CARDHOLDER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
Library cards are issued free of charge to residents of Portage County. Photo ID and proof of address are required. Cardholders from other South Central Library System (SCLS) libraries can use their cards at our library branches (Stevens Point, Almond, Plover, and Rosholt). Other Wisconsin residents can also get a library card with proof of ID and address. Library users staying in temporary housing can get Web Use cards, which give you access to our e-book collection and allow easy login to our public computers.
As a Portage County Public Library cardholder, you are responsible for all materials checked out on your library card, which includes payment of overdue fees and replacement charges for lost or damaged items. Parents are responsible for materials checked out by their children. You must also give us prompt notice of change of address.
CHECK OUT SUMMARY
Your library card allows you to check out (borrow) books and many other items for a certain amount of time. The loan period for most items is 28 days. New books, magazines, CDs, and some other non-book items have shorter loan periods of 7 or 14 days. See below for details.
DAILY OVERDUE CHARGES
If you do not bring an item back on or before the due date, overdue fines will be added to your library account. Overdue charges are 25 cents per day for books and other items from the Adult collection. Items from the Youth collection accrue 5 cents per day for every day they are late. See the chart below for details.
Charges are higher for some types of non-book materials:
DVDs/Blu-Rays (Adult and Children's) - $1.00 per day overdue
Video Games - $1.00 per day overdue
Board Games (Adult) - $1.00 per day overdue
Interlibrary loan items - $1.00 per day overdue
If you have overdue or item replacement charges which exceed $20.00, you will not be able to borrow more items.
GRACE PERIOD
Most items from our regular collection (books, DVDs, etc.) have a 48-hour grace period. If books are returned within the grace period, no overdue charges will be assessed. There is no grace period on rental books or interlibrary loan items.
RENEWALS
If you need to keep an item past the due date, you may be able to "renew" it, which checks it out to you again for the same amount of time as the original checkout. You can do this twice for each item. However, items that are on hold for another patron may not be renewed unless there are other copies available. Most interlibrary loan items cannot be renewed; call 715-346-1289 three days before the due date to check. If an item is renewed after the due date, the overdue charge is calculated and attached to the cardholder's record.
MAXIMUM CHARGE
Although there is a maximum charge per item, there is no maximum accumulated charge per account. Ten books overdue could accumulate up to $10, ten videos overdue could accumulate up to $50.
OTHER CHARGES
The library reserves the right to recover all costs associated with repairing or replacing items or barcode labels, invoicing, registered mail, pickup charges, etc. If an item is not returned within 29 days of the due date, you will be charged for the replacement cost of the item unless you return it.
LOAN PERIODS & OVERDUE CHARGES
DESCRIPTION | LOAN Period | Daily Overdue charges | Maximum overdue charge per item |
ADULT MATERIALS | |||
| Books | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| NEW and other short loan books | 14 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Large Print Books | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Magazines | 14 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Videos, Feature (Movies) and TV Series | 7 days | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Videos, Nonfiction (Documentaries) | 28 days | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Music CDs | 14 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Audiobook on CD | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Digital Audio Player (Playaway) | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Art Prints | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Board Games | 14 days | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Video Games | 14 days | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Projectors & other equipment | 14 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT MATERIALS | |||
| Videos (Movies & TV - DVD/Blu-ray) | 7 days | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Books | 28 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| NEW Books | 14 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Magazines | 14 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Parent's collection | 28 days | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Music CDs | 14 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Audiobooks on CD or Digital Audio Player (Playaway) | 28 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| CD/Book kits and Vox/Wonder Books | 28 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Board Games & Puzzles | 14 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Toys | 14 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Storytelling kits | 7 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Flannel boards | 7 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
| Puppets & puppet kits | 7 days | $0.05 | $0.25 |
INTERLIBRARY LOAN ITEMS | $1.00 | $10.00 |
LOST YOUR CARD?
There is a $1.00 charge for a replacement library card.
“Library card identity theft” or fraudulent use of library cards is a growing concern, even among minors; please help prevent this crime by carrying your library card or other ID with you when you come to the library.
Please do not give or lend your card to anyone.
If you forget your library card, library staff asks for ID and may not allow you to borrow materials if identification is not available.
Card holders are held responsible for items checked out on lost or stolen cards prior to notifying the library of such loss and may be required to pay replacement charges on these items.
Lost or stolen library cards must be reported immediately.