Circulation and Fee Policy

Circulation of Material

Three Rivers Regional Library System Members: The members of our system are The Dixie County Public Library, The Gilchrist County Public Library, The Lafayette County Public Library and The Taylor County Public Library. As a Three Rivers Regional Library patron, you have borrowing privileges at all four libraries. The following policies apply to all four libraries.

Reciprocal Borrowing: The Three Rivers Libraries currently have reciprocal borrowing privileges with the following libraries: Alachua County Library System, Levy County Library System, and Suwanee River Regional Library System. Further, Florida Gateway College has reciprocal borrowing agreements with the Dixie County Public Library and the Gilchrist Public Library. North Florida Community College has a reciprocal borrowing agreement with the Lafayette Public Library. All Three Rivers patrons agree to follow each reciprocal lending library’s lending policy. Each reciprocal lending library patron agrees to follow the Three Rivers Regional Library System’s lending policy.

Obtaining a library card: If you would like to register as a patron of the Three Rivers Regional Library System, you must live, attend school, pay taxes, own property or work in any of our four participating counties: Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette or Taylor County. As a Three Rivers Regional Library patron, you have borrowing privileges at all four libraries. However, the library where you obtain your library card is considered your home library.

To apply for a card please visit any Three Rivers Regional library’s circulation desk. Staff will assist you with the process. Adult applicants will need to sign for their card and parents or guardians of children under the age of 18 must sign their child’s application. At some locations to ensure that we have recorded your data accurately, your new library card may be mailed to your home address.

You must provide proof of address. You may do this with a current picture ID (examples include but are not limited to a driver’s license or a state issued identification card). If your address on your picture ID is not accurate, you may prove residency by showing your picture ID along with any of the following items: mail sent to your current physical address, bill, bank statement, voter’s registration card, lease, pay stub and/or car registration. Children and young adults ages 17 or younger must have a parent or legal guardian complete and sign the application form. The parent or legal guardian must have a library card in good standing. The parent or legal guardian vouches for residency and assumes all responsibility for the items checked out on the minor’s library card.

Borrowing Limitations

On the first visit to the library, you may borrow up to three (3) items. After the first visit, with your library card, you may check out up to 25 items. However, you may only check out 5 movies and only 3 items on the same subject area may be checked out each visit. Only adult patrons may check out movies.

You are responsible for the items checked out on your library card. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for items checked out on the cards of their dependents (ages 17 or younger).

You must present your library card in order to check out items. If you misplace your library card, you may use a picture ID to check out items. After that, you must purchase a replacement card (currently $1.00). Stolen cards are replaced free of charge if a police record reporting the theft is shown to a library staff person.

All library cards expire after one year. At this time, you will be asked to update your information.

Returning Items: For your convenience, all library materials can be returned to any Three Rivers Regional Library or library return box (e.g., you may return an item you borrowed from The Dixie County Public Library to The Taylor County Public Library).

Loan Periods

Holds: You may only have three items on hold at any one time. Books that are one year or newer are not available for interlibrary loan for libraries outside of the Three Rivers Regional Library System.

Overdue Items

No library materials will be checked out to patrons with outstanding fines or overdue materials. A patron’s account is restricted if they have items that are 30 days or more overdue.

Overdue Notices

First reminder is sent when an item(s) is one month overdue. Second reminder is sent when an item(s) is two months overdue. Third reminder is sent when an item(s) is three months overdue. At this point, we consider the item lost and the patron will be billed for the missing item.

Fines/Fees

Movies: $1/day; the maximum late fine is $5.00 per item. After 90 days, the full price of the item plus a $5 processing/cataloging fee is automatically charged to the patrons’ account. If the patron is able to return or replace the item, s/he will only be liable for the $5 processing fee and the maximum overdue charge ($5) per item.

Books/audiobooks: No charge, but the full price of the item plus a $5 processing/cataloging fee is automatically charged to the patrons’ account when the item(s) is 90 days or more overdue. If the patron is able to return or replace the item, s/he will only be liable for the $5 processing fee.

Approved by the TRRLS Board on June 8, 2023

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