Art and Display Policy
Borrower Registration
Code of Conduct
Fines and Fees Policy
Library materials may be borrowed for three weeks. Loans may be extended to a maximum of six weeks; extensions are not granted after the loan has expired, or if an item has been requested by another borrower.
Borrowers may request loan extensions by phone or via their online account. Borrowers may also renew loans at any service point by bringing the material to the circulation desk.
Borrowers will be notified by mail or email if material is not returned on time.
If material is not returned after notice is given, borrowers will receive an additional mail or email notice asking them to return the items or pay for the material. This second notice will also include a five dollar processing fee to cover the costs associated with this notification and any lost work time processing the material. This fee is charged per session and not on a per item basis.
Borrowers who return material in good condition or pay for lost or damaged items remain borrowers in good standing. Returning items that have been assumed as lost does not remove the five dollar processing fee. Borrowers who consistently fail to pay the fees related to overdue notices will lose their borrowing privileges.
Loan periods and renewals for material belonging to other libraries (interlibrary loans) may vary, according to the regulations of the lending library.
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- The person who signs a registration card is responsible for all materials borrowed using the number assigned to that registration. See also our Borrower Registration Policy.
- The library will not charge fees other than the processing fee mentioned in the third and fourth paragraphs and the cost of replacement of the material(s) missing.
- Seniors are subject to all fees related to overdue materials.
- The Library charges a daily fine, set by the library board, for overdue material borrowed through interlibrary loan.
Approved by
South Shore Regional Library Board
November 1992
(modified August 2008; August 2018)
Gifts and Donations Policy
Intellectual Freedom Statement
All persons in Canada have the fundamental right, as embodied in the nation’s Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to have access to all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity, and to express their thoughts publicly. This right to intellectual freedom, under the law, is essential to the health and development of Canadian society.
Libraries have a basic responsibility for the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom.
It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some elements of society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, libraries shall acquire and make available the widest variety of materials.
It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee the right of free expression by making available all the library’s public facilities and services to all individuals and groups who need them.
Libraries should resist all efforts to limit the exercise of these responsibilities while recognizing the right of criticism by individuals and groups.
Both employees and employers in libraries have a duty, in addition to their institutional responsibilities, to uphold these principles.
Health & Safety Policy
Internet Policy
The Library provides Internet access as part of its mission to provide information, culture, education and recreation.
The Library has no control of information on the Internet nor does it provide barriers to use of the full range of what is available, except due to limited resources. Some Internet sites may contain material which is illegal, defamatory, inaccurate or offensive. The Library is not responsible for any damage a user might suffer for any reason or in any way related to Internet use.
Users of Library terminals must comply with applicable laws and the Library’s policies and procedures.
Examples of unacceptable use of the Internet include:
- any illegal activity or unauthorized act, including violation of copyright or contractual obligation
- degradation or disruption of equipment or system performance
- vandalizing another user’s data
- unauthorized access to resources or entities
- invasion of individual privacy
- anonymous messages or harassment
The Library will make reasonable efforts to protect the privacy of every user, but privacy cannot be guaranteed. Warrants may necessitate that the Library open records to police or other legal authorities.
Please note:
- The Library does not monitor anyone’s choice of Internet sites.
- Parents or guardians, not the Library or its staff, are responsible for the information children select or view.
- Library staff offer limited instruction to the public in the use of the Internet, as time permits.
- The Library is not responsible for any security or privacy breaches, costs, damages, or claims by any online third parties.
- Violations of this policy may result in patrons having their internet privileges suspended.
All these Policies and Conditions apply to C@P sites operated by the South Shore Public Libraries and on South Shore Public Libraries sites.
South Shore Regional Library Board
December 1996, reviewed August 2003; modified August 2018
Materials Selection Policy
The South Shore Public Libraries’ purpose is to make recorded expressions of intellectual activity available to the residents of the municipalities of Lunenburg and Queens. The prime objective of the library is to meet the informational, education, recreational, and cultural needs of the public with a well-organized collection of materials. Materials in the Library’s collection represent manifold points of view on countless subjects, are in various formats, and are intended for audiences of many educational levels and all ages.
The South Shore Public Libraries’ Selection Policy guides staff in choosing materials to be added to or withdrawn from the Library’s collection and informs the public about the principles by which selections are made. This policy was approved and adopted by the South Shore Regional Library Board in October 1988, and revised and approved in May, 2008.
All residents of the Library’s service area and all Library staff are welcome to recommend materials for inclusion in the Library’s collection. Library Assistants and Librarians on staff regularly read reviews of available material and suggest items for acquisition. The Chief Librarian, operating within the Policies of the Library Board, is responsible for the ultimate choice of materials acquired and withdrawn.
Material is selected according to the needs and demands of the community. Published reviews, publishers’ advertisements, examination of the material, and requests from Library users are substantial factors in selection. Selectors consider each item as a whole, heedful of any or all of the following factors:
- intended purpose
- intended audience
- attention of critics, reviewers, and the public
- popular demand, present and anticipated
- accuracy
- permanent value and timeliness
- presentation and intelligibility
- importance to our collection
- availability of similar material and information
- suitability of format for library use
- price
Although materials are purchased in all subject areas, we do not select materials specifically in support of school or university curricula.
The Library’s collection may include:
- duplicate copies of material in high demand
- reference materials to be consulted on library premises
- audio books
- magazines and newspapers
- talking books for those unable to use printed materials
- information files containing pamphlets, newspaper clippings, etc.
- government documents
- paperbacks
- video and other multimedia materials
- bibliographic tools, selection aids, and material dealing with library issues and development
All material is selected considering the factors listed above.
The resources of the entire collection are available to borrowers of all ages. Adults are responsible for guiding the choices of minors under their care and rejecting materials they find unsuitable.
Reconsideration of Material
The South Shore Regional Library Board has adopted as policy the Canadian Federation Library Association. (http://cfla-fcab.ca/en/guidelines-and-position-papers/statement-on-intellectual-freedom-and-libraries/). Library users may suggest that material be withdrawn from the collection. A library user may also formally request that a particular item be withdrawn, by completing a Request for Reconsideration form. The Chief Librarian and appropriate staff will discuss requests with the individual. If the individual is not satisfied, the issue will be considered by the Library Board.
Click to access reconsider-library-material-form.pdf
Gifts
The Library accepts donations of materials in any format with the understanding that staff may dispose of them in any way. We make decisions about adding a donation to the collection on the same basis as we decided to purchase an item. When we do not add gift items to the collection, we normally sell them and use the resulting funds to purchase other materials.
The Library welcomes gifts of money and issues numbered receipts (for income tax purposes) for gifts over $10.00. Gift funds are normally used to enhance the collection and gift materials are chosen according to the selection policy. A donor may suggest a special area in which a gift might be used. Gift books are part of the total collection, available to all borrowers.
Collection Maintenance
Staff regularly review collections in the area for which they are responsible, removing from public service points outdated or damaged material and items for which there is little demand. Staff decide whether these items can or should be repaired, replaced or removed from the collections. The same factors considered in selecting material for acquisition apply to these decisions.
Approved by
South Shore Regional Library Board
May 2008; modified January 2019
Meeting Space Use Policy
The South Shore Regional Library Board welcomes public use of meeting space in its facilities. The Board has endorsed the Atlantic Provinces Library Association’s Mission and Mandate and the Canadian Library Association Statement on Intellectual Freedom, which states, in part, “It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee the right of free expression by making all of the library’s public facilities and services available to all individuals and groups who need them.” However, usage of the library’s public facilities will depend on a number of factors, discussed in the policy, below.
- The Public Libraries Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. P.44) authorizes public library boards to make rules regulating all matters connected with the management of the library and library property and authorizes a board to impose such fees as it considers proper for the use of parts of a building that are not being used for public library purposes.
- Library-sponsored or library co-sponsored programs and events will have priority for the use of library space.
- The Library Board does not necessarily support the views of individuals or organizations using its facilities.
- The Library will not knowingly permit any individual or group to use its facilities in contravention of the Criminal Code of Canada, or any statute, regulation, rule, law or policy of Canada, Nova Scotia and/or municipal unit in which the meeting is held.
- Advertising of programs, meetings or events taking place on library premises must not imply endorsement by the Library of the content of the program, meeting or event, unless it is sponsored or co-sponsored by the library.
- Signs announcing the event may be posted in the library, following the Library’s Gift and display policy.
- A Meeting Room Reservation form must be filed with the library before the event; this should be done two weeks ahead of the booking but may be done at any time up to the start of the event so long as the room is available and staff members are able to deal with the booking.
- When booking library-meeting rooms, groups or individuals must provide information on planned topics for discussion, general subjects of meetings, and names of speakers and their affiliations.
- The library reserves the right to refuse bookings or to cancel bookings.
- The Library may charge a fee for the use of Library space. Fees are based on costs such as cleaning and security, and may be waived for non-profit groups. Fees are set by the Library Board and reviewed annually.
- Rooms are usually available during Library open hours. It may be possible to arrange for meetings and events outside library hours, depending on availability of security acceptable to the library.
- Activities taking place in a library meeting room must not interfere with normal library operations.
- Users of library meeting rooms will set up chairs and tables and put them away as arranged with library staff.
- Users will be charged for any damage resulting from their use of library meeting space and equipment.
- Library equipment may be available if requested at the time of booking.
- All food and beverage arrangements, set-up, and clean-up are the responsibility of the person or organization booking the space. The intention to serve any food or beverage must be indicated when booking the space.
- Library facilities are scent-free and smoke-free.
Approved by Library Board
March 18, 2003; modified August 2018
Privacy Policy
Respectful Workplace Policy
Sponsorship Recognition Program Policy
As a publicly-owned institution for the use and enjoyment of all, South Shore Public Libraries greatly appreciates the support of donors. The Gift and Display Policy specifies the types of gifts we accept and the Sponsorship Recognition Program outlines how gifts are recognized. All other Board policies apply to this Program.
We make every attempt to recognize donations appropriately; recognition varies according to circumstances. Donors may wish to make their gifts anonymously and the Library will honor such requests. Donors withhold the right to not accept any or all forms of recognition listed below. The donor recognition elements listed below are given for donations made within a calendar year.
| Donor Level | Type of Recognition |
| $10- $99 |
|
| $100 – $499 |
|
| $500 – $999 |
|
| $1,000 – $4,999 |
|
| $5,000+ |
|
Approved by the South Shore Regional Library Board March 16, 2004.
Revised June 20, 2006
Revised March 24, 2009
Revised May 2019
Social Media Policy
Volunteer Policy
South Shore Public Libraries welcomes those who wish to donate their knowledge and skills to the provision of public library service in our region. Volunteers contribute to the well-being of their community by supplementing the work of paid staff, and are a valuable part of the library’s relationship with the community it serves. Volunteers derive benefits from their contribution of effort by developing skills, accumulating work experience and by actively supporting regional library service.
To ensure that a volunteer’s time with us is well spent, guidelines for the efficient integration of these workers into our system have been developed, outlining the obligations of South Shore Public Libraries and the volunteer to one another. These guidelines apply to those who independently offer us their time as well as to those participating in the programs of other institutions.
- Before volunteer work begins, each volunteer must meet with the Coordinator of Volunteers for screening, including a police background check, to discuss possible projects appropriate to individual skills or interests and to arrange mutually convenient work schedules and for orientation to the library in general. The volunteer will then meet with their staff supervisor for on-the-job training and orientation for the library location.
- Volunteers must commit themselves to the completion of a specific project with a given time-frame, or to a specific schedule and number of hours of work. Arrangements can be made to extend hours or undertake new projects upon agreement of the paid library staff involved with an individual volunteer. A volunteer must notify a staff contact, in advance if possible, of any departure from agreed-upon work schedules caused by illness or travel.
- South Shore Public Libraries staff must provide the volunteer with a description of the task(s) it has been agreed the volunteer will undertake, and supply orientation, training, equipment, and materials necessary to complete the assignment.
- Volunteers must abide by all policies and practices of South Shore Public Libraries and accept the supervision of an assigned staff contact.
- Appropriate library staff will prepare written evaluations of a volunteer’s work if requested to do so.
- The CEO/Chief Librarian will arrange for appropriate recognition of volunteers who have made a special or substantial contribution to the South Shore Public Libraries’ service in their opinion or that of the South Shore Regional Library Board.
Approved by
South Shore Regional Library Board
September 18, 1984, Amended 2000,
Amended February 20, 2018