Library Policies & Information
Membership Policies
All new patrons must fill out the online form and pay their registration fee and annual fees before checking out any books. Patrons will then have an online Patron Account created and they will be able to put books on hold for pickup. They may also set up an appointment to come browse in person. Memberships apply to a single household and cannot be shared. Once a membership is paid, it is 100% non-refundable and non-transferable.
Membership Renewal
Memberships will renew on the anniversary date of your registration and the current membership fees will then be due on that date before any further benefits may be used. All books will become immediately due on your anniversary date if renewal is not paid. Patrons may choose not to renew by notifying Lauren.
Child Policy
We request that children not be permitted inside unless they are at an age where they can quietly browse the shelves and stay in the front library room. Children of all ages are welcome to go around back and jump on our trampoline or hang out on the back patio while an adult is browsing. (Patio is fenced for safety.) Infants-in-arms are always welcome inside with a caregiver.
Checkout Length
Default checkout length is one month. Patrons may request a book for an entire term or the whole school year, as needed. Just ask!
Return Policy
There are no late fees for books that are not returned on time, but your late books may be needed by another patron. Please be respectful of the need for other patrons to have books on time for the start of a school term and return all books promptly. You will not be permitted to check out more books until the overdue ones are returned.
Lost/Damaged Policy
All patrons are responsible for the books they have checked out and will be charged the highest “very good” condition used price on Thrift books or equivalent site for any lost or damaged books (or the new Amazon price if it is not available used). It is up to Lauren’s discretion as to what the exact charge will be or what qualifies as a damaged book that is beyond repair. All lost/damaged fees must be paid before the patron will be permitted to check out any more books. Please always return damaged books for Lauren’s evaluation.
Online Library
The Charlotte Finch uses a program called TinyCat to organize our collections and keep track of patrons checkouts, holds, etc. This is an extension of LibraryThing, which many are familiar with. Through the catalog link, you can access our library collections, login to your account and place holds, see due dates, search for books and more.
Please be aware that our online library may show the cover of a book that does not match the physical copy that we have on hand. We do our best to keep covers and ISBNs matching to the exact book, but this is a work in progress. If you are wanting to be sure a particular book is a particular copy, please reach out to Lauren to confirm.
Important Links
Catalog homepage: https://www.librarycat.org/lib/thecharlottefinch
Getting Started with TinyCat: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/TinyCat_for_Patrons