Membership Policy

 

Purpose

A Waterloo Public Library card provides borrowing privileges for the thousands of items in the Library’s print and electronic collections and access to other programs and services that satisfy the multiple literacy, information, cultural, learning and leisure needs of the community.

The Library ensures fair conditions for library membership and borrowing privileges while protecting resources in a responsible manner and in accordance with the Public Libraries Act. R.S.O. 1990, c P44.

Policy

Membership at the Library is free of charge to persons residing or owning property within the boundaries of the City of Waterloo and to persons residing in communities with whom Waterloo Public Library has reciprocal borrowing agreements (Region of Waterloo, Guelph Public Library, County of Brant Public Library and Hamilton Public Library).  People residing outside these areas who wish to obtain a library card are required to pay a membership fee on an annual or semi-annual basis.

Identification and proof of current address are required from all applicants at the time of registration. Proof of address may be required any time that a customer moves to a new address. Personal information is collected, in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, for internal Library purposes and is confidential.  (Refer to our Privacy and Access to Information Policy.)

Membership information may be shared with Kitchener Public Library due to a shared computer Integrated Library System.

Children twelve years of age and under must have their library card signed by a parent or legal guardian who accepts responsibility for materials borrowed and for fines and fees that may accumulate on the child’s card. Responsibility for monitoring the choice of library materials by minors and their use of the Internet rests with parents or legal guardians.

All library cards remain the property of Waterloo Public Library. A library card may be revoked if a customer’s account is not maintained in a responsible manner. A fee will be charged for replacement of a lost or damaged Waterloo Public Library card.

Renewal

Library cards expire periodically (usually once per year, depending on membership type), at which time the Library will ask customers to confirm their contact details.

Borrowing

A valid library card is required in order to borrow materials.

Customers accept responsibility for their library card, all materials borrowed and any fees that accumulate on their card. Although it is possible for a person to hold more than one library card, only one membership account may be maintained (that is, one account with two barcodes).

A person in possession of a Waterloo Public Library card is assumed to be the owner or to have the owner’s permission to use the card. This includes the cards of children or spouses.  Customers must notify the Library immediately upon loss of their library card.

Specialty Membership Types

Corporate Membership

An organization, institution or business may hold a Library membership for use by employees borrowing material for work-related purposes. The Library requires a letter of application on the organization’s official letterhead signed by a Designated Officer who has the authority on behalf of the organization to accept responsibility for all materials borrowed on the Corporate Card and any fines or fees that may accrue.

Unconfirmed Membership

Visitors and others unable to provide proof of local address in the City of Waterloo and in municipalities with whom the Library has reciprocal borrowing may hold an Unconfirmed Membership. Because of the short-term nature of this membership, borrowing privileges for this type of customer are limited.

Special Membership

A Special Membership is designed to accommodate individuals who make their home in a group home or special residence for a period of approximately six months or longer.  Because of the short-term nature of a person’s stay at these residences, the lack of permanent address information (usually due to confidentiality issues), and the difficulty of tracing them to settle overdue accounts, borrowing privileges for this type of customer are limited.

In Library User Membership

In Library User Membership is designed to accommodate individuals who do not have a fixed residence, are unable to provide address information and do not qualify for Special Membership. These customers will be served at a Library service point where their card will be kept on file, and where material that is signed out to them will be kept secure for them to use in the Library. Regular borrowing and loan privileges apply, with the following exception: the number of items that can be borrowed at one time and the number of holds that can be placed is limited to 5.

Visiting Library Service

For this type of membership, volunteers are given the right of access to borrowing information and the right to use the member’s card in the provision of Visiting Library Service. A Visiting Library Service membership may be taken out by an individual or by an institution.

Suspension of Borrowing Privileges

A customer’s borrowing privileges are suspended when outstanding charges reach or exceed $20.00. Borrowing privileges resume when fines owing are reduced to under $20.00.

Willful disregard of the Library’s Code of Conduct Policy may result in the suspension of borrowing privileges.

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Document Record

June 2003 – Initial Release
September 2017 – Reviewed
June 2019 – Reviewed
May 2022 – Reviewed