(Approved 8/19/15, Revised 10/21/20, Revised 8/18/21)
General Information
All members of the community may share equally in the use and enjoyment of library materials. People of all ages may use materials from most Carol Stream Public Library collection. The Library respects the right and responsibility of a parent/legal guardian to determine which library materials are appropriate for their children.
General guidelines for use of library materials include:
- A valid library account, as defined in the Library Accounts Policy: General Information, is required to check out, renew or reserve library materials.
- As a public library member of SWAN (System Wide Automated Network)
,the Carol Stream Public Library will abide by the SWAN Governing Board’s established standards for their public library members regarding borrowing and circulation rules. These standards have been established to improve the patron experience for the public library members. - Loan periods, renewals, and reserve limits vary based upon material type and are posted on the Library’s website.
Replacement Costs
Carol Stream Public Library reserves the right to bill an account for replacement cost of overdue, lost or damaged material.
Notices will be sent reminding patrons to return overdue materials. Failure to receive notices does not absolve responsibility or liability for replacement costs.
Borrowing privileges are suspended due to overdue materials or bills exceeding our current threshold. Current thresholds are posted on our website.
Library accounts with charges in excess of $25 for lost, damaged or unreturned materials are transferred to Unique Management Services for recovery and an additional referral fee is charged to the account. Please be advised that charges incurred on a juvenile account are payable by the parent/legal guardian.
Service charges, in the amount equal to the bank’s current fees, will be billed to patron accounts for checks returned to the Library for insufficient funds.
Theft, Damage, or Failure to Return Library Materials
Taking materials from the Library, including but not limited to books, media, and equipment without proper checkout is a crime. Theft, damage, or failure to return Library materials in the amount of $50.00 or more is subject to the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Illinois Compiled Statutes. (720 ILCS 5/16-3 (c))
Resource Sharing Services
Carol Stream Public Library maintains membership in Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) and cooperates in reciprocal borrowing and interlibrary loan. The Library reserves the right to limit the number of items or restrict reciprocal borrowing access to specific collections.