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Click hereMeeting Room Policy
Click hereInterlibrary Loan Policy
Click hereCollection Development Policy
Click hereVolunteer Policy
Click hereWork Place Violence Policy
Click hereSexual Harrassment Policy
Click hereBulletin Board Policy
A. Registration
All residents of Nottingham and employees of the Town and School are eligible for a library card. All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid patron card to borrow library materials. Applicants under 13 years of age must have a parent or guardian give their consent on the application form before a new card can be issued. This parental signature is not required for children who are renewing cards. Materials cannot be checked out until a library card is issued. All library cards expire after 3 years. In order to renew a library card, patrons must clear all outstanding fines and bills. Non-residents of adjacent towns are also allowed borrowing privileges. There is no fee to them if their town has a reciprocal agreement not to charge residents of our town. All other non-residents will pay a $20 annual fee to become a member of this library.
B. Lost or forgotten cards
If a patron loses his/her library card, he should notify the library as soon as possible and request a replacement. Patrons will be responsible for the cost of a new card. All patrons, adult and juvenile, are expected to bring their library cards with them if they intend to check out items.
C. Loan periods
1. 2 weeks for all library materials. 2. Generally, reference books do not circulate. Upon request, some reference materials may be checked out overnight. 3. Interlibrary loans are due the date indicated by the lending library. 4. Books may be renewed once if there is not a waiting list for the title. . The director may establish the loan period for special collections, materials which are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection which are in a new format, e.g., computer software. There is no limit on the number of items a patron can borrow at one time.
D. Reserves
Reserves may be placed by patrons either in person, by computer or over the phone. Patrons will be notified by e-mail or telephone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve or for interlibrary loan services.
E. Fines and charges
There will be a 5 cents a day fine for each overdue item with the maximum of $5.00. A week after the material is due, a phone call reminder is made. This is followed by a second call a week later. If the material is not returned by the third week of being overdue, a bill will be sent for the material with the cost of replacement of the material and a $5.00 service charge for processing, cataloging and postage. Patrons who have been sent an overdue notice shall be denied borrowing privileges until those overdue materials are returned or paid for if lost and/or damaged. After four weeks, if the materials have not been returned and are at least $30 of value, a certified letter from the Selectmen will be sent. This gives them fifteen days to return the materials or we will turn their records over to the Nottingham Police Department. If the certified letter is not picked up, additional enforcement actions maybe taken. Patrons with a fine of over $3.00 will not be allowed to borrow from the library until their fine is paid.
F. Damaged materials
If materials are damaged so as to be judged by the library as being unsuitable for the collection, the patron must pay the replacement cost. A notice of these charges will be sent to the borrower; a sample of the notice follows: Dear____________________________ At the time a library patron borrows materials from the public library collection, the patron assumes the responsibility for the care and timely return of the materials. Recently materials checked out on your library card were returned to the library damaged beyond the point of being usable in the Library’s collection. The titles and costs of these materials are listed below: ———————————- $——— Your assistance in clearing this matter promptly will be appreciated and will be necessary in order to retain your borrowing privileges. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this matter.
Sincerely,
G. Confidentiality
As specified in NH RSA 201-D:11 I. Library records which contain the names or other personal identifying information regarding the users of public or other than public libraries shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as provided in paragraph II. Such records include, but are not limited to, library, information system, and archival records related to the circulation and use of library materials or services. II. Records described in paragraph I may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of such libraries and shall be disclosed upon request by or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order, or where otherwise required by statute. III. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any library from releasing statistical information and other data regarding the circulation or use of library materials provided, however, that the identity of the users of such library materials shall be considered confidential and shall not be disclosed to the general public except as provided in paragraph II. Source. 1989, 184:3, eff. July 21, 1989. The Blaisdell Memorial Library adheres strictly to all sections of this Statute regarding the protection of the confidentiality of its users.
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Internet Use Policy
Internet Use Policy (adopted October 3, 2008)
The Blaisdell Memorial Library is providing access to the Internet as a means to enhance the information and learning opportunities for the citizens of the library’s service area. The Board of Trustees has established the Internet use policy to ensure appropriate and effective use of this resource.
Access to the Internet is available to all patrons; however, this service may be restricted at any time for use not consistent with the guidelines. Parents of minor children must assume responsibility for their children’s use of the library’s Internet service; prior to being granted access to the Internet, anyone under 14 years of age, along with a parent or guardian, must agree to the Internet Use Agreement. All users over 14 must also agree to the Internet Use Agreement before access to the Internet will be provided. A log in chart will be kept to keep track of the time a patron has spent on the computer.
Expectations:
Users should be aware that the inappropriate use of electronic information resources can be a violation of local, state, and federal laws and can lead to prosecution. The user will be held responsible for his/her actions using the Internet. Users are expected to abide by the policies below which include generally accepted rules of network etiquette. Unacceptable uses of the service will result in the suspension or revocation of Internet use privileges.
Warnings:
The Internet is a decentralized, unmoderated global network; the Blaisdell Memorial Library has no control over the content found there. The library will not censor access to material nor protect users from offensive information, and it is not responsible for the availability and accuracy of information found on the Internet.
The library cannot assure that data or files downloaded by users are virus-free. The library is not responsible for damages to equipment or data on a user’s personal computer from the use of data downloaded from the library’s Internet service.
The use of the Internet and e-mail is not guaranteed to be private. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the proper authorities.
Guidelines:
• Users may use the Internet for research and the acquisition of information to address their educational, vocational, cultural, and recreational needs
• Users may use the Internet for the receipt and transmission of electronic mail (e-mail) as long as they use a free e-mail service which will establish and maintain an account for them; the library is unable to manage e-mail accounts for any organizations or individuals
• Computer use is offered in thirty (30) minute sessions on a first-come, first-served basis; each user is allowed one session–if there is no patron waiting for the service at the end of a session, the user can have another session, but once having had the service for 30 minutes the user must abandon use of the Internet if another patron requests use of the service
• If you do not sign the log-in chart before use, you may be asked to stop using the computer at anytime.
• Users will respect and uphold copyright laws and all other applicable laws and regulations; they will not use it for illegal purposes
• Users will respect the rights and privacy of others by not accessing private files
• Users agree not to incur any costs for the library through their use of the Internet service
• Users shall not create and/or distribute computer viruses over the Internet
• Users shall not deliberately or willfully cause damage to computer equipment, programs, or parameters
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Meeting Room Policy
The Blaisdell Library maintains a meeting room for Library sponsored or co-sponsored programs which support the Library’s mission. The Blaisdell Library meeting room is also available to community groups and agencies which engage in cultural, civic, intellectual, educational, or charitable activities. The Blaisdell Library recognizes the rights to free speech and free assembly. Granting permission to use Library facilities does not constitute an endorsement of the users or their beliefs by the Library Staff or Board of Trustees. Access to the meeting room is open to all regardless of race, religion, or gender. Persons using the meeting room are subject to all rules and regulations of the Library. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to revoke meeting room privileges at any time and to change or amend the provisions of this policy.
ROOM RESERVATION
• Library programs will be given priority in the reservation of the room.
• Second priority will be given to persons or non-commercial organizations based in Nottingham.
• All groups must complete a Meeting Room Registration Form before their initial meeting.
• All applications will be reviewed by the Library Director and/or the Library Trustees.
• All reservations are processed in the order in which they are received.
• All groups using the meeting room on an ongoing basis must reapply annually after July 1 for the September through August period.
FEES
• All meetings must be open to the public.
• There will be no fee for persons or non-commercial organizations based in Nottingham.
• If available, the meeting room may be reserved by users not from Nottingham and any non-educational commercial organization for a fee payable prior to the meeting date.
• Non-resident users will be charged $25.00.
• Non-educational commercial organizations will be charged $50.00.
• Any non-resident, non-commercial meeting or program which directly benefits Nottingham residents will not be charged a fee.
• All fees may be waived by the Library Director.
CANCELLATION OF MEETINGS
• The Library must be notified of the cancellation of a meeting as soon as possible.
• If the Library is forced to close a reasonable effort will be made to notify the contact person indicated on the Reservation Form.
• Each organization is responsible for notifying participants.
• The Library is not responsible for any cost of inconvenience incurred by the organization.
PROPERTY DAMAGE
• The Library, its staff, and Trustees are not responsible for personal articles.
• The Library assumes no responsibility for the safety of any property brought onto the premises.
• Any damage to the Library property, even if accidental, is the responsibility of the organization using the room.
USE OF THE MEETING ROOM
• The room may only be used during the time the Library is open.
• No smoking is allowed anywhere in the Library.
• No alcoholic beverages are allowed.
• Consumption of all refreshments must be confined to the meeting room.
• Groups are responsible for meeting room setup.
• The meeting room shall be left in a clean and orderly condition.
• All chairs, tables, etc. should be returned to their original position.
• Occupancy is limited by the Fire Marshal to 35 people.
• Programs may not disrupt normal Library business.
• Attendees must supervise any children associated with their meeting, both inside the Library and the Library grounds.
• No group may imply in its publicity that the Library has sponsored or supported its meeting or group.
• Use of tape, tacks, push-pins or similar hardware is not permitted on the meeting room walls.
• Materials may be displayed inside the meeting room one half hour prior to, during, and one half hour after the meeting.
• All programs must end at the time the Library closes and the building must be vacated promptly.
• No political rallies, fundraising activities or solicitations for donations are allowed.
CHILDREN
• Children under the age of six (6) must be accompanied by an adult at all times; both inside the Library and on the Library grounds.
• Youth groups must have an adult sponsor and one adult in attendance for every ten (10) young people.
• Parents or guardians attending a meeting room function may not leave any child under six (6) years of age unattended in the Library. Any other children who are in any way disruptive or uncooperative will be asked to join his parent or guardian.
Revised August 2012
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Interlibrary Loan Policy
I. Loaning
A. The library will loan all circulating material requested from other libraries provided there is not a demand for them locally. This includes all NHAIS libraries as well as libraries out of state, provided they do not have any outstanding loans.
B. Requests received on an ALA ILL form, e-mail or through NHAIS will be honored.
C. When requested, material can be loaned directly to a patron of another library provided the library has phoned or given them a request form.
D. Items will be loaned for a six week period. There is no overdue charge to other libraries. The replacement cost will be charged for lost or damaged materials.
II. Borrowing
A. Interlibrary loan services are available to all patrons in good standing with the Blaisdell Memorial Library. This means they do not have any overdue materials or overdue materials or outstanding fines.
B. When patrons are looking for material not available at this library, the first step will be to search NHAIS for the material. If possible the request will be made on-line. Otherwise an ALA ILL form will be sent.
C. If the material is unavailable on NHAIS and the patron wishes to pursue it further, out-of-state locations will be searched.
D. There are no charges for Interlibrary Loan services as long as the library does not incur any charges. If the library incurs expenses other than postage with an ILL request, this expense will be charged to the patron.
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Circulation Policy
Materials Selection/Collection Development Policy
A. Objectives
The purpose of the Blaisdell Memorial Library is to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.
Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs.
The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.
The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Blaisdell Memorial Library Board of Trustees and are integral parts of the policy.
The materials selection/collection development policy, like all other policies, will be reviewed and/or revised as the need arises.
B. Responsibility for Selection
The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the library director who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Blaisdell Memorial Library Board of Trustees. This responsibility may be shared with other members of the library staff; however, because the director must be available to answer to the library board and the general public for actual selections made, the director has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.
C. Criteria for Selection
1. The main points considered in the selection of materials are:
o a. individual merit of each item
o b. popular appeal/demand
o c. suitability of material for the clientele
o d. existing library holdings
o e. budget
2. Reviews are a major source of information about new materials. The primary source of reviews is Booklist Magazine. The lack of a review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title which is in demand. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media. Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.
D. Interlibrary Loan
Because of limited budget and space, the library cannot provide all materials that are requested. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of this library’s collection.
In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Blaisdell Memorial Library agrees to lend its materials to other libraries through the same interlibrary loan network, and to make an effort to have its current holdings listed in a tool that is accessible by other libraries throughout the state.
E. Gifts and Donations
The library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only if appropriate and needed. If they are not needed because of duplication, condition, or dated information the director can dispose of them as he/she sees fit. The same criteria of selection which are applied to purchased materials are applied to gifts. Memorial gifts of books or money are also accepted with suitable bookplates placed in the book. Specific memorial books can be ordered for the library on request of a patron if the request meets the criteria established by the Board. It is desirable for gifts of or for specific titles to be offered after consultation with the library director. Book selection will be made by the director if no specific book is requested. The Blaisdell Memorial Library encourages and appreciates gifts and donations.
By law, the library is not allowed to appraise the value of donated materials, though it can provide an acknowledgment of receipt of the items if requested by the donor.
F. Weeding
An up-to-date, attractive and useful collection is maintained through a continual withdrawal and replacement process. Replacement of worn volumes is dependent upon current demand, usefulness, more recent acquisitions, and availability of newer editions. This ongoing process of weeding is the responsibility of the library director and is authorized by the Board of Trustees. Withdrawn materials will be handled in a similar manner and under the same authority as donated materials.
G. Potential Problems or Challenges
The Blaisdell Memorial Library recognizes that some materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons. Selection of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the basis of the principles stated in this policy.
Responsibility for the reading of children rests with their parents or legal guardians. Selection of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.
Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents, and no library material will be sequestered except to protect it from damage or theft.
H. Challenged Materials
Although materials are carefully selected, there can arise differences of opinion regarding suitable materials. Patrons requesting that material be withdrawn from or restricted within the collection may complete a “Statement of Concern About Library Resources” form which is available in the library. The inquiry will be placed on the agenda of the next regular meeting of the Blaisdell Memorial Library Board of Trustees.
Library Bill of Rights
The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.
I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
________________________________________
Adopted June 18, 1948, by the ALA Council; amended February 2, 1961; amended June 28, 1967; amended January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 24, 1996
The Freedom to Read Statement
The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.
Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be “protected” against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.
These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.
Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.
Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.
We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.
The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.
We therefore affirm these propositions:
1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.
Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.
2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.
Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.
3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.
No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.
4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.
To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.
5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.
The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.
6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people’s freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.
It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.
7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a “bad” book is a good one, the answer to a “bad” idea is a good one.
The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader’s purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.
We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.
________________________________________
This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.
Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.
A Joint Statement by:
American Library Association
Association of American Publishers
Form: Statement of Concern About Library Resources
Blaisdell Memorial Library
STATEMENT OF CONCERN ABOUT LIBRARY RESOURCES
Name________________________Date_____________
Address______________________Phone___________
City_________________________State______ZIP_______
Resource on which you are commenting:
_____Book _____Audio-visual Resource
_____Magazine _____Content of Library Program
_____Newspaper _____Other
Title:_________________________________________
Author/Publisher or Producer/Date:___________________
1. What brought this resource to your attention?
2. To what do you object? Please be as specific as possible.
3. Have you read or listened or viewed the entire content? If not, what parts?
4. What do you feel the effect of the material might be?
5. For what age group would you recommend this material?
6. In its place, what material of equal or better quality would you recommend?
7. What do you want the library to do with this material?
8. Additional comments (Use back of paper)
The Board of Trustees of the Blaisdell Memorial Library supports the use of volunteers in the library as an adjunct to the need for fully staffing the library. Volunteers will provide support to the staff and will help provide an outlet for Nottingham residents wishing to help the community. Volunteers are not meant as replacements for appropriately trained and paid staff, nor as compensation for inadequate staffing patterns, nor for failure to fill vacant posts, nor for cutbacks in library funding. The range of responsibilities for volunteers is limited in scope
and assigned hours.
Volunteers are covered by the town of Nottingham’s insurance policies for all activities performed on behalf of the Library. In accordance with insurance policies, volunteers must provide references and authorize reference checks so that the Library may properly screen those wishing to volunteer at the library. Volunteers 18 and over will also have a background check.
An application must be completed for all volunteer positions.
The Library Director will interview potential volunteers and evaluate their capabilities for available positions, their level of commitment and their ability to work well with the staff and the public.
All volunteers will work under the supervision of the paid staff and the
authority of the Library Director.
All volunteers are expected to work in a cooperative and professional manner with staff members and the public, and must follow all library procedures. Failure to satisfactorily perform assigned tasks, demonstration of a lack of commitment, and/or inability to work in concert with the staff and the public are cause for termination. Volunteers shall have the right to end the relationship with the Library at any time, though appropriate notice is desired.
The Library Director and the Library Trustees will periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the volunteer program to ensure that the Library is receiving full benefit from it.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have received a copy of the volunteer policy, which I understand and agree to abide by while serving as a volunteer at the Blaisdell Memorial Library.
Print Name _________________________Signed________________________________
Date _________
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Workplace Violence Policy
I. OBJECTIVE
Blaisdell Memorial Library is committed to maintaining a safe work environment. The following guidelines have been adopted to deal with intimidation, harassment, or other threats of (or actual) violence that may occur during business hours or on its premises. These guidelines apply to all full-time and part-time employees.
II. PROCEDURES
All employees, including supervisors and temporary employees, should be treated with courtesy and respect at all times. Employees are expected to refrain from conduct that may be harmful or disrespectful to others. Firearms, weapons, and other dangerous or hazardous devices or substances are prohibited from the premises of the Blaisdell Memorial Library.
Conduct that threatens, intimidates, or coerces another employee, a patron, or a member of the public will not be tolerated. This prohibition includes all acts of harassment, including harassment that is based on an individual’s sex, race, age, or any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
All threats of (or actual) violence, both direct and indirect, should be reported as soon as possible to the library director or any member of Library Board of Trustees. This includes threats by employees, as well as threats by patrons, vendors, solicitors, or other members of the public. When reporting a threat of violence, the employee should be as specific and detailed as possible.
All suspicious individuals or activities should also be reported as soon as possible to the library director and/or police depending on the circumstances. Do not place yourself in peril.
The library director and/or Board of Trustees will promptly and thoroughly investigate all reports of threats of (or actual) violence and of suspicious individuals or activities. The identity of the reporting individual will be protected as much as is practical. In order to maintain workplace safety and the integrity of its investigation, the Blaisdell Memorial Library may suspend employees, either with or without pay, pending investigation.
Anyone determined to be responsible for threats of (or actual) violence or other conduct that is in violation of these guidelines will be subject to prompt disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
The Blaisdell Memorial Library encourages employees to bring their disputes or differences with other employees to the attention of the library director or the Board of Trustees before the situation escalates into potential violence. Employees will not be disciplined for raising concerns.
A. Introduction
The Blaisdell Memorial Library’s goal is to provide a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment of employees in the workplace or in other settings in which employees may find themselves in connection with their employment is unlawful and will not be tolerated by our Library. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about sexual harassment and/or retaliation against an individual who has cooperated in an investigation of sexual harassment is unlawful and will not be tolerated.
Because the Library takes allegations of sexual harassment seriously, we will respond promptly to complaints of sexual harassment. Where it is determined that inappropriate conduct has occurred, whether or not it rises to the level of legally actionable harassment, the Library will act promptly to eliminate the conduct and implement any necessary remedial or corrective action, including disciplinary action where appropriate.
B. Definition of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, physical, and nonphysical conduct of a sexual nature when:
Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of employment; or
Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting that individual, or for awarding or withholding a favorable employment opportunity, evaluation or assistance; or
Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance at work, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
Sexual harassment includes a wide range of behaviors from the actual coercion of sexual relations to unwelcome offensive comments, jokes, innuendoes and other sexually oriented statements and unwelcome behavior emphasizing sexual identity. Sexual harassment may be indirect and even unintentional. Employees are prohibited from bringing into the workplace or otherwise displaying any written materials or pictures that are sexually suggestive or offensive in nature.
This policy prohibits all of the activities discussed above, whether engaged in by a supervisor, employee, co-worker, Trustee, or non-employee who is on Blaisdell Memorial Library premises or who comes into contact with Library employees.
It is not possible to list all of the additional circumstances and behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct that will not be tolerated. However, the following are some examples of prohibited conduct:
Unwelcome sexual advances, whether or not they involve physical touching;
Sexual epithets; sexual jokes; written or oral references to sexual conduct; gossip regarding one’s sex life; comment on an individual’s body; comment about an individual’s sexual activity, deficiencies, or prowess;
Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons;
Leering, whistling, brushing against the body;
Sexual gestures;
Suggestive or insulting comments;
Inquiries into an individual’s sexual experiences; and
Discussion of one’s sexual activities.
***C. Complaints of Sexual Harassment
Experience has shown that a clear statement to the person engaging in the offensive behavior is sometimes all that is necessary to stop the conduct. If you believe you are being harassed, we encourage you to let the person engaging in the conduct know how you feel. However, if you do not feel comfortable taking this step, you are not required to do so. If you believe that you have been subjected to sexual harassment, you should report the incident in accordance with the reporting procedure contained in this policy. The matter will be promptly investigated and where it is determined that such inappropriate conduct has occurred, action will be taken to eliminate and correct the conduct. Employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
D. Retaliation
Retaliation against an employee who complains in good faith about sexual harassment or who participates in good faith in an investigation of a complaint is a violation of this policy and is prohibited by law. If you believe that you have been subjected to retaliation, you should report the incident in accordance with the reporting procedure contained in this policy.
REPORTING PROCEDURE FOR SEXUAL AND OTHER UNLAWFUL HARASSMENT,
DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION
Any employee who feels that he or she has experienced sexual or other unlawful harassment and/or discrimination or retaliation should immediately report such actions in accordance with the following procedure. All complaints will be promptly and appropriately investigated.
1.If you believe that you have experienced sexual or other unlawful harassment,
discrimination or retaliation, you should report the incident immediately to the Library
Director, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, and/or the Chief of Police.
2.Supervisors who become aware of discriminatory or harassing conduct, a complaint of
discrimination or harassment, or retaliation must report the conduct and/or complaint
immediately to the Library Director, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, or the Chief of
Police.
3.The Library will promptly investigate incidents reported through this procedure. Any
employee, supervisor, or Trustee of the Library who has been found to have engaged in
conduct that violates our policies against discrimination and/or harassment will be
subject to appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary action, up to and including
immediate termination of employment. The complainant will be informed generally of
the outcome of the investigation and whether remedial action is being undertaken by
the Library.
4. The Library will conduct all investigations in a discreet manner. Disclosure of complaints
will be limited to those with a need to know in order to investigate the complaint and take
appropriate remedial action.
Blaisdell Memorial Library Bulletin Board Policy
(adopted July 2, 2008)
The library offers a bulletin board and information racks as a public service for the purpose of displaying notices, event listings, and information for cultural, educational, and civic organizations. As a general policy for the bulletin board use, the Library Board adopts article six of the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” which maintains that exhibit space should be made available “on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.” Preference will be given to library events, followed by non-profit organizations and local events. The library does not guarantee the availability of space and may have to restrict the number of copies approved for display. There is one rack for flyers. There are two bulletin boards. One is reserved for Town of Nottingham notices. The other bulletin board and information rack are subject to the following guidelines:
1. Long term postings (including hotlines, social service information, nonprofit newsletters, and ongoing events) will be displayed as space permits. Posters of a general nature which do not advertise a specific date or event will be removed when space for other announcements runs out. Very large posters may be rejected because of space limitations.
2. Posting of a purely commercial nature, political postings, that advocate a specific party or candidate, and postings that promote a stance on a public issue including warrant articles will not be displayed.
3. All items must be submitted to the library staff and will be posted at the discretion of the library director. Each item will be marked with a posting date. The decision of the library director to deny a posting may be appealed to the Library Trustees.
4. The library will display information for specific events no more than one month in advance of the event and the library staff will remove postings after the event takes place. A request for return of items, along with name and telephone number of the person to be contacted, should be printed on the back of each article if the owners want them returned. Items must be picked up within a week following the date of the publicized event if the owners want them returned. Otherwise, the library will not be responsible for returning materials.
Collection Boxes Policy
As a central location in the Community, the Library is willing to serve as a collection point for non-profit organizations. There is a limit to one collection box at a time, two weeks time for any box. Contact information should be on the box and the contact person is responsible for picking up the box at the end of two weeks. If a person fails to retrieve the box in a timely manner, future requests for having a box at the library will be denied.
Fundraiser Policy
The library will not handle money for any organization other than the Friends of the Library.
