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Frequently asked questions for 2018 fee changes and the passport program
Frequently Asked Questions for 2018 Fee Changes and the Passport Program
In 2016, the St. Helens Library Board engaged a library consultant to help the St. Helens Public Library through a strategic planning process. This process was partially funded by a grant from the Ford Family Foundation and involved local educators, community members, the St. Helens Library Board, and Library staff. The strategic plan was adopted by the City Council in 2017.
One of the four goals in the strategic plan is to reduce barriers to accessing St. Helens Public Library services. To begin formulating a plan to accomplish this goal, a working group of Library staff members and Library Board members met to review community feedback, an environmental scan, and Library data.
After reviewing the data, the group put together a list of recommended changes, which the St. Helens City Council approved on October 18, 2017, to be effective on January 1, 2018.
What's changing?
City Council Resolution No. 1804 made six changes to the St. Helens Public Library fees and programs:
- Reintroducing quarterly payments for non-resident library cards. Users can now pay $10 for three months of Library access in addition to having the option to pay $35 for a year of Library access.
- Eliminating overdue fines on children's and teen materials.
- Reducing fines on most adult materials (everything except DVDs and cultural passes) from 25 cents per day to 15 cents per day and reducing the maximum fine per item from $15 to $10.
- Lowering lost and damaged item replacement fees to more accurately reflect the actual cost to the Library. The replacement fee for all materials will be the original list price of the item. The fee for a lost or damaged DVD or CD case will be $5, and the fee for a lost or damaged DVD or CD paper insert will be $7.
- Joining the Oregon Library Passport Program on a one-year trial basis.
- Making the Columbia Center meeting rooms available outside of normal Library operating hours if staffing availability permits for a fee of $45 per hour.
When do these changes take effect?
The changes are effective January 1, 2018.
Will I still have to pay the fines and fees that are currently on my account?
Yes, St. Helens Public Library users will still be responsible for any overdue fines as well as lost or damaged item fees that were accrued before January 1, 2018, when the old fee schedule was still in effect.
Without overdue fines on children’s and teen materials, what will make anyone bring back their items to the Library?
Once a Library item is more than 21 days overdue, it is assumed lost and the borrower is charged the lost item replacement fee and the borrower's account is blocked until the item is returned or paid for. This policy will still be in place. The elimination of overdue fines on children's and teen materials is meant to offer more flexibility to families, but Library materials still must be returned to the Library in a timely fashion.
What is the Oregon Library Passport Program?
The Oregon Library Passport Program is an initiative of the Oregon Library Association. Cardholders at Passport member libraries have reciprocal borrowing privileges -- that is, St. Helens Public Library cardholders will now be able to use their library card to obtain a card at any other Passport library, including Scappoose Public Library, Multnomah County Library, and the Washington County libraries.
There are sometimes restrictions -- for example, people with cards at other Passport libraries will not be able to check out Cultural Passes from the St. Helens Public Library. Library items must be returned to the library from which they were checked out. There is no additional fee to use your St. Helens Public Library card to obtain a card at another Passport library, nor is there an additional fee to use the St. Helens Public Library if you are already a cardholder at another Passport library. For more information and a list of participating libraries, see the Oregon Library Passport Program website.
