New Castle Public Library Policies
Standards of Behavior
The New Castle Public Library is committed to providing a secure, clean and, supportive environment for the use of its resources and services. The following standards of behavior have been established:
Library Customers Shall:
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Engage in activities associated with the use of a public library.
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Respect the rights of other library customers and library staff members.
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Wear shoes and clothing that provides appropriate body coverage.
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Comply promptly and courteously with all requests by any library staff member.
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Ensure that children under the age of 12 who visit the library are accompanied by a responsible caregiver.
Library Customers Shall Not:
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Harass, disrupt or threaten library customers or staff members.
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Use alcohol or illegal controlled substances on Library property, including building, grounds and parking lot.
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Distribute or sell non-library approved material.
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Loiter and/or impede access to the Library or to Library property.
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Use the Internet inappropriately or violate the Library’s Internet Use Policy.
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Use roller skates, roller blades, skateboards on Library property unless participating in a Library approved event.
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Use the public restrooms to shave, bathe or launder clothes.
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Leave personal belongings unattended.
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Willfully deface or damage Library resources or property or remove them from the Library without permission. Such acts are illegal and are subject to prosecution.
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Sleep, preach, beg or engage in conduct not related to generally accepted library activities.
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Use tobacco products in any form except in designated exterior areas.
Remember:
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Unacceptable behavior may result in the loss of library privileges.
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Any person engaged in unacceptable behavior may be given up to 2 verbal warnings to cease the unacceptable behavior. If, after receiving verbal warnings, the behavior continues the individual may be banned from the use of the library and its resources for a period of up to 30 days. If, in the judgment of a library staff member, an individual’s behavior is unmanageable, abusive or indicates a threat of physical harm to library employees, customers or property, the individual will be asked to leave immediately or 911 will be notified.
Tobacco Use Policy
Tobacco use* is prohibited inside all New Castle Public Library locations and within 20 feet of entryways to all New Castle Public Library locations.
*Tobacco use is defined as the use or preparation of any tobacco product (i.e. rolling of cigarettes, lighted cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, etc.) in library property.
Internet/Computer Use Policy
Internet and computer access is provided to the public in designated areas of the library. The only cost to the public is any printed material associated with the use of our printers.
NCPL is not responsible for any damages/loss of data that may occur as a result of conditions beyond our control such as computer viruses, electrical malfunctions, power surges, etc.
Rules Governing Use:
Due to the limited resources available for provision of public areas to the Internet, the library may set limits as to the amount of time spent on the Internet.
Users may not:
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Invade the privacy of others
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Make any attempt to damage computer equipment or software
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Download and/or install software programs on library computers.
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Retrieve or use obscene, pornographic or illegal materials, or use the computer in a manner inconsistent with the Library’s tax-exempt status or its proper operation.
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Use copyrighted material that is not in accordance with copyright law
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Distribute unsolicited advertising
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Save work onto the computer. They must use instead their own zip drive, CD, etc.
Depending on the demand, computers on the first floor may be limited to a may be limited to a maximum of 2 hour per day. Once your time has expired, you may request more time by obtaining another PIN.
Patrons who would like more than 2 hours for a special project (such as an exam, school project, job application, or tax filing) may request a longer computer session by asking a reference librarian, who will log them on to a computer with no time limit.
If you want to listen to audio on the computer, you will need to wear headphones. Inexpensive ear buds are available for purchase at the circulation desk.
Only 2 people at a computer at one time.
Users under the age of 18 must use the computers on the second floor due to the filters we are required to provide per State Library to be in compliance with CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act).
Public computers in the library are shut down 15 minutes prior to closing.
Staff assistance is limited to basic start-up procedures. We cannot offer in-depth personal instruction in the use of a personal computer or software application other than the library’s own automation software and electronic databases.
As required by the Children's Internet Protection Act ("CIPA"), in order to remain eligible for certain federal funding, the Library has implemented software filtering on all of its Internet-accessible computer terminals. The software installed on Internet-accessible computers at the Library protects against access to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography, and, in the case of persons under the age of 17 years, materials that are "harmful to minors." Users should be aware, however, that all currently available filtering software results in a degree of both "underblocking" (i.e., permitting access to certain material that falls within the foregoing categories) and "overblocking" (i.e., denying access to certain constitutionally protected material that does not fall within the foregoing categories). The Library has attempted to select filtering software that best complies with CIPA while providing Library users with the broadest possible access to constitutionally protected speech and information. The Library cannot and does not guarantee that the filtering software will block all obscenity, child pornography, or materials that are harmful to minors. Nor can the Library guarantee that the filtering software will not restrict access to sites that may have legitimate research or other value.(New York Public Library)
Violations may result in the loss of access. Unlawful activities will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.
Food and Drink Policy
Food and Drink Items Allowed:
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Covered drinks, such as those with a lid, screw-cap, or in a spill-resistant container, such as a travel mug
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Light, pre-packaged snacks such as nuts, chips, pretzels, cookies, etc.
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Food without strong odors
Guidelines:
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Wipe up accidents and dispose of your trash and recyclables
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Tell a library staff member if there is a spill to ensure damaged items are properly treated
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No group meals (e.g. pizza parties) in public areas
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No food deliveries (e.g. pizza)
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No beverages in cans or open containers
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Foods such as pizza, burgers, sandwiches, fries, salads, fast foods, etc. should be consumed outside
Areas Where No Food or Drinks Are Allowed:
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Book stacks
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Near photocopiers, printers, computers, and microform readers
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History room
Donation Guidelines
We accept 25 items or 1 medium size box per person per day.
We accept:
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Books in very good condition (no yellow pages or odors)
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DVDs, (good condition)
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Jewelry
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Puzzles
NOTE: We are NOT accepting yard sale items at this time.
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Items will be accepted Monday through Friday. Donations WILL NOT be accepted on Saturday.
Circulation Policy
Loan Periods
The standard loan periods for library materials are:
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Books - 21 days
- DVDs - 21 days
- Audiobooks - 21 days
- Music CDs - 21 days
- AV equipment - Overnight
- Homeschool material - 30 days
Borrowing Limits
Standard borrowing limits are:
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20 items per borrower account
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10 DVDs per borrower account
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50 items for homeschoolers
Renewals
Items may be renewed up to 2 times as long as there is no hold placed on the item.
Lost Material
If library materials are lost, the borrower will be billed for the item's replacement cost. The replacement cost is defined as the current retail cost of the title.
Damaged Material
Borrowers will be charged for material that is damaged while in their possession. Damage charges may range from the replacement costs defined under Lost Material to lesser charges if the material is still usable.
Special Loans
Special loans of circulating and reference materials may be made at the discretion of the managers. History Room material shall not be loaned out.
Other Fees
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Lost borrower's card - $2
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Lost item barcode - $1
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Lost Audiobook/Video/DVD insert - $2
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Lost DVD case - $5
Payment of Fees
Fees may be paid in cash, by check, credit card, or debit . Credit or debit cards may be used if the amount due is $5 or greater and for the exact amount only.
Library Cards and Borrowing Privileges
Lawrence County residents and/or property owners may receive a library card free of charge by showing a photo ID with correct address. If they do not have a photo ID with correct address, they may instead show two forms of identification showing a current address (i.e., checkbook, car registration, current utility bill, official mail received within two weeks, etc.) to obtain a card. For one form of identification, a postcard can be mailed to them and they will have two weeks to bring it into the library to complete the card application.
Residents of Pennsylvania living outside of Lawrence County must present a library card from a Pennsylvania library that their municipality financially supports to receive a NCPL borrower's card without charge. Residents of Armstrong, Mercer, and Butler counties (New Castle Library District) may register for a borrower's card at no charge. Established identification requirements apply. Residents of Armstrong and Mercer counties who do not live in communities served by public libraries in the counties may register for a District card at New Castle Public Library. District cards are only valid at New Castle Public Library.
A nonresident fee of $15 for six months or $24 for a year will be charged if none of the criteria listed above is met.
A threshold of $10 has been set at which time borrowing privileges are withheld until payment has been made or a payment plan has been put into place or the amount owed is less than $10. Borrowing privileges will be withheld if amount under $10 is for lost material for which a payment plan is not in place.
Borrowers are responsible for all materials borrowed on the card issued to them unless the library staff has been notified of a lost or stolen card.
Minors under the age of 18 may register for a borrower's card, but must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at the time of registration. The parent or legal guardian must provide identification as outlined above and sign for the minor as the parents or legal guardians are financially responsible for the items borrowed by the child. Parents must also have a valid library card in order to sign their children up for one.
Policies updated 1/29/20
Movies
There is no charge to borrow feature film DVDs, which are shelved on the first floor along the back wall. You can borrow 5 feature film DVDs at a time. Educational and biographical DVDs are shelved with the circulating non-fiction collection, and circulate like a regular book (they count toward your 20 limit).
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DVDs- Check out the newest releases or take home an old favorite. We also have seasons of popular TV shows! Our feature films include Mysteries, Dramas, Classics, Action, and Foreign Films. We also have a variety of educational and biographical DVDs.
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Young Adult & Juvenile Films- The Youth Services Department has a wide selection of both educational and recreational DVDs. The recreational titles are shelved by the computers on the second floor, and the educational titles are shelved within the non-fiction collection. The Young Adult Department also has a collection of popular films available for check-out.
Periodicals (Magazines & Newspapers)
A list of New Castle Public Library's current periodical subscriptions can be found here. We also have more than 3,000 magazine titles available digitally on our Libby app. New!
The library’s Libby app by Overdrive subscription now offers magazines. More than 3,000 popular titles – including Us Weekly, National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, Vanity Affair, and Rolling Stone – are available to read in Libby. Magazines have no circulation cap and allow unlimited simultaneous use, so patrons can enjoy every issue of every magazine with smart tags in Libby. With smart tags, patrons can be notified when each new issue is released. Special interest titles such as PC World, Bon Appetit, Minecraft World, and Women’s Fitness are also available. Titles are in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, French, and more. There are three years of back issues available.
We also have the following newspaper holdings:
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New Castle News – current to last three months (all issues on microfilm from 1880)
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USA Today – current to last three months
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Wall Street Journal – current to last three months (microfilm January 1965- January 2010)
Current magazines are located on the first floor. Older copies of magazines are shelved upstairs in Periodicals, next to Genealogy. All copies of Consumer Reports are held behind the Help Desk on the first floor.
Current newspapers are located on a table upstairs in the Genealogy Department; older copies are also shelved in this area. Please ask a staff member to help you.
We also subscribe to America's News (which contains the New Castle News from 2000-present, as well as numerous newspapers from across the country) and Newspapers.com (which contains Pennsylvania newspapers and is AVAILABLE IN-LIBRARY ONLY).