At any time a Patron may have borrowed on their card:
 A maximum of 50 items;
 A maximum of five audiobooks;
 A maximum of five videocassettes or DVDs;
 A maximum of five magazines;
 A maximum of five CDs;
 Reference items are not permitted to leave the library and are intended for in-house use only;
 The Library reserves the right to impose a limit of 3 items per non-fiction subject area. Limits may be less in some areas. A staff member may authorize exceptions. Limits on seasonal books may also apply.
 Notwithstanding the above, loan limits for non-resident/temporary cardholders and TAL borrowers may differ and shall be as posted at the circulation desk.

 21 days for books and audiobooks;
 7 days for magazines, CDs, videocassettes, and DVDs;

 Library items belonging to the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library or other Parkland Regional Library System members may be returned to any library in the PRL System;
 The Alberta Library Card returns:
o See policy S-013 for further TAL policy.

 A maximum of two renewals per item are permitted;
 Renewal may not be possible if another library patron has placed a hold on the item;
 Renewals may not be possible for interlibrary loan items;
 Renewals may be made in person, by the telephone or by self-renewal at the library’s Internet-accessible catalogue;
 Self-renewal is not permitted on items that are already overdue;
 At the discretion of the librarian or her designate, patrons may request an extended due date for library items;

 Suspension of borrowing privileges occurs when 10 or more items are overdue at any one time;
 It is the responsibility of patrons to ensure the timely return of borrowed materials;
 If the item remains overdue more than 28 days, an Invoice will be issued for the replacement cost of the item as well as a $5.00 processing fee;

 Patrons shall notify the library immediately about any lost items;
 Once an item has been reported as lost, the replacement cost of the item plus a $5.00 processing fee is levied;
 Lost item replacement fees are non-refundable.

 Library patrons are expected to read the membership guide upon being issued a library card, and to be aware of the responsibilities of utilising library materials;
 Fines are levied for overdue items at a rate of $0.25 per item, per day and are intended to help deter the late return of library materials and to defray the cost to the library of pursuing the return of overdue items and the issuing of overdue and lost book notices;
 The patron must pay accumulated fines and/or penalties of $5.00 or more before additional materials may be borrowed;
 The maximum fines that may accumulate for any one item are:
      o The value of the book, plus the equivalent amount in overdue fines, plus an assigned processing fee.
 In cases of disputes over fines, front-line library staff members are authorized to waive fines to a maximum of $5.00;
 A supervisor must authorize waiving of fines over $5.00;

 When a patron notifies the library that an overdue item(s) was returned, and library records show the item is still checked out to the patron, and is not on the shelf, the item becomes a "claims returned" item;
 As soon as the library is notified of this situation, a staff member will change the status of the item in question from "overdue-still out" to "claims returned;"
 When the library is notified of the "claims returned," the patron will be asked to continue searching for the items and a search will be initiated in the library;
 If the item is found in the library, the patron will be notified, the item will be removed from the patron’s account and all fines relating to the item will be removed;
 If the patron finds the item, she/he will be billed the amount of the fines that had accumulated up to the point that the "claims returned" was placed;
 Because it is not possible for library staff to check the shelves of another library for an item a patron claims to have returned at that library, it is the patron’s responsibility to contact the library to which he/she returned the items;
 The maximum number of allowable "claims returned" items is 5. After 5 items, the patron’s record shall be suspended pending a review of the account’s history and a discussion with the patron by the librarian.

 The library will attempt to provide items not held in the Parkland Regional Library system via interlibrary loan.
 Although the Library does not charge a fee for supplying ILLs, some libraries do. The patron will be notified of ILL charges levied by a lending library before the item is supplied, and is responsible for paying the charges should she/he choose to receive the item. The Library is not responsible for third party ILL charges.

 A fee of $2.00 will be charged to replace a lost library card the first time it is lost. A fee of $5.00 will be charged for subsequent replacements within a given membership year.

• to satisfy the need for recreational reading, listening and viewing materials for customers of differing tastes, interests, purposes and reading skills;
• to enrich human understanding by dealing informatively with social, personal, racial, multicultural, religious and scientific issues;
• to educate by providing basic factual information in as broad a base as possible.

Selection of library materials shall be made in accordance with SLML's Statement of Intellectual Freedom, and shall be selected according to the following criteria:

Specific Criteria:

• suitability of physical form for library use;
• relation to existing collections and other material on the subject;
• accessibility of material in other libraries;
• interests and composition of the community and region;
• popular demand and current trends;
• attention of critics, reviewers, and public;
• quality of writing and/or visual art;
• reputation, skill, competence and purpose of the originator of the work;
• special value as a contribution to social questions and problems of continuing or topical interest;
• timeliness or permanence of the work;
• availability of funds and space;
• comprehensiveness and depth of treatment;
• clarity, accuracy and logic of presentation;
• balance of viewpoints in the collection (challenging though extreme or minority points of view are often represented though quantity may be limited).

An item need not meet all of the above criteria in order to be acceptable. Materials that do not meet these criteria may be purchased to satisfy demand.

While people have the right to reject for themselves material of which they do not approve, they do not have the right to restrict the freedom of others.

If there is considerable topical interest in the subject and a manifest public desire to read and judge the book first-hand, a title may be included which is not considered accurate, according to expert opinion.

The Library does not buy textbooks specifically related to courses of study in the community. However, textbooks may be purchased if the subject information is not available in any other form.

The Library acquires materials not only for its present customers but also for those who have not traditionally been Library customers.

In accordance with the overall Library goal of user-oriented service, materials subject to widespread and/or heavy local demand will take precedence in the acquisitions process. Items having such demand may or may not meet with general and specific criteria contained in this policy. In either case the volume and nature of requests by members of the public will be given top priority. In addition, as the social and intellectual climate of the community changes, materials, which originally were not recommended for purchase, may become of interest. Such materials will be re-evaluated on a continuing basis.

Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, and no catalogued book or other item will be sequestered, except for the express purpose of protecting it from injury or theft.

Responsibility of any restrictions on their children's use of library materials rests with parents and legal guardians. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that books may inadvertently come into the possession of children.

Controversial Issues:
The SLML is a resource where many points of view and modes of expression can be examined without hindrance. No ideas and opinions have universal acceptance or condemnation in a pluralistic society. The use of language, either descriptive or expressive, can in itself stimulate controversy.

The SLML, therefore, recognizes the right of individuals to express opposition to authors' ideas or to their creative exercise of language in materials selected for the library. However, the SLML will not engage to satisfy customers by removing items purchased in compliance with the principles of this policy. Selection of material cannot be influenced by any anticipated approval or disapproval of its intellectual content by sectors of the community.

The SLML complies with any law enacted at the federal, provincial or municipal level, and therefore does not collect or maintain material which has been adjudged obscene or pornographic, or has been banned by the courts. The relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada are: sedition, hate propaganda and obscenity.

The presence of an item in the collection does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by the SLML, but rather is an affirmation of the principle of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Canadian Library Association Statement on Intellectual Freedom.

The following will not cause an item to be automatically included or excluded from the collection:

• race, religion, nationality or political views of an author;
• frankness or coarseness of language;
• controversial content;
• endorsement or disapproval of an individual or group;
• language of the text.

Physical access to materials will not be restricted except for the express purpose of protecting an item from damage or theft.

Materials selection shall be the responsibility of the head librarian.

Materials Selection Policy: Music The SLML aims to develop a collection of recorded music that is historically and culturally significant and of enduring popularity. The SLML will strive toward a balanced collection that represents a variety of musical styles and eras and is intended for the recreational, cultural and educational use of all patrons. The collection is not intended to be comprehensive in nature. The SLML will strive to provide a broad selection of music, with the aim of meeting the various interests and tastes of library patrons. This policy is intended to guide library staff and inform the public about the policies and principles by which materials are selected.

Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the head librarian, who is accountable to the Library Board and the public for the library's entire collection. Selection duties may be delegated to library staff members at the discretion of the head librarian.

Selection tools: Reviews, catalogs, discussions with librarians and patrons, and evaluation of discarded items are used to determine which materials to order or re-order. Review sources may include:

• Traditional print review sources.
• Radio reviews.
• On-line review sources.
• Patron requests will be evaluated either through reviews, or knowledge and popularity of the artist or title. Patron requests will be given serious consideration and added to the collection as warranted and as budget allows.

Criteria to be considered in materials selection will include those outlined under specific criteria for materials selection shown above, in addition to the following:

• Authority and competency of the producer.
• Artistic merit and quality of performance
• Technical quality.
• Respect for the intelligence of library users. Particularly regarding children’s materials, overly “cute” and over dramatized items are to be avoided.
• Availability of similar materials in the community. The library will attempt to collect materials that may be difficult to acquire locally.
• Local significance of the artist or title.
• Enduring popularity. Items of a transitory nature, including current popular, or “Top 40,” music will not be collected.

Genre: Selections may include instrumental and vocal recordings in the following genres:

• Folk
• Blues
• Classical
• Jazz
• World
• Children’s
• Musical theatre
• Opera
• Seasonal

Award winning recordings and recordings of local, regional and national interest may also be collected, regardless of genre, and the SLML will make specific attempts to acquire the work of local artists.

Format: Emphasis will be on the compact disc (CD) format. Due to changing technologies, however, the SLML must be alert and react to changes in format in response to the needs of the community. The SLML will strive to provide music in format(s) that are accessible to the majority of the local community. Recordings on vinyl and cassette will not be collected.

Cataloguing & Circulation: Music recordings will be catalogued and circulated in the regional library software system, and will be made available to fill both in-system holds and inter-library loans.

Retention and weeding: Because the collection is new, weeding should initially be limited to damaged items. CDs will be checked for damage as they are circulated &/or shelved. After that, weeding should occur on a continuous basis, with decisions to retain, replace or discard based on the following criteria:

• Circulation statistics.
• Age and physical condition.
• Dated materials.
• Shelf space.
• Presence of multiple copies in the collection.
• Availability of new works.

Development plan: The SLML will use a 3-year development plan to establish the music collection as follows:

• Year one: The music acquisitions budget will be divided equally between children’s, world, and jazz music.
• Year two: The music acquisitions budget will be divided equally between classical music, musical theatre and show tunes, and recordings of local, regional and/or national interest. A portion of the budget will be put toward maintenance of current genres.
• Year three: The music acquisitions budget will be divided equally between folk, blues, and opera music. A portion of the budget will be put toward maintenance of current genres.

This plan will be reviewed and updated for year four to expand the number of genres and artists.

Donations of recorded music are gladly accepted in accordance with SLML's donation policy.

Challenged Materials: The Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Board subscribes to the Canadian Library Association's Statement on Intellectual Freedom. In keeping with the principles of intellectual freedom and the freedom to read, the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Board does not believe its role, or that of its staff, is to censor materials or act in any way as the supervisor of public morals.

The library will, as far as possible, provide materials representing all sides of controversial issues, including representation of unpopular or unorthodox positions, without censorship or bias, providing the materials give evidence of a sincere desire and effort to be factual.

Unless an item is officially prohibited from entering the province, it cannot be legally withdrawn from library shelves.

If an individual strongly objects to an item, he/she will have the right to complete a "Request for Reconsideration of Library Material" form, and submit this form to the librarian. Provided the form has been signed by the individual expressing concern, the Board will review the challenge at its next regular board meeting.Each complaint will be dealt with objectively by the Board according to the following procedure:

• Discussion of complaint with patron by librarian.
• Review SLML Materials Selection policy
• Provision of "Request for Reconsideration of Library Material" form to complainant.
• Informing Board chairperson.
• Forming material review committee (2 members of the Board and the librarian).
• Committee review of material, which shall include:
  Reading and/or viewing the challenged item.
  Seeking out and reading reviews and other evaluations of the challenged item.
  Determining if challenged item meets Materials Selection policy criteria.
  Providing written report of committee recommendation to the Board.
  Communicating board decision to complainant.

Code of Ethics: The Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Board subscribes to the Canadian Library Association's Code of Ethics, which states: Members of the Canadian Library Association have the individual and collective responsibility to

• Support and implement the principles and practices embodied in the current C.L.A. Statement on Intellectual Freedom.
• Make every effort to promote and maintain the highest possible range and standards of library service to all segments of Canadian society.
• Facilitate access to any or all sources of information which may be of assistance to library users.
• Protect the privacy and dignity of library users and staff.

The Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Board subscribes to the Canadian Library Association's Statement of Intellectual Freedom.

In addition, the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Board supports the basic tenets of the Canadian Book and Periodical Council's Committee for Freedom of Expression.

Donations: The donation policy is intended to assist the public in making informed decisions regarding donations they may wish to make, and to provide direction to staff for the acceptance, disposition and acknowledgement of material monetary donations.

Conditions of acceptance:

• All material donations become the exclusive property of the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library and will not be returned.
• Material donations may or may not become part of the Library's collections.
• Generally material donations should be less than three (3) years old and in good condition, i.e.: not musty, mouldy, damp, etc.
• Restrictions placed on gifts by donors may not be followed.
• Material donations accepted by the SLML are judged upon the same basis as purchased materials, i.e.: the Materials Selection Policy.
• Material donations are accepted with the understanding that if the Library cannot use them, it may at any time dispose of them in any way it sees fit.
• Receipts will not generally be issued for donation of materials.

Acceptable Material
Generally a decision of whether or not to accept a donation is made immediately upon receipt of the item.
Material should generally be less than three (3) years old, e.g. bestsellers; hardcover books; popular paperbacks; romance series.

Unacceptable Material
The Library may decide to keep any material it deems appropriate for its collection. However, as a guideline the items listed below are not generally accepted.

• textbooks
• popular magazines (including National Geographic)
• material that is dusty, damp, mouldy or in otherwise poor condition
• material that is over three (3) years old
• duplicate material already held in sufficient number
• material donations which have been written in, on, or otherwise marked

Acknowledgements
The Library thanks donors for their generosity, however the large volume of material donations received by the Library does not allow letters of thanks to be sent. All donations, whether added to the collection or not, are greatly appreciated.

Unsolicited Donations
The Library is under no obligation to return, or pay for, unrequested items.

Monetary Donations: Donations of cash or by cheque(s) may be made at the circulation desk in the Library, or by mail.

Conditions of acceptance: Restrictions placed on gifts by donors may not be followed. Final decisions regarding the use of funds are the sole responsibility of the SLML board.

Acknowledgements
A letter of appreciation will be mailed to those donors who have requested an official receipt for tax purposes, and all other donors as possible. Anonymous donors, or donors who make their donation directly to the donation box at the circulation desk, may not be formally recognized.

Program/Meeting Room Guidelines for Use: The Library has two program and meeting rooms. Program room A seats approximately 30, auditorium-style. Program room B seats approximately 12, board meeting-style.

• The Sylvan Lake Municipal Library program rooms are intended for use for the purposes of study and learning, public information sharing, cultural enrichment, meetings, organized children's activities and other related uses.
• Library programs and meetings take precedent for program use over any other events.
• Program rooms are available for rental use at a rate of $20.00 per hour. Rental fees are due and payable unless cancellation is made 48 hours prior to the meeting date.
• The above fee may be waived for local, volunteer-run groups who serve the community and who do not charge a membership fee.
• A contact person must be designated for each program room rental. This contact person will be responsible for all guidelines listed below.
• Any group requiring the meeting room(s) when the library is closed will be levied a $20/hr fee, regardless of the organization's eligibility for waived fees, in order to cover the library's staffing costs to open the library after hours.
• After-hours access to program rooms is via the East door of the building. Program room users are expected to ensure this door is locked after all program participants have arrived.
• Program room users must ensure that the East doorknob is locked upon leaving the building.
• After-hours access to library collections and staff areas is disallowed.
• Program room users are expected to leave the room in the condition in which they found it and may be billed for clean up if an unreasonable mess is left.
• A coffee urn is available for use in program rooms and must be cleaned followed use.
• Any damage to library property resulting from program use will be billed to the individual or organization renting the room.

• As a member library of the Alberta Library, the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library agrees to participate in the Alberta Library Card program, in accordance with the policy of the Alberta Library Card program, as approved by the Alberta Library.
• TAL cards will be issued automatically as part of membership in the SLML.
• Persons borrowing items from the SLML with a TAL card may be asked to show additional identification.
• Persons borrowing items from the SLML with a TAL card will be assigned a SLML barcode number, to be added to their TAL card, and will be added to the SLML patron database.
• Persons borrowing items from the SLML with a TAL card may borrow up to 5 items at one time from the SLML.
• Items borrowed with a TAL card may not be renewed.
• TAL card users may not place holds or make interlibrary loan requests.
• All other local borrowing policies apply.

More information about the TAL card.