Download & Print a Library Card Application Form

I.    THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR A LIBRARY CARD:

A.    Marion residents.
B.    Residents of Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, other Linn County      communities with public libraries and other Iowa communities with public libraries that participate in the state Open Access program.
C.    Individuals whose city or county has contracted for service with our library.
D.    Individuals who own property in the City of Marion but reside outside the city limits.
E.    Business owners who rent property in the City of Marion.

Library cards are issued to individuals and are not transferable.

Children are eligible for their own library cards when they reach the age  of five years. Cardholders and parents/guardians of minors are responsible for all items checked out on their cards.

Patrons are encouraged to bring their cards to the library for the most efficient service.  Library staff may ask to see some identification before checkout to a person who has forgotten his/her library card.

Patrons are responsible for notifying the library of any change of home address, email address, or phone number.

A.    All individuals applying for a card must complete a registration form and show identification with current name and address.  Individuals must pay any fines or fees incurred previously at the Metro Library Network (Marion, Cedar Rapids or Hiawatha public libraries).  Residents of other Iowa towns with public libraries that participate in Open Access must show proof of name and current address.  Library card applications for children ages five through 13 must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.  Both child and guardian must be present.  Parents must show proper ID or valid Marion library card before a child’s card will be issued.

B.    All cards will be issued at the time the patron applies, assuming all of the above requirements are met.  Individuals without complete identification, who are applying for a library card for the first time, will be issued a temporary card and limited to checking out no more than six items on their first visit.  The temporary card will be good for 30 days, after which time they must present proper ID in order to check out additional materials.

A.    21 days: most books, audio books, nonfiction videos, and music compact discs (CDs).

B.    Ten days: Quick Picks, periodicals, and entertainment videos.

C.    Seven days: DVDs (borrowers limited to ten entertainment and ten educational DVDs at any one time)

D.    Five weeks for Book Club Kits.

With the exception of Quick Picks (may not be renewed) and DVDs (may be renewed once), items may be renewed twice as long as no reserves have been placed on them. The borrower assumes full responsibility for damage, loss, or theft of library materials and for violation of any copyright regulations. The library assumes no responsibility for damage to equipment used with audio-visual material borrowed from the library.

A.    Fines: see policy on “Fine thresholds and replacement costs of lost or damaged materials” for current fines.

B.    Fine limits:  see policy on "Fine thresholds and replacement costs of lost or damaged materials" for current limits.

C.    Other libraries within the Metro Library Network may charge different fine amounts; fines are based on the owning library’s policy.  The information in this policy document pertains to the Marion Public Library only.

D.    General: a “library day” is a day that the library is open.

A courtesy phone call, written reminder, or email notice about overdue materials will be made after materials are five and 10 days past the due date, but the responsibility to return materials rests with the borrower.  The amount of fine assessed is determined by the type of material checked out, not by the type of card an individual holds.

Borrowing privileges will be temporarily suspended when the fines owed the Marion, Cedar Rapids or Hiawatha public libraries reach $3.00, or when notice of non-return of materials from any of these libraries is registered in the borrower’s account.  Borrowing may resume when materials are returned and fines are paid or reduced below the $3.00 maximum.

A.    Borrowers who have non-returned materials whose value totals $25 or more may receive up to two phone call reminders and a written notice.  If there is no response to the library’s requests for return of materials, borrowers will be subject to action by Unique National Collections.

B.    It is possible that fines totaling $25 or more could be a combination of non-returned materials and fines.  Similar procedures will be used.

C.    Borrowers who are reported to Unique National Collections will be assessed a $10.00 collection fee in addition to any replacement costs and/or fines.  Unique’s program will include up to three written notices and two phone calls before borrowers are reported to credit agencies.

D.    The Code of Iowa Section 714.5 Library materials and equipment -- unpurchased merchandise -- evidence of intention, states, in part: “The fact that a person fails to return library materials for two months or more after the date the person agreed to return the library materials, or fails to return library equipment for one month or more after the date the person agreed to return the library equipment, is evidence of intent to deprive the owner. . .”  The library shall comply with the provisions and procedures outlined in the Iowa Code and its supplements in assuring that materials borrowed from the Marion Public Library are returned to it.

 

Reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees 2/10/97
Revised 6/8/98
Revised 7/12/99
Revised 6/12/2000
Revised 6/25/01
Revised 6/11/02
Revised 6/9/2003
Revised 6/14/2004
Revised 6/13/05
Revised 6/19/06
Revised 6/11/07
Revised 5/12/08
Revised 9/8/08
Revised 5/11/09
Revised 6/8/09