Grove City Community Library
Grove City, Pennsylvania
724-458-7320
Borrower's Guide
This policy states the procedures associated with library card registration and borrowing privileges.
Library cards are issued to identify eligible users. In order to make materials available on an equal basis, limits are set on loan periods and on the number of renewals allowed. Some materials may have shorter loan periods or fewer numbers of renewals due to high demand, limited collection size, material type or lending source.
Get a Library Card
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Any resident of Grove City Borough, Liberty Township, Pine Township, Springfield Township, and Wolf Creek Township may have a free library card by presenting, in person, photo identification and proof of current address. An Access PA card will be issued for you to register and use at most public libraries in Pennsylvania. The library card will be valid for 2 years.
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Grove City College students may have a free library card by presenting, in person, their student ID and proof of permanent address. Grove City College students are not eligible for an Access PA card. The library card will be valid until the student’s graduation from Grove City College.
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People who live outside the free membership area who have a valid Access PA library card may have a free library card at Grove City Community Library by presenting, in person, their valid Access PA library card, photo identification and proof of current address. The library card will expire on the same date as the Access PA library card.
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People who live outside the free membership area who do not have a valid Access PA library card may purchase a family membership card for $30.00 per year.
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Residency requirements are the same for children and youth age 17 and under as for an adult. For children and youth age 17 and under, a parent or legal guardian must be present to apply for a card. The parent/guardian will need to present, in person, photo identification and proof of current address.
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The library will issue a Teacher’s Card to Grove City Area School District teachers. To receive a Teacher’s Card, borrower must present, in person, proof of employment on GCASD school letterhead signed by the principal or your school ID and a current driver’s license.
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All patrons will be required to present their library card to library staff in order to check-out/renew library materials and/or to use library patron computers. Patrons owing fees over $5.00 will not be able to check-out/renew materials, use library patron computers, access OverDrive or the Libby app, or register on behalf of children/minors applying for or renewing a library card account.
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Parent/guardians will be responsible for all fees on a child/youth age 17 and under card. If a child/youth age 17 and under owes fees over $5.00, both the child/youth and parent/guardian responsible for the child/youth will not be able to check-out/renew materials, use library patron computers or access OverDrive or the Libby app.
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Renew an Expired Library Card
An expired library card can be renewed in person at the library. The following guidelines apply when renewing a library card:
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Any resident of Grove City Borough, Liberty Township, Pine Township, Springfield Township, and Wolf Creek Township may renew, at no cost, an expired library card by presenting, in person, photo identification and proof of current address. The library card will be valid for 2 years.
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Grove City College students may renew, at not cost, an expired library card provided they are still a student at Grove City College. A current student ID and proof of permanent address must be presented, in person. Grove City College students are not eligible for an Access PA card. The library card will be valid until the student’s graduation from Grove City College.
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People who live outside the free membership area who have a valid Access PA library card may renew, at no cost, their expired Grove City Community Library by presenting, in person, their valid Access PA library card, photo identification and proof of current address. The library card will expire on the same date as the Access PA library card.
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People who live outside the free membership area who do not have a valid Access PA library card may renew their expired Grove City Community Library family membership card for $30.00 per year.
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Renewal and residency requirements are the same for children and youth age 17 and under as for an adult. For children and youth age 17 and under, a parent or legal guardian must be present to renew a card. The parent/guardian will need to provide photo identification and proof of current address.
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The library will renew an expired Grove City Community Library Teacher’s Card. To renew a Teacher’s Card, the borrower must present, in person, proof of employment on GCASD school letterhead signed by the principle or your school ID and a current driver’s license.
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All patrons will be required to present their library card to library staff in order to check-out/renew library materials and/or to use library patron computers. Patrons owing fees over $5.00 will not be able to check-out/renew materials, use library patron computers, access OverDrive or the Libby app, or register on behalf of children/minors applying for or renewing a library card account.
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Parent/guardians will be responsible for all fees on a child/youth age 17 and under card. If a child/youth age 17 and under owes fees over $5.00, both the child/youth and parent/guardian responsible for the child/youth will not be able to check-out/renew materials, use library patron computers or access OverDrive or the Libby app.
Replace a Lost or Damaged Card
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A lost or damaged card that has not expired may be replaced at a cost of $2.50. If the lost or damaged card has expired, there is no cost to replace the card.
Loan Periods
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Borrowers may borrow 25 items at a time. Most items are lent, free of charge, for three weeks.
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Borrowers with a teacher card may borrow 35 items at a time. Most items are lent to borrowers with a teacher card for 35 days.
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Borrowers must be at least 18 years old to borrow a maximum of five DVDs. Most DVDs are lent for one week. New release DVDs are lent for three days.
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Games and resources from the Baking Center are lent for one week.
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Bestseller books with a waiting list are lent for two weeks and cost $1.00 to borrow.
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Borrowers must be at least 18 years old and have a library card in good standing to borrow a Hotspot for one week.
Renewing Library Material
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You may renew most items a maximum of three times at the circulation desk, by phone, or using your online account. If you have an existing fine or overdue items, you will not eligible to renew using your online account. If you have an existing fine or items overdue, please call the library. Library staff will determine at the time of the phone call if they can extend the due date on any overdue items.
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You may not renew an item if others are waiting for it.
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To renew a Hotspot, please call the library (you cannot renew a Hotspot online). Library staff will determine at the time of the phone call if you are able to renew a Hotspot.
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To renew interlibrary loan item(s), please call the library at least 2 days prior to the due date. The lending library will determine if the item(s) will be renewed.
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Return Drops
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The library has a return drop located to the right of the main entrance and a stand-alone return drop opposite the main doors, across the parking lot. Games and Hotspots are NOT to be returned in the return drops. A $2.00 fine will be assessed to your account if you return Games, and/or Hotspots in the book drop.
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Items you return after closing in the return drops are checked in the next business day; the library provides a one-day grace period for items deposited in the return drops after closing.
Late Fees
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Each adult borrower is responsible for all materials checked out on his or her card.
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A parent or guardian is responsible for all materials checked on a minor's (age 17 and under) card.
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A late fee will be charged for any item returned after the due date. Late fees are charged as follow:
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Late fees for most adult and young adult (YA) material are $.30 per item per day (not counting the days we are closed).
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Late fees for most children’s material (items classified as Board Books, Picture Books (E), Easy Readers (ER), J Fiction, J Nonfiction, J Biography, J audio/music CDs, and J Graphic Novels) are $.10 per item per day (not counting the days we are closed).
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Late fees on 2-week reserve items are $.25 per item per day (not counting days we are closed).
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Late fees on ALL DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are $2.00 per item per day (not counting days we are closed).
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Late fees on Hotspots are $20.00 per item per day (not counting days we are closed).
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Late fees on interlibrary loan items, cake pans, and baking center items are $1.00 per item per day (not counting days we are closed).
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Borrower’s with a teacher card are NOT charged late fees. Replacement costs and processing fees will be charged for lost and/or damaged materials.
Due Dates and Overdue Notifications
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Borrowers will have the option at check-out to receive a printed receipt or an email receipt that lists the item(s) checked out and their due dates. Text receipts at check-out is not available at this time. email receipts require a valid email address.
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Borrowers who provide a valid text phone number and/or a valid email address will receive a text and/or email reminder notification one to two days prior to an item’s due date. Each borrower is encouraged to set-up their notification preferences. Please ask a library staff member how.
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Borrowers who provide a valid text phone number and/or a valid email address will receive a text and/or email reminder notification 1 day and again 7 days after an item’s due date informing them the item is overdue and needs to be returned to the library.
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If the item(s) remain overdue on a borrower’s card, borrowers who have provided a valid phone number will receive a courtesy phone call to the number on record informing them of overdue item that need to be returned immediately to the library. If the item(s) a warning letter will be mailed to the address on record. If there is no response to the warning letter, a certified letter will be sent to the address on record. The cost to mail the certified letter will be charged to the borrower’s account. If there is no response to the certified letter, borrowers may be summoned to appear in Mercer County District Court.
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It is the borrower’s responsibility to keep their phone number, text phone number and email address up to date.
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If the borrower provides a text phone number, the borrower understands that their mobile provider may charge to receive text messages. By providing Grove City Community Library your text phone number you are agreeing that Grove City Community Library and staff are NOT responsible for any costs your mobile provider charges to receive text messages.
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Please note, notifications and overdue notices are a courtesy of Grove City Community Library. Failure to receive a notification or an overdue notice does not exempt the borrower from returning resources on time or from paying overdue fines!
Damaged and Lost Items Fees
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Lost item fees include the cost to replace the item and a processing fee of $5.00 for books or $7.00 for audiovisual items. The lost fee and processing fee are in addition to any late fee on your account.
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Damage fees will be assessed by library staff and may include a processing fee of up to $5.00 for books and/or up to $7.00 for audiovisual items. The damage fee and processing fee are in addition to any late fee on your account.
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The library DOES NOT accept a replacement copy of the item damaged or lost.
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Items returned with an offensive odor as determined by staff or with an unknown substance adhered to the item will be charged a $3.00 fee to cover the staff time and supplies necessary to remove the odor/unknown substance from the item.
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It is the responsibility of the borrower to note to library staff any damage, odor or stain beyond normal wear and tear BEFORE leaving the library with an item. If an item is returned with any damage, odor or stain that was not noted prior to check out, the patron may be responsible for damage and/or replacement fees.
Interlibrary Loan Guidelines
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Patrons with a GCCL card in good standing (a current GCCL library card with fines/charges at or below $5.00 and no items currently overdue) may request an item from Access PA that GCCL does not own. Requests to borrow items from another library may be made at the circulation desk or by the online submission form.
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Some libraries will not lend out items that have been published in the last six months to one year. Some libraries will not lend out their audio/visual collections. We will do our best to get you what you want, but the lending library has final say as to whether or not they will loan an item.
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Up to five items may be requested or borrowed by a patron at a time.
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The lending library will set the date each item will be due.
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A late fee of $1.00 per item per day will be charged per overdue item.
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All ILL items MUST be returned to Grove City Community Library. If an ILL item is returned to another library, the patron’s account will be assessed $1.00 per ILL item returned to another library.
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If a patron requests an item that arrives through ILL and does not pick it up, they will be charged $1.00 per item.