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Logo of Minocqua Public Library featuring an open book, trees, a bird, and text.
Logo of Minocqua Public Library featuring an open book, trees, a bird, and text.
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Circulation Policy

Approved 6/23/2005; Revised 4/20/2006; Revised 5/25/2006; Revised 9/28/2006; Revised 10/25/2012; Revised 11/20/2013; Revised 1/23/2014; Revised 10/16/2023

The Minocqua Public Library’s circulation policy promotes the maximum use of library materials while ensuring the rights of borrowers.

Registration

Free library cards will be issued to persons of any age who are residents or who own property in the state of Wisconsin.

Eligible borrowers include:

  • Residents of Oneida County.

  • Residents of any other municipality with which Wisconsin Valley Library Service (WVLS) has a reciprocal borrowing contract, and who have a valid library card from the library serving their permanent residence.

  • Residents of other Wisconsin counties outside of WVLS who provide a permanent address and phone number.

Applying for a Library Card

Adult Borrower’s Card

Individuals 18 years and older must present identification: a photo ID as proof of legal age and identity. Acceptable examples of identification include an unexpired driver’s license, state ID, or student ID.

Library staff may verify residence using the guidelines from the Wisconsin Proof of Residence for Voter Registration guide (elections.wi.gov/publications/voter-guides/proof-of-residence).

The applicant must provide a street address (no P.O. Box) to apply for an adult borrower’s card.

Individuals applying for a library card must sign the back of the card and a completed application, which includes the following responsibility statement:

I agree to obey all rules and regulations of the library, to pay promptly all charges incurred by this card, and to give immediate notice of any address and/or name change, or card loss.

Adult Temporary Card

Individuals 18 years or older who reside in temporary housing in the Minocqua area (e.g., shelter, campground, hotel, living with another household, renting a cabin, etc.) for no less than 21 days may apply for a temporary card.

Applicants must present:

  • An unexpired driver’s license or photo ID with the applicant’s name and street address (if applicable), and

  • If possible, a letter verifying their place of residence.

Temporary cards are limited to a maximum of five items at a time.

Juvenile Borrower’s Card

For individuals under 18 years of age, a custodial parent or legal guardian must:

  • Sign the library application, and

  • Provide identification verifying the address.

Note: If the parent or guardian’s card is blocked because of unreturned (billed) materials, those materials must be returned or the replacement cost paid before any minor in the household is issued a card.

The parent or guardian who signs the application agrees to the following responsibility statement:

As the parent or guardian, I realize that I am responsible for the supervision of internet use, the selection and return of materials borrowed, as well as any fees incurred by the minor child to whom this card is issued.

Lost Cards

Patrons are responsible for alerting the library if a card has been lost or stolen.

Possession of a library card by a spouse, parent, or unrelated individual implies that the cardholder authorizes that individual access to their library records and permission to borrow materials using that card.

Expiration and Deletion of Borrower Records

Library cards expire annually on the patron’s birthday and may be renewed by phone, email, or in person to ensure contact information is up to date.

A borrower’s registration may be deleted from the library’s database if it has not been used for five (5) years. The patron will be eligible to re-register following the guidelines above.

Temporary cards expire after three (3) months (or by the given date) and may be extended only at management discretion.

Loan of Materials

Circulation Time Periods

7 Days

  • Magazines

  • DVDs and Blu-rays

  • Equipment (slide projector, telescope, digital projector)

    • Longer circulation periods may be available upon request. Staff may limit this request if necessary.

14 Days

  • Adult new fiction and non-fiction books

  • Large print new fiction and non-fiction books

  • Music CDs

  • Television series

  • Kits (Learning Outside the Box, children’s activity backpacks)

  • Board games

21 Days

  • Regular fiction and non-fiction books

  • Audiobooks

  • Large print books and paperbacks

  • Juvenile books

  • Young adult books

Interlibrary loan materials circulate for the time period specified by the lending library.

Renewals

Library materials may be renewed twice provided there are no reserves on the item.

Renewals may be made:

  • In person

  • By phone

  • Online

Interlibrary loan materials may be renewed once permission has been granted by the lending library.

Holds on Items

Patrons must have:

  • A library card in good standing, and

  • A PIN (Personal Identification Number).

Minocqua Public Library staff do not have access to a patron’s PIN. Patrons who do not know their PIN may call or visit the library during normal business hours to have it reset by staff.

Items placed on hold via the Aspen catalog are available for pickup on the library’s hold shelf.

Holds may be placed:

  • In person

  • By phone

  • Through the online catalog

When holds become available, patrons may be notified by phone, email, or text.

Items are held for seven (7) days from the date the item is checked in.

If a hold is not picked up:

  • It is sent back to the owning library or to the next patron on the waiting list.

  • The patron may place a new hold but will be placed at the bottom of the existing hold list.

Overdue Materials and Fees

Minocqua Public Library is a fine-free library. Most items do not incur daily overdue fines.

However, due to their nature and cost, some items (such as circulating technology devices) may still incur fees.

Patrons are encouraged to honor due dates and request renewals for materials they wish to keep longer.

Overdue Notices

Three notices (via U.S. mail, email, or phone) are sent for overdue materials. The final notice includes the replacement cost of the item.

  • 1st overdue reminder – Sent 7 days after due date

  • 2nd overdue reminder – Sent 14 days after due date

  • Bill for lost items – Sent 35 days after due date

Damaged or Lost Materials

Damage charges are assessed depending on the extent of the damage.

Full replacement cost is assessed for materials that are:

  • Lost, or

  • Damaged beyond repair

The borrower may keep damaged materials for which they have paid the replacement cost.

The library does not accept patron-purchased replacements for lost or damaged items.

No refunds are given for materials that are lost, paid for, and later recovered.

Materials more than four weeks overdue are considered lost, and the replacement cost becomes the responsibility of the patron.

Suspension of Borrowing Privileges

A cardholder’s borrowing privileges will be suspended under the following circumstances:

  • Fees over $5.00

  • One or more billed items

  • Overdue interlibrary loan materials

Borrowing privileges are reinstated immediately upon payment of charges and/or return of overdue materials.

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