Our Policies

Borrowing Policies

Donation Policy

Donation Box Policy

Board Meeting Minutes

Registration Requirements

Patrons must present PA Driver's License (preferred) or ID with a current address.
Library cards are free for Butler County residents and patrons with a valid Access PA sticker.
A yearly fee of $20.00 will be charged to non Butler County residents or patrons without a valid Access PA sticker.
All registration forms must be signed by the responsible party.
All patrons under age 18 must have a parent/guardian sign the card application.
There is no age limit for obtaining a library card.
The replacement card fee is at the discretion of the individual member library.
Only one registration per patron is allowed in the County database.

Patron Database

When a patron is in the database and has a card with an existing barcode, it is to be used.
Patron records may not be deleted if fines or materials are attached to them.
A batch delete of patrons with expired cards of five years or more will be conducted county-wide every January.

Circulation

Patrons must have a valid library card to check out materials. A patron may check out
with a PA Driver's License or photo ID in lieu of a library card.
Eligible items that are checked out will automatically renew up to 3 times. Otherwise, renewals for items that are not on hold may be placed online, by phone, or at any member BCFLS library. Interlibrary loan items are not eligible for automatic renewal.
Limit of 25 items per card.
Material Class Codes, Patron Category Codes and Residence Codes may be changed only by the BCFLS System Administrator.

Checkout Periods

Checkout periods for all items is now 3 weeks.

Holds

All reserved items will be held for 3 days. If a patron does not pick up the item within 3 days, the holds will be cancelled and items returned to the libraries’ shelves.
Items on hold can not be renewed.

Lost Materials and Fines

Patrons will be charged the current retail cost for lost materials.
The fee for lost item(s) must be owed to the owning library.
All materials except videos and ILL's - $.25 per day.
DVD's - $1.00 per day.
ILL's- no fine.
Readers and other devices - at the discretion of the library directors.
Maximum Fine - Retail cost or best estimate to replace.
Borrower privileges will be suspended when fines are $5.00 or more.
Fines may be paid at any library. The receiving library retains all fine money.
When a patron has been sent to the magistrate or police, fines may not be accepted in any amount. The patron must deal directly with the police or magistrate.
Forgiveness of fines is at the discretion of the library directors with the exception of fines related to police or magistrate cases.

Interlibrary Loans

A deposit can be collected at the director's discretion.
Any ILL charges incurred from another library may be passed onto the patron.
Only three ILL's can be requested at one time.
If requested, a renewal may be granted upon the approval of the lending library from which the material was sent.

The system libraries accept no responsibility for the loss of damage to patron's property or equipment as a result of the use of any library materials.

Note that some of the policies listed above may be at the discretion of the director of that individual member library.

Library Statement

Cards and Database

Circulation and Checkouts

Holds and lost items

Interlibrary Loans

Donation Policy

The Mars Area Public Library appreciates book donations all year long. Once items are donated, we reserve the right to decide which items are added to the Library’s collection, added to the book sale which benefits the Library, or discarded.Donated items should never be dropped off outside the library or left after hours of operation.

We accept:

The Mars Area Public Library only accepts donations of books, CDs, and DVDs in good condition no matter what their age.

We do not accept:

Magazines
Encyclopedias
VHS tapes
Audio cassettes
Books that are musty, water / smoke damaged, dirty, insect infested, or have covers removed
DVDs/CDs that are scratched or unusable

Donation hours:

If more than 10 items are donated at one time, please drop off on Monday between 3-7pm and Friday between 10-3pm.

Woman holding a box of clothes for donation

Donation Box Policy

As part of the Mars Area Public Library commitment to community engagement, space is provided in the library for organizations to place donation boxes to collect items for causes that benefit the community. The Mars Area Public Library reserves the right to determine whether an organization's purpose and the type of collection are acceptable. The Library Director or a designated staff member will approve the application within ten business days.

Donation Boxes

Purpose:

This policy outlines the guides for requesting and placing donation boxes at the library to support local charities and philanthropic efforts.

Eligiblity:

Requests are prioritized for organizations or individuals who are residents of Butler County, with first priority given to those from the Mars Area (Mars Borough, Adams Township, Valencia Borough, & Middlesex Township.
At this time the library is not partnering on book drives.

Approval Process:

All donation boxes must be approved by the Library Director.
Requests for donation box space must be submitted at least one week in advance of the proposed display date.

Duration and Management:

Donation boxes may be displayed for a maximum of one month.
Organizations/individuals are responsible for providing their own donation boxes.
Boxes should be clean, intact, and professional in appearance, with a maximum size of 2'x2'x2' unless otherwise discussed.

Monitoring Responsibilities:

The sponsoring organization or individual must monitor the box regularly and remove items as needed to prevent overflow and obstruction.
If a box overflows, library staff may remove it.

Collection Guidelines:

Donation boxes may only be used for collections benefiting recognized philanthropies or charities.
The Mars Area Public Library will determine the location of the donation box, which will typically be in the front vestibule unless otherwise discussed.
Organizations or individuals may indicate that the Mars Area Public Library is a collection point but may not claim sponsorship or endorsement by the Library without prior discussion.

Labeling Requirements:

Donation boxes must be clearly labeled with the following information:

Description of items being collected.
Name of the sponsoring organization/individual.
Information about who will benefit from the donations.
Contact information for inquiries.
Dates of the donation drive.

Library Rights:

The Mars Area Public Library reserves the right to adjust or cease the collection at any time.

Liability:

The Mars Area Public Library is not responsible for lost, missing, damaged, or stolen items.
Any donation box set up without prior approval will be discarded, and future requests may be denied.
Boxes not collected at the end of the approved term may be discarded.