fiaf.org > Library 

Library Policies

• Membership & Admissions
• Loan Periods, Quantities & Fines
• Borrowing
• General Regulations
• Penalities for Infringement
• Gift Policy 

Membership & Admissions

• FIAF membership card is necessary for borrowing and regular onsite use.
• A FIAF membership card must be presented upon request by any FIAF employee.
• Readers under the age of 18 are required to have the library borrower’s form countersigned by a parent.
• The library welcomes first-time visitors.

 | top |

Loan Periods, Quantities & Fines:

 | top |

Borrowing

• In order to borrow materials from the Library, a security deposit in the form of a valid and signed credit card imprint or a check for $80 payable to FIAF is required. There is no charge to borrow materials; your card will only be charged if you do not return borrowed materials after 3 overdue notices.
• Items loaned to a user are for the personal use of that user only and remain the responsibility of the user until they are returned to the library and the loans are canceled. Parents and guardians are responsible for their children.
• All items on loan shall be returned by their due date.
• All items on loan shall be returned on expiration of FIAF membership.
• Any loan may be renewed up to 2 times.
• You are responsible for all items checked out on your card. If your card is lost or stolen, call the Library immediately.

 | top |

General Regulations

• Videos and DVDs are licensed for private home use only.
• Library card holders shall notify the library promptly of any change in name or address.
• The library is not responsible for personal property brought into and left in the library.
• The FIAF staff may inspect articles in the possession of any person on the Library premises.
• Users shall not deface or damage books or other library property, materials or equipment in any way; if so the reader is liable for the replacement cost of the item.
• The staff of the FIAF library is not responsible for unaccompanied children.
• The use of personal computers is welcome; the use of personal diskettes in the library’s computers is prohibited.
• WIFI connection is available to members upon presentation of their membership card.
• The staff library endeavors to provide an atmosphere conducive to study, reading and the legitimate use of materials and services. To foster such an environment, we request that no one eat, drink, smoke, use a cell phone, sleep or loiter in the Library. Anyone who is vocally disturbing to others by talking loudly to another patron will be asked to move temporarily to the lobby area.
• Abuse of any above-stated regulations may warrant the termination of borrowing privileges.

 | top |

Penalties for Infringement

• Fines: Late videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs are assessed a penalty of $1/day. All other late materials are fined $.25/day. Fines are not charged for days the library is closed. Fines must be paid immediately and in full, and readers are responsible for all fines due but not collected at time of return. The maximum overdue fine per item is the same as the replacement cost of the item.
• Suspension: Users failing to observe the regulations on borrowing may be subject to all accrued fines and to suspension from further borrowing until loans and fines have been cleared. Borrowing privileges are suspended when overdue fines reach $25.
• Replacement costs: Users are responsible to replace any item not returned, lost or damaged. Replacement costs are calculated on a mean average cost per item category:

 | top |

Gift Policy

The FIAF Library welcomes gifts of books in good condition. Donations may be dropped off at FIAF at any time.

These gifts may be added to the collection, or they may be made available for sale. The Library applies that same objective selection criteria to donations that is applied to the purchase of new books, so if a donated item does not fit the scope of the Library's collection policy, it will be placed in the Library's booksale ($1 sales price), or will be offered to other Alliance Française libraries throughout the country, as a part of Project Benjamin, our cooperation program for library services. Proceeds from book sales are used in a wide variety of ways, most frequently for the purchase of new materials.

It is the responsibility of the donor to arrange for delivery of gift materials to the Library. We regret that we cannot pick up books from your home. The Library can accept no more than 100 books per gift.

The donor accepts that donations are made without restriction and that the Library may use the donated items as the Library staff deems appropriate. Please remember that once a donation of materials is made, the gift becomes entirely the property of the Library, which reserves the right to accept, reject, sell or otherwise dispose of donated materials.

The Library will provide an acknowledgment letter for any donation of 10 or more books if requested by the donor. It will not, however, provide evaluations of gifts for tax or other purposes other than a global estimate of $1 per book donated. To receive an acknowledgement the donor should provide his name, address, and number of items donated.

While gifts are generally welcomed, from time to time the Library may restrict the acceptance of materials that are too large or do not fit within the scope of the Library’s collections. The Library cannot accept a gift with a stipulation as to its use. The Library does not accept donations of the following types of materials: phonograph records, newspapers, magazines and deteriorated books.

The Library asks for your understanding in this matter.

Buy a Book Program
Contribute to the Buy-a-Book Program and help enhance the Library's collections!
Make a cash donation for the purchase of books and other library materials. The donation per book, CD, or DVD is $50. You may also endow a subscription to a magazine title for a year. A bookplate acknowledging your gift will be placed on each item purchased. Books may also be donated in the name of a friend. More Info

| top |