Borrowing, Circulation, & Confidentiality Policy
Library Board approved in 2021.
Borrowing Privileges/Library Cards:
Melrose Park Residents Melrose Park community members residing within the boundaries of the 60160 zip code are eligible to apply for a free library card. Adults applying for, renewing, or replacing a lost/damaged card must present two pieces of identification including:
1. A valid license or other photo ID with a current Melrose Park address
2. One other form of ID (property tax bill, utility bill, voter’s registration, lease, bank statement, etc.) with that same address
Children under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian present to sign the application or renewal form and provide proof of residency. Library cards in good standing are renewable every 3 years. MPPL reserves the right to assess a fee to replace destroyed, lost, or stolen library cards. Patrons with valid MPPL cards may use their cards at other libraries within the SWAN system to borrow materials. Non-Residents Under the provisions of state law, the Melrose Park Public Library Board of Trustees has approved issuing library cards to eligible individuals for a fee set by the Melrose Park Board of Trustees in accordance with Illinois law (75ILCS16/30-55.60) and Illinois State Library Laws and Rules, Section 3050.25. Non-resident Library cards shall be valid for one year and shall afford all services offered by the Melrose Park Public Library.
Non residents who qualify for the State of Illinois “Cards for Kids” exception should contact the Library Director.
Non-Resident Taxpayers Melrose Park property owners who reside elsewhere are eligible for a non-resident taxpayer card with full borrowing privileges. A current tax bill must be provided showing ownership of the particular parcel of property. One person only will be designated as a card holder. The non-resident card is valid for one year. Reciprocal Borrowing The library will provide reciprocal borrowing privileges to individuals presenting a valid library card from any library participating in the Illinois Reciprocal Borrower Program. Reciprocal borrowers are subject to the circulation policies as set by the Melrose Park Public Library.
Circulation:
Lending
The MPPL circulates materials in a variety of formats. MPPL establishes loan terms for each item type that include the length of loan, number of loans allowed, and number of renewals allowed. Patrons may place holds on materials that are not immediately available for use.
Interlibrary Loan
Loan periods and renewals for materials received through SWAN consortium Interlibrary Loan are determined by the checkout library. Melrose Park Public Library staff will request materials not owned by the MPPL from other SWAN libraries. If requested materials are not available through SWAN, requests will be forwarded to other Illinois libraries through the OCLC network. There is no guarantee of receipt, and there may be a fee for requests outside of the SWAN consortium. These out-of-system loans follow all circulation rules as determined by the lending library including loan period, renewals, and delivery date.
Fines/Fees/Lost or Damaged Materials
The Melrose Park Public Library does not charge any fees for overdue materials checked out at the MPPL. A block will be placed on a patron’s card when any checked out item is more than 14 days overdue. Patrons are responsible for paying replacement and processing costs for lost or damaged items.
Patron Confidentiality:
The Melrose Park Public Library abides by the Illinois Library Records Confidentiality Act (75 ILCS 70/1) that states that registration and circulation records of a library are to be confidential. The Melrose Park Public Library does not make available the records of patron transactions to any party except in compliance with the law. The Melrose Park Public Library does not make available lists of registered library patrons except in compliance with the law.