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Policies and Information

To Obtain a Library Card

  • Provide a valid driver’s license or other valid, government-issued ID
  • Show proof of residence via a piece of mail, i.e., a utility bill. The mail must have been mailed to you and bear a postmark dated within the last three months.
  • There is no charge for Jones County residents. Residents outside of Jones County must pay a one-time non-resident fee of $10.
  • Children under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign the application card. A staff member of the library system must witness the signature.
    • Responsibility for library materials checked out, read, heard, or viewed by children and adolescents rests completely with their parents or legal guardians. LJCLS Staff are not qualified, nor able, nor do they have any responsibility for library materials checked out by any patron of any age, including children and teens. Parents or guardians are strongly encouraged to engage in the library material selection and check out process with their children in all LJCLS libraries.

Borrowing and Returning Items

  • Each person must use their own library card for all transactions.
  • Patrons checking out for the first time are limited to five (5) books.
  • Maximum check out is a total of ten (10) items per account.
  • Accounts must be clear before items may be borrowed. This includes returning or renewing any outstanding items, paying any fines or charges on the account, updating account information annually, and resolving any other issues.
  • Children’s accounts are linked to a parent or legal guardian’s account. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for ensuring children’s accounts are cleared prior to borrowing materials.
  • Books may be borrowed for two (2) weeks. Books may be renewed a maximum of two (2) times. Any book with a request on it will not be eligible for renewal. A maximum of ten (10) books may be borrowed per account. Books may be returned in the outside drop boxes at either library at any time or inside at the circulation desk when the libraries are open.
  • Audio books (books on CD) may be borrowed for two (2) weeks and may be renewed two (2) times. Any audio book with a request on it will not be eligible for renewal. A maximum of five (5) audio books may be borrowed per account.
  • Videos (on DVD or Blu-Ray) may be borrowed for two (2) weeks and are not eligible for renewal. A maximum of five (5) videos may be borrowed per adult account.
  • Video Games for various consoles may be borrowed for two (2) weeks and are not eligible to be renewed. Due to the limited number of video games available, only one (1) video game is permitted per library card. Games rated M for mature audiences can only be checked out to patrons 17 years of age or older with a valid library card. Games with a T for Teen can be checked out by patrons 13 years of age or older with a valid library card. All games with an E for Everyone rating can be checked out by anyone with a valid library card.
  • Magazines may be borrowed for two (2) weeks and are not eligible for renewal. A maximum of three (3) magazines may be borrowed per account.
  • Deposit books require a cash deposit to check-out. The deposit is refunded when the book is returned, minus late fees if the book is not returned when it is due.
  • There is a two (2) week waiting period to recheck items once the renewal limit of items checked out has been reached.

Renewing Materials

  • If you are not finished with your items, most library materials may be renewed. Any item that has reserve on it or a renewal limit cannot be renewed past the renewal limit.
  • Once the renewal limit on an item has been reached the item may not be checked out on the same account or an associated account until a minimum of two (2) weeks has passed.
  • Items that can be renewed will auto-renew up to 2 times. You can also use one of the following methods to renew the due date on most items:
    • Call the circulation desk at either library (have your library card handy!)
    • Renew your items online from any computer by going to the library website, click on online catalog, choose patron account, and entering your library card number and password. You may renew from the “items out” menu.
    • Bring the items in to renew them.

Computers and Internet Access

  • Public Access Computers are available at both the Ellisville Public Library and Laurel Jones County Library to provide library cardholders with internet access, word processing, and other computer resources. Library cardholders may use computers if their account is in good standing. Children (under 18) who wish to use Public Access Computers must bring the parent or legal guardian who originally set up their library card to sign the Computer Use Agreement form and must be directly supervised by a parent or legal guardian if under age fourteen (14).
  • Computers are available whenever the library is open. Please note computers shut down 30 minutes prior to the library closing.
  • Wi-Fi Service is available at both Ellisville Public Library and Laurel-Jones County Library to provide patrons with internet access.
  • Visitor’s Passes may be issued to out-of-county visitors who wish to use our Public Access Computers up to five (5) times per year. Visitors under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian complete the Computer Use Agreement form. Visitors under the age of 14 must be directly supervised by a parent or legal guardian. Visitors also may apply for a non-resident library card.

Fines, Fees, and Other Charges

  • Late items – Accounts will be charged a fine for each item returned past its due date. Fines are charged per item per day for all materials. Fine rates for materials are as follows:
    • books and magazines-$.25
    • audio books-$.50
    • videos (VHS & DVD) and video games-$2
    • ILL materials-$5
  • Postage – Accounts with items that are over thirty (30) days overdue will receive an overdue notice. You will be charged $.75 per overdue notice to cover the cost of postage.
  • Lost/Damaged/Destroyed Items– You will be charged the price of the item plus a $5.00 processing fee. After an item is paid for, no refunds will be issued. You are also subject to MS Code Section 39-3-303 and may be arrested for failure to return library materials and/or pay fines and fees associated with loss or destruction of materials.
  • Delinquent accounts– If you have overdue materials or late fines on your library account for 60 days, your account will be submitted to the collection agency. If your account is submitted to the collection agency, your account will automatically be charged a collection agency fee. The fee is $18 per account. Once this fee is charged to your account, it will not be removed even if the overdue materials are returned.
  • Lost Card–Replacement cards are available for a fee of $5 per card replaced.
  • Non-Resident Fee –A $10 non-resident fee is charged at the time any person who resides outside Jones County obtains a library account. This is a one-time fee.
  • Copies –Printed pages and black/white copies are $.25 per page. Color copies are $ 1.25 per page.
  • Faxes –Faxes may be sent or received at the Circulation Desk of either library. The fee is $2.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page per fax. You are responsible for paying for all pages sent or received. Faxes sent outside the US are $20 regardless of size or where they are sent.
  • Lamination– Lamination services are available at the Laurel-Jones County Library. The cost is $1.50 per foot. To have something laminated, ask a staff member at the circulation desk for assistance. Laminating items may take up to two hours. For a large quantity of items, please call ahead and schedule a drop-off and pickup time.

Reference

  • The Reference Areas of both libraries house materials for research purposes i.e., medical and legal information, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other specialty materials for researching a wide variety of topics. These materials are for in-library use only and may not be checked out.

Genealogy

  • The Genealogy Areas of the Laurel library house materials for family research purposes i.e., microfilm/microfiche, family files, and history books, census information, etc. These materials are for in-library use only and may not be checked out.

Holidays and Closings

The Laurel-Jones County Library System, Inc. observes most state holidays. All libraries in the system are closed for the following holidays:

  • New Year’s Eve- December
  • New Year’s Day- January
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- January
  • Presidents’ Day- February
  • Memorial Day- May
  • Fourth of July- July
  • Labor Day- September
  • Veterans Day- November
  • Thanksgiving- November
  • Christmas Eve- December
  • Christmas Day- December

For some holidays, the libraries are closed multiple days. To check the libraries closed dates, please check the calendar of events for that month.

The Laurel-Jones County Library is closed the first Saturday of October due to the Loblolly Festival and the first Saturday of December due to the Christmas Parade. Services are available at Ellisville Public Library this day.

ILL

What is ILL?

Inter-library Loan (ILL) is a free service offered to adult patrons of the Laurel-Jones County Library System, Inc. Through ILL, patrons can check out books our library system currently does not own. ILL requests may take up to 4 weeks to fill. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks, we were unable to fill your request. You will only be contacted if there is a question about your request or the item has been received and ready for you pick up.

ILL Policies

  • Only books published at least 6 months ago may be requested.
  • Patrons must be over 18 years of age to request items through ILL.
  • Patron account must be current with no fines or overdue materials.
  • ILL cannot be the first checkout.
  • ILL materials are only checked out for 2 weeks unless otherwise noted.
  • Any request to renew ILL items must be made one week prior to due date. Most items cannot be renewed.
  • ILL items must be picked up and returned on time.
  • Item must be returned with ILL book slip attached.
  • While ILL is a free service, some fines and fees may be charged if policies are not followed.
  • There is a limit of five (5) requests per month per person on all books except Picture/Easy. There is a limit of two (2) requests per month on Picture/Easy books.

ILL Fines & Fees

  • $5.00 per item day late fee
  • $5.00 per item not picked up.

If an item is lost or damaged, patron will be responsible for the total cost of the book (as determined by the lending library), a processing fee, and any other costs associated with the item (i.e., late fees)

How to Submit an ILL Form

  • Check our collection for the item by searching the online catalog or asking staff for assistance.
  • Fill out your ILL form. Paper forms can be found at the desk. They must be filled completely, correctly, and legibly. Incorrectly filled and/or illegible forms will be discarded. Online forms can be found by signing into your account.
  • Only one request per form will be accepted. Forms with more than one request will be discarded.
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