be informed so repairs can be made. Please make no repairs yourself; we have the preferred supplies. Specific ways to avoid damaging books include:
Avoid eating and drinking while reading library books
Turn pages by outside corners, rather than the bottom
Do not dog-ear pages
Do not lay open book face down
Keep books out of the bathroom

In the event that a book is lost or damaged beyond repair, members will pay to replace the book with a comparable copy, plus a three dollar processing fee. If the replacement copy can be considered an upgrade (i.e. a paperback in good condition is replaced with a hardback in good condition), the processing fee will be waived. FIAR members are also responsible for manipulatives and totes.
Library members are responsible for providing a plastic tote to store the books while in their possession. This will help protect the books from the weather between cars and houses, and help prevent the loss of the books. FIAR members are not required to provide a tote, as FIAR units have their own. Members are asked to stack books flat in the totes to avoid damaging books.”

From Sherry Early, Meriadoc Homeschool Library, Houston, Texas

“The library fee per family is $60.00 for a year’s membership. Your yearly membership fee is due each year in January. For this nominal fee, borrowers may check out up to 20 items at one time per student in your family. If you join the library later in the year, your library fee will be prorated at $5.00 per month.

Since library materials undergo normal wear and tear, we encourage donations to help us replace worn out materials and to expand the library. All donations of books and other materials become the property of Meriadoc Homeschool Library to be used or discarded as the librarian sees fit.

Lending period is for one month at a time, or whatever part of the month is left when materials are borrowed. At the end of each month borrowers will receive an email list of the materials they have checked out of the library. If borrowers wish to keep the materials on the list for another month they are asked to reply to the email informing us that they will be keeping the materials for one more month. 

Library patrons will be given a user number (PIN) to use at the library’s TinyCat catalog website: https://www.librarycat.org/lib/sherryearly This PIN can be used to place books on hold. Your books on hold should be picked up from the library porch as soon as you are notified that that they are ready.

Books and other materials are to be returned in the condition they are received. In the event library materials are not returned in useable condition, we require that the borrower pay replacement costs in addition to a service fee of $10. (Some of the books in this library are rare, out-of-print titles that may have a high replacement cost.) Any problem with library materials should be brought to the librarian’s attention immediately.

Materials are loaned to you and your family and should not be loaned to other individuals or families. If other families wish to borrow materials, they need to fill out an agreement in order to borrow directly from us. It is the responsibility of the borrower to return library materials as agreed and not the responsibility of the library to call and pick them up. 

NOTE: The materials in the Meriadoc Homeschool Library are carefully chosen to meet the standards of the librarian, Sherry Early. However, not all books meet the standards of all families, and not all books are appropriate for all age groups.  Borrowers beware, and ask questions if you are not sure a given book or other item will be appropriate for your child or for your family.

Lending privileges may be revoked at the discretion of the librarian.

Other conditions may be added to this agreement as experience dictates. In that case, you will be notified in writing of such changes, if and when they occur.”

More sample library member agreement and membership application forms:

Catherine McKay, The Book House member agreement.

Sandy Hall, Hall’s Living Library Membership Agreement and Library Policies

This post is part of our Ask The Librarian series, a Card Catalog Project. You can find more like this here. And, we would love to connect with you! You can find us on Facebook here.