Keokuk Public Library materials are loaned as follows:

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• Books and Magazines – 21 days

• New Books, Audiobooks, and Downloadable e-Books and e-Audio Books – 14 days

• Music CDs, and Cake Pans – 7 days

• Fiction DVDs – 3 days

• Non-fiction DVDs, and DVD sets (3 disks or more) – 7 days

• Giant Chess/Checkers and Special Loans – 1 day

• Genealogy, Laptops, Local History, and Reference – in-library use

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Renewal: Material (not including 1-day loans) can be checked out for two additional loan periods if there are no requests by other patrons for that particular item.  Items may be renewed by telephone or through the on-line catalog if they are not overdue and if the account is in good standing.  Patrons must bring in overdue material and pay the fine before these items can be renewed.  Patrons with expired accounts must get their accounts up-to-date before items can be renewed.  Patrons with active accounts and excessive fines must get those fines under the $10 limit before items can be renewed.

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Inter-library loan: The Keokuk Public Library participates on a reciprocal basis with the state interlibrary loan system.  Material loaned follows the circulation policies set out above.  When receiving interlibrary loan material, we follow the circulation policies of the lending library.  The library reserves the right to refuse interlibrary loan service to patrons who abuse this privilege.

Before borrowing material from another library, the patron must clear all fines and other charges from the existing record.  The Keokuk Public Library accepts the responsibility for borrowing items and returning them promptly and undertakes to assure that the patron has an unencumbered record with the local public library.

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Lost/Damaged Items: When library materials are lost or damaged the person on whose library card the items were checked out is held responsible.  When overdue materials are returned to the library, the patron is expected to pay the overdue fines at that time.  If the charges are not paid the amount due is added to the patron’s record.  Card may not be renewed until all fines are paid (see “Fee Schedule”). 

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Overdue Items: Patrons with overdue items are not allowed to take out additional material until their record is cleared.  Exceptions to this policy can be made only by supervisory personnel.

The Keokuk Public Library strives to recover library materials without alienating library patrons. Although we try to provide polite notice, materials overdue more than sixty 60 days shall be billed for pursuant to section 714.5 of the Code of Iowa. Bills for the amount of the replacement cost, plus associated fees, will be mailed to the patrons’ address on file. Materials or equipment kept for more than two months constitutes a prima facia case of theft and criminal charges may be filed. The Keokuk Public Library reserves the right to use any lawful method to collect unpaid fees or bills, and may refuse to check out materials until such bills or fees are paid. 

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Genealogy, Local History, and Other Fragile Materials

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The library contains certain specialized and fragile materials to which access is limited, especially items in the genealogy and local history section.  This material is limited to in-library use only and is housed in areas of the library that are not open to the public.  Library personnel, at a patron’s request, will bring this material to the front desk.  These non-circulating items can then be viewed in the genealogy and local history section near the front desk, in view of the library staff, but must be returned to library staff before closing. 

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Photocopies of these materials can be made, within the limits imposed by copyright law.  The library reserves the right to prohibit the photocopying of any materials judged too fragile for this process.

When microfilm or digital copies of specialized material are available, it is the policy of the library to encourage use of this format rather than use of the original material.

Adopted 4/18/1988            
Revised 6/19/1989
Revised 3/18/1996
Revised 12/16/1996
Revised 12/20/1999
Revised 5/20/2002
Revised 1/16/2006
Revised 10/16/2006
Revised 8/18/2008
Revised 10/19/2009
Revised 8/15/2011
Revised 10/17/2016
Revised 6/18/2018